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| Patterson rallies late, sends Wolves packing |
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| Written by Marc Aceves / Patterson Irrigator / | |
| Saturday, 26 January 2008 | |
 Patterson’s Shelby Yamamoto, who was a huge factor in Thursday’s win, pulls back for a shot. Photo by Elias Funez/Patterson Irrigator The Wolves were reduced to a roster of seven, one of those players being senior guard Nina Garcia, the second-leading scorer in the Western Athletic Conference. The last time the two teams met in Livingston, Garcia lit the Tigers up for 20 points, 15 of which came courtesy of the 3-point shot. The Tigers were not about to allow lightning to strike twice — Patterson’s defense locked up Garcia in the first half this time around and held her in check throughout much of the second. “(Livingston’s) only offensive scheme seems to be, ‘Get the ball to (Garcia)’,” Tigers senior forward Michelle Bancroft said. “That’s what beat us the first time we played them, but we didn’t let her do it tonight.” With Garcia’s hot hand temporarily extinguished, it would seem the Tigers could run away with the game. However, the home team could not buy a bucket in the first half. The Tigers’ lack of scoring kept Livingston in the game, as the Wolves’ defense held the hosts to 11 first-half points. Patterson coach Jason McCleery was not discouraged. He let his girls know that, despite their woeful offensive efforts, they still controlled their destiny.  The Tigers’ Brooke Borba runs the ball up the baseline before putting up a shot. Photo by Elias Funez/Patterson Irrigator The Tigers rallied behind their coach’s words. “Our coach told us that we needed to continue to shut down their main players,” Tigers sophomore forward Cassie Coble said. “We never left (Garcia), we helped off and didn’t let her shoot.” The late Patterson charge was fueled by the team’s strong defense and its ability to hunt down loose balls and rebounds. It took more than three full quarters to do it, but eventually, Patterson seized the lead away from the Wolves with just more than three minutes left to play. Tigers senior center Shelby Yamamoto capped off a huge night with a fall-away jump shot to put her team up 31-30. Yamamoto spoke about how important it is to remain poised in battle. “Our coach told us to go out there and play with confidence,” she said. “We needed to believe in ourselves and know that we are better and faster than (Livingston).”  Patterson’s Michelle Bancroft is fouled on her way to the hoop by a Livingston defender during Thursday’s game at home. Photo by Elias Funez/Patterson Irrigator “They didn’t have anyone that could guard her,” Coble said. “We kept dumping the ball in to her, and she would finish with her regular moves.” Livingston coach Luciana Naldi points to her shorthanded bench as a key factor in the outcome of the game. “You do what you can do with six or seven kids,” Naldi said. “Overall, my team gave me everything that they had, and that’s all I can ask for.” A win against one of the top-tier teams in the league can do wonders for a player’s confidence. Just ask Bancroft, who finished with 14 points and four rebounds. “We know that we can keep up with any team,” she said. “We’re better than every team in our league, and we can beat any team that we play.” To reach Marc Aceves at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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