TITLE: Underdogs prevail in Division II
Many thought Woodcreek was destined to roll through Division II and defend its section title. Along the way though, Antelope showed why many feel it is a budding athletic power in knocking off the Timberwolves with some late game heroics from Jarvis Watkins. In the day's opening game, St. Mary's locked down defensively to beat Cordova and march on as a difficult seven seed.
Antelope shocks Woodcreek
There will be a new SJS Division II champion as Woodcreek fell to Antelope 62-61 in the nightcap at Power Balance Pavilion. The night didn't start out well for the Titans as they got down 10-0 at the start and 23-8 after one quarter. Woodcreek got whatever it wanted on the floor with Devin Murphy scoring eight points and John Peska putting in nine points. Antelope slowing got back in the game with a 9-0 run at the start of the second quarter and a 12-0 run to end the half and take a 30-28 lead. Kei'shaun Sinclair had 11 first half points, but the story was Antelope holding Woodcreek to five second quarter points. The Timberwolves didn't score until the 4:51 mark and didn't get its first field goal until the 2:37 mark.
"I think we showed a lot of resilience coming back and showing a lot of composure down the stretch," Watkins said. "We've been in situations like that before, so it was nothing new to us."
Woodcreek put together a 10-0 run to start the third quarter behind hot shooting from Peska, who scored 12 points in the frame. Antelope, showing fight and experience beyond expectations, overcame a nine point deficit to close on a 10-2 run in being down 49-48 heading into the fourth quarter. This was when junior Jarvis Watkins took over in scoring 10 of his 20 points. A pair of driving lay-ups from Watkins gave the Titans a 60-56 lead before Luke Summers had a rebound put back for an and one to cut the deficit to 60-59. He added another put back following an Antelope turnover to give the Timberwolves a 61-60 lead. Antelope got the ball back with time winding down and Watkins went on the right baseline for a driving lay-up plus the foul. He missed the subsequent free throw and a half-court shot from Tyler Milani was no good to end an exciting night of basketball.
Antelope: Watkins was the star with 20 points, four rebounds and three assists in shooting over 50 percent. He is dangerous when isolated and driving to the rim, but can keep defensives honest with his passing. Antelope head coach Robert Richards said Watkins is a complete player who can rebound, defense, get by the defense and also isn't afraid to pass the ball for a better look. A nice player to remember for the 2012 class. The length and athleticism inside of John Winters and Isaiah Ellis caused its share of problems, though Antelope was -19 on the boards Tuesday night. Ellis is a 2013 prospect who is a long 6-foot-4, but plays inside. Sinclair was solid early as a playmaker in the backcourt. Whether Antelope can gain the athletic advantage against St. Mary's on Saturday will be key in deciding this title game.
Woodcreek: It's hard to imagine a better start for Woodcreek, but it couldn't maintain it in a surprising semi-final exit. The Timberwolves got a strong game from Murphy with 19 points and 17 rebounds in bringing great energy to the floor. He's a tough rebounder who can start the transition game from anywhere on the floor. Peska is a talented shooter who was a bit sporadic in going 8-for-27 on the night. He did have a nice stretch in the third quarter. Summers had 10 points and 10 rebounds and will be counted on more the rest of the season as starting center Sam Anderson is lost for the year due to injury. The Timberwolves struggled in corralling in the dribble drives of Antelope and seemed to take too many chances on outlet passes. Still, they were far off from winning this game, which is a common theme at this point of the year.
Rams Ram tough on defense
In a Division II SJS semifinal battle between No. 3 seed Cordova and No. 7 seed St. Mary's Stockton, the Rams put the defensive clamp on the Lancers. The Rams scored the first 17 points of the game. St. Mary's was able to maintain a comfortable cushion to win 48-35.
In the first quarter, the Lancers had the jitters as they made several turnovers and missed many shots from the paint area. As a result, Cordova was held scoreless in the quarter. St. Mary's took advantage and ran to a 13-0 first quarter lead.
Cordova was trailing 17-0 before the Lancers scored their first points with 6:28 left. The first half had only 11 personal fouls and was fast flowing. St. Mary's was able to increase their lead to 25-10.
The third quarter did not see much improvement for the Lancers as they seem to have trouble with the Ram height advantage. 6-foot-10 Chris Magalotti had seven rebounds and six blocks as he altered several Lancer shot attempts. The Rams extended to a 38-20 margin at the end of the quarter.
Despite trailing most of the game, Cordova did not give up. The Lancers played an intense and scrappy fourth quarter. However, the Rams still held on 48-35.
How this game was won: Coach Ken Green said that his team came out focused and attacked the basket. As a result, the team had the early lead and was able to keep the cushion. Neither team nor any players really stood out from an offensive standpoint as this game was a defensive struggle.
Turning point: The Rams coming out with the 17-0 lead. With that early margin, St. Mary's was able to hold off any run by Cordova.
St. Mary's analysis: Chico State bound Magalotti said that the team has been motivated throughout playoffs as they did not win league and have been a lower seeded underdog. The aggressiveness showed as they shot seven more free throws than Cordova. The Rams will now take on Antelope for the SJS title on Saturday.
Cordova analysis: The Lancers started slow offensively and did not improve much as the game went on. They shot 25 percent from the field and were also out rebounded. They will await the seeding for the Northern California playoffs and will have to improve the execution and intensity.
Antelope shocks Woodcreek
There will be a new SJS Division II champion as Woodcreek fell to Antelope 62-61 in the nightcap at Power Balance Pavilion. The night didn't start out well for the Titans as they got down 10-0 at the start and 23-8 after one quarter. Woodcreek got whatever it wanted on the floor with Devin Murphy scoring eight points and John Peska putting in nine points. Antelope slowing got back in the game with a 9-0 run at the start of the second quarter and a 12-0 run to end the half and take a 30-28 lead. Kei'shaun Sinclair had 11 first half points, but the story was Antelope holding Woodcreek to five second quarter points. The Timberwolves didn't score until the 4:51 mark and didn't get its first field goal until the 2:37 mark.
"I think we showed a lot of resilience coming back and showing a lot of composure down the stretch," Watkins said. "We've been in situations like that before, so it was nothing new to us."
Woodcreek put together a 10-0 run to start the third quarter behind hot shooting from Peska, who scored 12 points in the frame. Antelope, showing fight and experience beyond expectations, overcame a nine point deficit to close on a 10-2 run in being down 49-48 heading into the fourth quarter. This was when junior Jarvis Watkins took over in scoring 10 of his 20 points. A pair of driving lay-ups from Watkins gave the Titans a 60-56 lead before Luke Summers had a rebound put back for an and one to cut the deficit to 60-59. He added another put back following an Antelope turnover to give the Timberwolves a 61-60 lead. Antelope got the ball back with time winding down and Watkins went on the right baseline for a driving lay-up plus the foul. He missed the subsequent free throw and a half-court shot from Tyler Milani was no good to end an exciting night of basketball.
Antelope: Watkins was the star with 20 points, four rebounds and three assists in shooting over 50 percent. He is dangerous when isolated and driving to the rim, but can keep defensives honest with his passing. Antelope head coach Robert Richards said Watkins is a complete player who can rebound, defense, get by the defense and also isn't afraid to pass the ball for a better look. A nice player to remember for the 2012 class. The length and athleticism inside of John Winters and Isaiah Ellis caused its share of problems, though Antelope was -19 on the boards Tuesday night. Ellis is a 2013 prospect who is a long 6-foot-4, but plays inside. Sinclair was solid early as a playmaker in the backcourt. Whether Antelope can gain the athletic advantage against St. Mary's on Saturday will be key in deciding this title game.
Woodcreek: It's hard to imagine a better start for Woodcreek, but it couldn't maintain it in a surprising semi-final exit. The Timberwolves got a strong game from Murphy with 19 points and 17 rebounds in bringing great energy to the floor. He's a tough rebounder who can start the transition game from anywhere on the floor. Peska is a talented shooter who was a bit sporadic in going 8-for-27 on the night. He did have a nice stretch in the third quarter. Summers had 10 points and 10 rebounds and will be counted on more the rest of the season as starting center Sam Anderson is lost for the year due to injury. The Timberwolves struggled in corralling in the dribble drives of Antelope and seemed to take too many chances on outlet passes. Still, they were far off from winning this game, which is a common theme at this point of the year.
Rams Ram tough on defense
In a Division II SJS semifinal battle between No. 3 seed Cordova and No. 7 seed St. Mary's Stockton, the Rams put the defensive clamp on the Lancers. The Rams scored the first 17 points of the game. St. Mary's was able to maintain a comfortable cushion to win 48-35.
In the first quarter, the Lancers had the jitters as they made several turnovers and missed many shots from the paint area. As a result, Cordova was held scoreless in the quarter. St. Mary's took advantage and ran to a 13-0 first quarter lead.
Cordova was trailing 17-0 before the Lancers scored their first points with 6:28 left. The first half had only 11 personal fouls and was fast flowing. St. Mary's was able to increase their lead to 25-10.
The third quarter did not see much improvement for the Lancers as they seem to have trouble with the Ram height advantage. 6-foot-10 Chris Magalotti had seven rebounds and six blocks as he altered several Lancer shot attempts. The Rams extended to a 38-20 margin at the end of the quarter.
Despite trailing most of the game, Cordova did not give up. The Lancers played an intense and scrappy fourth quarter. However, the Rams still held on 48-35.
How this game was won: Coach Ken Green said that his team came out focused and attacked the basket. As a result, the team had the early lead and was able to keep the cushion. Neither team nor any players really stood out from an offensive standpoint as this game was a defensive struggle.
Turning point: The Rams coming out with the 17-0 lead. With that early margin, St. Mary's was able to hold off any run by Cordova.
St. Mary's analysis: Chico State bound Magalotti said that the team has been motivated throughout playoffs as they did not win league and have been a lower seeded underdog. The aggressiveness showed as they shot seven more free throws than Cordova. The Rams will now take on Antelope for the SJS title on Saturday.
Cordova analysis: The Lancers started slow offensively and did not improve much as the game went on. They shot 25 percent from the field and were also out rebounded. They will await the seeding for the Northern California playoffs and will have to improve the execution and intensity.
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