Ontario loses big to Skyview
Tigers feel strain of lost practice time
By Ray Rodriguez
Argus Observer
Wednesday, December 12, 2007 10:55 AM PST
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| Ontario’s Josh Mejia (right) leans in for a short jumper ahead of two Skyview defenders during the second half of their non-league boys basketball game Tuesday in Ontario. Mejia scored a game-high 18 points, but the Tigers lost the game 63-45. |
Ontario - Through the first 16 minutes of play, the Ontario boys basketball team fought toe-to-toe with Skyview.
Then the ill-effects of a solid football season and only four basketball practices kicked in.
The Skyview Hawks used a 28-18 second half run and coasted to the 63-45 win over Ontario in non-league basketball action Tuesday in Ontario.
“I think they played great basketball for about two and a half quarters and then you could see we kind of got tired,” Ontario head coach Scott Helmick said. “We hit the wall a little bit and they (Skyview) got a lead and never let it go. You know, we didn’t quit. We kept at it.”
In the second half, Skyview shot 11-of-22 from the field and kicked off the third quarter on a 12-3 run to take a 47-30 lead with five minutes left in the third stanza.
The Tigers then used the final half of the quarter for a 9-3 run to cut the deficit to 50-39 after 24 minutes of play.
Skyview’s Josh Donohue jump-started his squad in the fourth quarter scoring the first six points on a jumper, two free throws and a layup to give the Hawks a 56-39 lead with four minutes left in the game.
“Offensively we just focused on getting the ball to our bigs and keeping them happy,” Skyview head coach Sean Yeager said. “If you keep the bigs happy, then everyone seems to play better. It was nice to get the bigs started and we were able to work that nice inside-outside game. They seemed to come together in the second half.”
Ontario could only muster three field goals in the fourth quarter, a jumper by Josh Mejia, a layup by Jacob Haueter and a layup by Tad Anzaldua.
Mejia nailed six shots, five from long distance to lead Ontario with 18 points and teammates Chad Allen and Anzaldua added six points apiece for the Tigers, which shot 39 percent (18-46) from the floor.
The Tigers actually enjoyed the lead after one quarter of play, and the largest lead was at 13-8. Both teams traded baskets down the stretch and Ontario held the 17-14 lead after one quarter of play.
In the quarter, Mejia scored eight points, while Haueter and Anzaldua chipped in two apiece. The Hawks then went to work in the second quarter and, went on a 6-0 run to start the quarter and after a jumper by Powers, they led 23-17 with 5:38 left in the half.
Ontario was held to four field goals in the quarter and was outscored 21-10 in the second. The Skyview run turned a 17-14 deficit into a 35-27 cushion at the break.
Kyle Dranginis scored 16 points, Josh Donohue added 15 and Marc Taylor added 14 points, seven boards and five blocked shots to lead Skyview, which connected on 26-of-54 from the field.
The Hawks had the edge in rebounding with a 35-26 advantage, an 11-3 difference in second chance points, and scored 24 points off 23 Ontario turnovers.
