After a disappointing loss at Sonora on Jan. 29, the varsity Cougar basketball boys turned it around and got a convincing win at home on Jan. 31, defeating Hilmar.
The split for the week left the boys with a 4-4 Trans-Valley League record.
They lost at Sonora to open the second half of league play, falling 57-48. Up 10-9 after one and 24-23 at the half, the Cougars saw the home team come out fired up in the second half and fell behind as Sonora went on a 14-7 run in the third quarter.
“We did not come in with the appropriate mindset or play with the necessary effort. We seemed like we didn’t want to be there,” admitted head coach Nate Bartelink. “We wasted a night where we shot the ball well from three-point range. We somehow had a one-point lead at the half, even though we weren’t playing great.”
Jake Ferreira and Logan Huebner each had 10 points on the night; Ben Ferreira added nine and Jacob Augusto put in six.
“Sonora beat us in all the hustle and effort categories and on top of that, they got hot from behind the arc in the second half, making eight threes. It was probably our most disappointing performance of the season, given the opponent and stakes of the game,” Bartelink explained. “The following day our film session showed many of the areas we can improve upon, especially those that we have control over.”
Rebounding quickly, Escalon hosted Hilmar for the Winter Homecoming festivities on Friday, Jan. 31 and put together a solid four quarters, winning 67-46 over the Yellowjackets.
A 15-5 first quarter run by the Cougars set the tone.
“After coming off a poor effort in our loss to Sonora we challenged our players in a few areas, specifically regarding effort,” Bartelink said. “They responded right from the tip. The defensive energy and effort was great. That fueled our offense. We quickly established a double-digit lead and continued to build on that lead, maintaining control all night.”
Escalon had a 33-14 lead at the half, extending it to 53-30 after three quarters. Leading the way was Ben Ferreira with 16 points, five rebounds, and three steals. Logan Huebner had 15 points, eight rebounds, four assists, four steals, and four blocked shots.
“He was very active; filled up the stat sheet,” Bartelink said of Huebner.
Freshman Jake Ferreira added 11 points on the night.
“He’s playing well. His production has increased in recent weeks. As a freshman, he’s only going to get better,” the coach noted.
Daniel Gonzalez chipped in with five points, six rebounds, and three steals; Ryan Murphy had five points.
“We were able to get everyone a good amount of playing time. It was a good team win; 11 of our 13 active players scored. Winning the game and playing well was a great way to end an awesome Homecoming night,” Bartelink said.
JV/Freshmen
On the road, the JV boys earned a 51-35 victory at Sonora on Jan. 29. They kicked off the Homecoming slate of games on Jan. 31 with a 49-44 win to stay undefeated in league play. They improved to 18-6 overall, 8-0 in TVL.
The freshmen split their games. They were 45-39 winners on the road at Sonora and then traveled to Hilmar for a Thursday, Jan. 30 contest. They lost there by 10 points, 49-39, as they were without a key scorer in the contest. The freshmen are 6-2 in league, 13-11 overall.
Tuesday, Feb. 4, the teams were to be at home against Hughson with the varsity observing Senior Night, honoring its six seniors: Jacob Augusto, Trenton Epps, Daniel Gonzalez, Sam Jimenez, Ryan Lewis, and Ryan Murphy.
“We celebrate our seniors and their families for their commitment, accomplishments and numerous contributions to our program over the last four years,” Bartelink said. Escalon’s varsity stood at 14-10 overall after the split of their games this past week.
“The playoffs are on the horizon and we need to win as many games as possible to put us in the best possible position for playoff seeding,” Bartelink said.
They will be on the road Friday, Feb. 7 against first place Ripon Christian.
“We’re looking for a signature win, and beating RC in their gym would certainly be that. We have what it takes to get it done, but we’ll need to play well for four quarters,” the coach said.
Looking ahead, the game scheduled at home on Wednesday, Feb. 12 will see Escalon host Ripon, and the evening will include honoring the 20-year anniversary of the 2005 team that won the CIF SJS Division 4 Section title, defeating Ripon at Arco Arena for the blue banner.
