Highlanders hold off Sultans’ late threat
- Updated: January 13, 2016
Santana controls the ball against Helix in a home game on Tuesday.
2015-16 EAST COUNTY PREP BOYS BASKETBALL
By James McHugh
© East County Sports.com
SANTEE (1-13-16) – Once again the Helix Highlanders found a way to win, topping Santana 41-38 Tuesday night (Jan. 12) on the Sultans’ home floor.
“If we’re going to win, we’re going to win ugly right now,” said Helix coach JOHN SINGER following the narrow victory.
Helix goes up for a shot against Santana on Tuesday evening in Santee.
“Right now four of our eight kids playing are football players and four of eight are underclassmen, so we’re still learning to play together, we’re young and we’re turning and just throwing up shots sometimes,” Singer said.
For the Sultans things looked bright early on. Santana limited the Highlanders to just 14 points in the first half and ANTHONY ROMERO had connected on each of his three, three point attempts. The Sultans moved the ball well and weren’t predicated on depending on long range shots, they simply hit them when they were available.
In the second half things fell apart for the Santana offense and a few of Helix’ football-turned-basketball-stars, began to pick up their game. The Sultans managed just one third quarter bucket from MITCHELL MILLER and yielded runs of 6-0 and 11-0 before and after their lone field goal.
CARSON BAKER scored just four points on the night for Helix, but brought the offense into a more up-tempo rhythm in the first half, connecting on two length of the floor drives off of rebounds. Baker also gobbled up five offensive boards and eight total for the game. JAYLEN ARNOLD also had a big game on the glass, grabbing 12 rebounds, six of those on the offensive end.
In the closing minute, Santana managed three separate attempts to tie the game with a three point attempt thanks in part to missed free throws from the Highlanders and one aggressive defensive stand from Romero who caused a jump ball after the Sultans first attempt failed.
The Highlanders’ defense managed to limit a few of the Sultans top scorers, FRANKIE GUTIERREZ and Miller, to a combined eight points on the night, Gutierrez hitting his first basket with 3:08 to play. The Sultans had their clearest look at a tie when Romero missed on a three point attempt with just over 40 seconds to play. Romero could hardly be blamed for the loss however, as it was his first miss in five attempts on the night.
Helix: Jaylen Arnold 11 (12 reb, 1 blk), Justin Flisher 10 (6 reb, 1 stl), Malik Tambwe 8 (5 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 2 stl), Amari Green 4 (4 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk), Dylan Lee 4 (5 reb), Carson Baker 4 (8 reb, 4 stl, 1 blk), Jamar Wynn (4 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk).
Santana: Anthony Romero 12 (1 stl), Mitchell Miller 6 (5 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl), Noah Nunez 6 (5 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk), Trent Baugh 5 (4 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl), John Bobof 4 (1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Sage Hicks 3, Frankie Gutierrez 2 (8 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl).
