East County Sports

Focused Sultans take down Vaqueros

Santana drives past El Cap on Friday night. / photo by Tammy Ryan - TRYAN PHOTOGRAPHY

EAST COUNTY PREP BOYS BASKETBALL

GROSSMONT VALLEY LEAGUE

SANTANA 61, EL CAPITAN 52

By Adam Paul

EastCountySports.com

SANTEE (1-19-18) – In front of a raucous crowd on Friday night, two squads who are looking to make some noise in their respective divisions and also league really went back and forth with each other.

In the first quarter none of the teams could really separate themselves from the other and at the end of the quarter, the Vaqueros were able to hold a slim 13-12 lead.

Santana scores against El Capitan on Friday night. / photo by Tammy Ryan – TRYAN PHOTOGRAPHY

However, things in the second quarter changed and would start the trend of runs as Santana was able to push out to a 22-16 lead thanks to a 10-3 run which included a Brandon Simmons three ball.

The Sultans would lead 24-21 with about a minute remaining in the half and push the lead 26-21 when the Vaqueros zoomed back and pulled within 26-25 on a last-second layup by Chase Lovato.

The second half was even as both squads came out of the intermission making the adjustments needed and it showed as both went back and forth in the third period.

When it was all said and done to end the third quarter the Sultans clung to a 40-39 lead.

Santana really turned up the heat in the fourth quarter when they started on a 9-0 run to take a 49-39 lead in the first couple minutes of the fourth.

The Vaqueros would eventually counter with a small run of their own as they scored 6 straight to pull within 49-45 with about two and a half remaining. But the Sultans didn’t go down as they scored 6 of their own points to lead 55-47.

One of the key points in the victory for the Sultans was they were able to hold Pfitzner scoreless in the fourth quarter as he drained 5 threes on the night for 15 points.

El Capitan’s Jakob Lopez, who put up 11 points, hit a three-pointer in the first half.

Other scorers for the Vaqueros were Randy Tucker who scored 14.

Santana was led by Nick Berhalter who scored 19 points including 10 points in the fourth quarter and also Desmond Williams who chipped in with 12 points.

The Vaqueros fall to 7-11 and 0-2 in Valley League play and will next take on the Valhalla Norsemen in Rancho San Diego on Tuesday, January 24th at 5:30 pm.

Santana, on the other hand, improves to 13-7 and 1-0 in league play. They will travel tomorrow down to the desert to take on El Centro Southwest at 7 pm and then play El Cajon Valley on the 23rd at 6 pm.

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