Pats beat No. 6 Poway for 11th straight win
- Updated: January 5, 2020
KOBE SANDERS at the line for the Patriots on Saturday against Poway. / scorebooklive.com
2019 EAST COUNTY PREP BOYS BASKETBALL
EastCountySports.com staff report
SAN DIEGO – The 14th-ranked Christian Patriots knocked off sixth-ranked Poway in an overtime thriller, 62-59, on Saturday for their 11th consecutive victory.
Both teams battled back-and-forth throughout the game with 12 lead changes with the lead no greater than six points by either team all game.
But it was the Patriot defense that sparked the fire yet again, outscoring the Titans, 13-6, in the third quarter.
Kobe Sanders finished the game with 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Patriots.
Christian’s Jake Tawhiao led the team in scoring with 20 points.
Patriot Pat Roberts finished with six points, six blocks, and six rebounds.
The Patriots improved their record to 14-2 on the season.
“It was a great game and a great team win,” Christian High assistant coach Josh Kinney. “Everyone did what they needed to do down the stretch. Kobe Price had some great defensive plays and made it really tough on the Poway offense.”
Poway led by six at halftime but Christian took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter.
“We knew we could get control of the game we just needed a couple of shots to fall,” Sanders said. “We needed to tighten up on defense. This is probably our biggest win. We just needed to get stops, rebound the ball, and slow it down. We needed to play our game.”
Sophomore Vinny Signorelli hit a big three-pointer for Christian that temporarily gave the Patriots the lead.
GRANITE HILLS 72, CORAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCE LAS VEGAS 49 – John Vrzich scored 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the win at the Santana New Year’s Classic.
Vrzich was named to the all-tournament team, as he was 10-of-14 from the field in Saturday’s win, finishing with seven rebounds.
McKay Roberts had a triple-double for the Eagles, going for 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists.
“This season, I think I’ve developed more as an all-around player and not just a scorer,” Roberts said.
Deon Spear added 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Patriots.
CENTRAL 46, WEST HILLS 39 – A nip-and-tuck game at the Santana New Year’s Classic that did not go the way of the Wolf Pack down the stretch.
The Wolf Pack faced a good Central High team, whose unique 2-3 zone caused fits for West Hills in the first half.
An adjustment at halftime and 9-0 run to start the third quarter led to a tie game and exciting conclusion.
” I think we just had too many turnovers and allowed too many offensive rebounds to beat a good team but was proud of our effort,” West Hills head coach Tim Barry said. “We are getting better heading into the start of league and that’s the goal of early tournament games.
Central improved to 9-9 overall on the year, while the Wolf Pack fell to 7-7.
Next up for the Wolf Pack is an encounter with D1 opponent Escondido on Monday night in a non-league contest.
VALHALLA 64, CORAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCE LAS VEGAS 49 – Valhalla won at the Santana New Year’s Classic as CASLV played two games on Saturday.
Valhalla improved to 6-9 on the season.
ADELANTO 66, SANTANA 50 – Adelanto won the Santana New Year’s Classic game over the host Sultans on Saturday.
The Saints improved to 15-2, while the Sultans fell to 3-13.
