TRACY — East Union’s girls basketball team has dropped two of its last three, and it could have easily been three straight losses if not for a comeback win decided by a one-point margin.
But make no mistake about it; these Lancers are not mired in some early-season slump.
In the second round of the Tom Hawkins/Tracy Breakfast Lions Tournament Tuesday at Tracy High, EU was close to stunning El Camino of Sacramento — one of the Sac-Joaquin Section’s top public-school programs — in a 60-57 loss.
East Union confronts tournament co-host Tracy at 4:30 p.m. today, while El Camino meets Modesto in the winners-bracket semifinals at 6.
The Lancers (6-3) have discovered in the past week that they can play with good teams at an uptempo pace. More importantly, they found out that they can beat them no matter how deep a hole they’re in.
El Camino — now 13-1 — bolted out to a 12-0 lead in the first minute and 6 seconds, a stretch in EU didn’t even get the ball past halfcourt. East Union had nine of its 20 turnovers in the opening quarter, and yet it found ways to get in position to win the game late.
“We do it all the time,” El Camino coach Bill Baxter said. “Nobody is used to our speed to start. As soon as teams get adjusted they come back on us all the time.
“(East Union) can play fast like that, too. Obviously, they’ve done it before.”
Last Thursday, they were defeated by Armijo of Fairfield, 92-77 — a score rarely seen in high school girls basketball. Then in the first round of the tournament Monday, they battled back from a double-digit deficit to upend rising small-school power Brookside Christian of Stockton, 57-56.
“We feel that we are battle tested,” said EU coach Jim Agostini, who added the Ripon and Grace Davis-Modesto games — 61-56 and 59-56 wins, respectively — to his team’s recent stretch of gut-checkers.
“These last five games are probably the toughest we have had in a row since I’ve been a part of this program.”
That, he hopes, will serve East Union well in the long run.
Standout Lexy Posz had 22 points, eight rebounds and six steals for East Union and was instrumental in leading another late comeback charge.
Down by double digits for most of the game, the Lancers went on a 15-3 run in the fourth quarter to close to within one, 58-57, after Posz hit one of two free throws with 8.3 seconds left.
Benissa Bulaya sank two free throws for El Camino to cap the score with 3.9 seconds to go, and Jade Sowell-Hundon intercepted a crosscourt pass to seal the game.
The sharpshooting Sowell-Hundon led the Eagles with 18 points and drained five 3-pointers — three coming in succession in the third period.
“We’re playing really good teams to make us get better … and I like how we’re competing,” Posz said. “It’s been a hard, tough schedule, but we’re not giving up.”
Guard Briona Fontenot also came through for EU in the second half, when she fired 13 of her 16 points. Shalane Jackson added 11 points, 11 rebounds and four assists.
But the Lancers struggled at the free-throw line, a problem for them in the past. They were 11-of-21 from the stripe.
“Free throws are up and down,” Agostini said. “We’ve had two games (shooting) 50 percent, and another game in the 40s. Yeah, you can look at it and say it came down to free throws, but more importantly it was about taking care of the basketball and just finishing plays.”
Sharon Washington poured in 19 points in limited time. Brianna Bell added 10 points, and underclassmen Mikayla Hasal and Tia Tuuga finished with nine apiece.
“It was just one of those games where we played well,” Manteca coach Andrea Hiatt said.
Manteca takes on tourney co-host West at Tracy High tonight at 7:30. The Buffaloes previously beat West 59-42 in non-league action, and the rematch will be for a berth to the tournament’s championship game.
Janel Butler and Krystal Ruiz scored six and five points, respectively, for the Spartans Tuesday.
But make no mistake about it; these Lancers are not mired in some early-season slump.
In the second round of the Tom Hawkins/Tracy Breakfast Lions Tournament Tuesday at Tracy High, EU was close to stunning El Camino of Sacramento — one of the Sac-Joaquin Section’s top public-school programs — in a 60-57 loss.
East Union confronts tournament co-host Tracy at 4:30 p.m. today, while El Camino meets Modesto in the winners-bracket semifinals at 6.
The Lancers (6-3) have discovered in the past week that they can play with good teams at an uptempo pace. More importantly, they found out that they can beat them no matter how deep a hole they’re in.
El Camino — now 13-1 — bolted out to a 12-0 lead in the first minute and 6 seconds, a stretch in EU didn’t even get the ball past halfcourt. East Union had nine of its 20 turnovers in the opening quarter, and yet it found ways to get in position to win the game late.
“We do it all the time,” El Camino coach Bill Baxter said. “Nobody is used to our speed to start. As soon as teams get adjusted they come back on us all the time.
“(East Union) can play fast like that, too. Obviously, they’ve done it before.”
Last Thursday, they were defeated by Armijo of Fairfield, 92-77 — a score rarely seen in high school girls basketball. Then in the first round of the tournament Monday, they battled back from a double-digit deficit to upend rising small-school power Brookside Christian of Stockton, 57-56.
“We feel that we are battle tested,” said EU coach Jim Agostini, who added the Ripon and Grace Davis-Modesto games — 61-56 and 59-56 wins, respectively — to his team’s recent stretch of gut-checkers.
“These last five games are probably the toughest we have had in a row since I’ve been a part of this program.”
That, he hopes, will serve East Union well in the long run.
Standout Lexy Posz had 22 points, eight rebounds and six steals for East Union and was instrumental in leading another late comeback charge.
Down by double digits for most of the game, the Lancers went on a 15-3 run in the fourth quarter to close to within one, 58-57, after Posz hit one of two free throws with 8.3 seconds left.
Benissa Bulaya sank two free throws for El Camino to cap the score with 3.9 seconds to go, and Jade Sowell-Hundon intercepted a crosscourt pass to seal the game.
The sharpshooting Sowell-Hundon led the Eagles with 18 points and drained five 3-pointers — three coming in succession in the third period.
“We’re playing really good teams to make us get better … and I like how we’re competing,” Posz said. “It’s been a hard, tough schedule, but we’re not giving up.”
Guard Briona Fontenot also came through for EU in the second half, when she fired 13 of her 16 points. Shalane Jackson added 11 points, 11 rebounds and four assists.
But the Lancers struggled at the free-throw line, a problem for them in the past. They were 11-of-21 from the stripe.
“Free throws are up and down,” Agostini said. “We’ve had two games (shooting) 50 percent, and another game in the 40s. Yeah, you can look at it and say it came down to free throws, but more importantly it was about taking care of the basketball and just finishing plays.”
Manteca 62, Edison 19
On the other end of the 16-team bracket, the Buffaloes (8-1) hammered Edison of Stockton (8-4) with surprising ease at West High, as the officials implemented a running clock in the final quarter of play.Sharon Washington poured in 19 points in limited time. Brianna Bell added 10 points, and underclassmen Mikayla Hasal and Tia Tuuga finished with nine apiece.
“It was just one of those games where we played well,” Manteca coach Andrea Hiatt said.
Manteca takes on tourney co-host West at Tracy High tonight at 7:30. The Buffaloes previously beat West 59-42 in non-league action, and the rematch will be for a berth to the tournament’s championship game.
Enochs 61, Lathrop 21
The struggles continue for second-year varsity Lathrop (2-7), which hopes to snap a six-game losing streak against Patterson today at West. Tipoff is at 3 o’clock.Janel Butler and Krystal Ruiz scored six and five points, respectively, for the Spartans Tuesday.
