LATHROP — Lathrop doesn’t always need to push the tempo to win ballgames.
The Spartans can thrive in chess matches, too.
The Western Athletic Conference co-champions squared off with a familiar foe in Manteca Unified rival East Union on Tuesday, patiently pacing their way to a 44-21 win in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III opener while holding the 10th-seeded Lancers to just four second-half points in the process.
No. 7 Lathrop (22-6) did not employ its full-court press and worked the shot clock on offense. It was a far cry from the helter-skelter regular-season finale against fellow WAC co-champion Beyer, which could not match the Spartans’ speed of play in the 73-35 shellacking.
“We’ve been consistent all year defensively,” Lathrop coach Dwayne Davis said. “I’ll take a low-scoring game as long as we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing defensively. If you want to slow it down and be methodical against us you better hit your shots.”
Instead of outrunning its opponent, Lathrop chose to take away East Union’s best weapon in the half-court by getting hands in the passing lanes. Lancers center Donja Payne scored 10 of her 12 points in the second half, grabbed 15 rebounds and blocked three shots, but her touches were limited over the final two periods.
Mary Cotton made the biggest impact in the game finishing with 17 points, 13 rebounds, seven blocks and five steals for Lathrop. The 6-foot-1 guard drained three of the Spartans’ six 3-pointers and oftentimes guarded the 6-foot-3 Payne in the post. The two were AAU teammates this past summer.
“Both players tonight showed why they’re the dominant players that they are in the area,” East Union coach Jim Agostini said.
Cotton blocked a 3-point attempt in the closing seconds of the opening half and then drilled one of her own from halfcourt after the buzzer. The Spartans led 23-17 at halftime and would have shut out East Union in the third quarter if not for Lauren Pablo’s free throw with 51.6 seconds to go.
Payne muscled her way to a layup for the Lancers’ lone field goal in the second half with 5:01 left in the game. Lathrop harassed East Union’s ball handlers with relentless pressure, forcing 24 turnovers in all.
Lancers freshman Ala Tuuga was a factor early but scored all six of her points in the opening half. Her midrange jumper on the right wing with 50 seconds remaining in the second quarter represented EU’s only field goal made outside of the paint.
“We get very limited,” Agostini said. “The later you play in the year the more your weaknesses get exposed. I thought Lathrop did a great job tonight. They kind of took that away from us, and with us not showing patience it makes it very difficult. Their defense requires you to show some patience and I think we were a little bit short in that area.”
While East Union tried in vain to find secondary scoring options, Lathrop’s usual shot makers — other than Cotton — got untracked. Ayon Carter, who transferred from the Bay Area last year, has been a welcome addition with her energy on both ends of the court. She contributed 11 points and six rebounds. Guards Khiya Thornton and Kaysey Matela each had seven points, three assists and two steals.
“She’s big on offense, defense and everything,” Cotton said of Carter. "She starts the game off with super intensity. Sometimes we start a game sluggish, but when she gets going that gets everybody else going, too.”
Lathrop next travels to Sacramento on Thursday to take on No. 2-seeded Christian Brothers (19-8), the defending champion of the bracket. For East Union, it marks the end of an era with Payne set to graduate after four decorated seasons.
“It has been great playing on the varsity team all four years,” she said. “I had fun and a lot of good memories. I wouldn’t change a thing.”