Beyer has separated itself in an otherwise crowded race for three automatic playoff berths in the Western Athletic Conference, blowing out much of the competition along the way.
Lathrop stood tall against the visiting Patriots for three-and-a-half quarters Friday. The Spartans ultimately lost 64-56 but are revitalized going into the second half of their conference schedule.
Now two games ahead of the rest, Beyer (7-0 WAC, 19-2 overall) notched its 13th straight victory, while trampling each of the last three opponents by 20-plus points. The Spartans (4-3, 9-12) are part of the five-team scrum for second place.
Beyer’s Curtis Harmon led all players with 25 points, despite making just three of 12 free throws. The 6-foot-5 sophomore also had 10 rebounds and three assists. Joseph Perkins netted 21 points and two blocks for Lathrop.
“A lot of people thought they were just going to come out here and own us, but we kind of proved that we could compete with anybody in the league,” Perkins said. “I think it’s a good confidence boost, because Beyer is supposed to be the best team, and if we just had a close game with them, we should be able to compete with anybody.”
Lathrop was able to match Beyer’s length, energy and outside shooting for much of the game. Bryan Gamboa (10 points, four rebounds, three assists) buried a 3-pointer to tie it at 34-34 with 3:27 left in the third quarter, but the Patriots countered with nine unanswered points and held onto the lead the rest of the way.
Perkins, a 6-2 forward who typically does much of his work in the interior, kept the Spartans in range by making three 3-pointers in a row late in the fourth quarter, closing them in 62-56 with 33 seconds to go. Beyer hit two of six free throws to lock down the win.
“They were clamping me a little bit when I was trying to drive, so coach told me to step out,” Perkins said. “I stepped out, started shooting it and just got hot.”
Sophomore guard Reggie Jacob contributed 17 points for Beyer, while Brett Bird chipped in 10 points, four boards and two steals off the bench.
Lathrop center Caiden Wisnieski was slowed by foul trouble all game, finishing with nine points and five rebounds before fouling out on a late charge. Although the Spartans missed the 6-6 senior’s scoring, they got productive minutes from reserve Carson Scott (two points, four rebounds).
“It was a negative that was followed by a positive,” Lathrop coach Robin Hong said of Wisnieski’s foul situation. “Carson Scott, who is another senior, came in, and there were numerous consecutive games where he didn’t play, but he’s a coach’s dream. He is always ready for his opportunity and wants as much success for his teammates as he does for himself. His opportunity came, and he made the most of it. That next-man-up mentality is something that we need, if we want to be able to pursue any playoff ambitions.”
Lathrop begins the second half of WAC play next Wednesday at Pacheco.