LATHROP – In a perfect world, the Lathrop High boys basketball team tactics to stop Sierra High post presence Will Ward would have forced his teammates to toss up perimeter jumpers they couldn’t knock down. On Friday that wasn’t the case, as the Timberwolves’ back court connected on 13 3-pointers on their way to a 67-40 Valley Oak League win.
Sierra (9-3 VOL, 18-6 overall) responded instantly to the Spartans’ zone defense, getting outstanding shooting from Guillermo Nunez, Edy Guzman and a shot of other Timberwolves on their way to the blowout win.
Nunez was the hottest of all, pouring in four 3-pointers in the first quarter alone, closing out the contest with a game-high 22 points. Nunez nailed a 3-pointer in each quarter and finished the game with six 3-pointers.
“That was obviously their focus, not getting beat inside,” Sierra head coach Scott Thomason said. “Ward played good against them last time and I guess they wanted to live and die with that.
“We were getting some wide-open shots, but I think we could have shot it a little better.”
Senior Eddie Andrade was ice cold early on, but found his stroke midway through the third quarter for his first 3-pointer of the game. Joseph Berry came off the bench with a huge spark (11 points) sinking three 3’s of his own in the win.
Nunez was clearly the difference, doing the majority of his damage in the first three quarters before giving way to his backcourt mates.
“I knew if I was open I was going to take the 3, but I also knew that they had to be good shots,” Nunez said of his outing. “I had to take good shots and not just throw anything up there.
“The shots just continued to come to me because they would leave me open and I would take the shots.”
Lathrop was phenomenal in its effort to stop Ward, holding the 6-foot-5 center to just one field goal in the first, two in the second and one each in the third and fourth. Only Lathrop’s plan for success didn’t include Sierra shooting lights out from the perimeter.
“It’s just lack of experience,” Lathrop head coach J.J. Ramirez said. “It goes back to some of the things that we’ve talked about. I knew they were going to bring it in the second half, and I feel that we just don’t know how to take it to the next level.
“We have a great amount of potential; we just don’t have the leadership.”
Sierra came out and closed the deal in the fourth, holding Lathrop scoreless until Eric Davis connected on one of two free throws in the waning seconds of the contest. The effort that kept the Spartans a handful of baskets off the lead, eventually abandoned them halfway through the third quarter.
“We had a good second half,” Thomason said. “A real good defensive effort. I thought (Robert Orantes) hurt us in the first half going around us, but we were able to hold him to zero points in the second half.
“Overall, we had a good team effort. Jo Jo (Berry) did a greta job shooting the basketball.”
Guzman finished the contest with 11 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, while Ward finished with 13. Orantes’ 12, all of which came in the first half, led Lathrop. Marcus Conley added 11 for the Spartans in the loss.
Sierra will begin the final week of league play with a trip to Manteca High Wednesday, while Lathrop will be on the road to Oakdale to meet up with the Mustangs. Both contests are scheduled for 7:15 p.m. starts.
Sierra (9-3 VOL, 18-6 overall) responded instantly to the Spartans’ zone defense, getting outstanding shooting from Guillermo Nunez, Edy Guzman and a shot of other Timberwolves on their way to the blowout win.
Nunez was the hottest of all, pouring in four 3-pointers in the first quarter alone, closing out the contest with a game-high 22 points. Nunez nailed a 3-pointer in each quarter and finished the game with six 3-pointers.
“That was obviously their focus, not getting beat inside,” Sierra head coach Scott Thomason said. “Ward played good against them last time and I guess they wanted to live and die with that.
“We were getting some wide-open shots, but I think we could have shot it a little better.”
Senior Eddie Andrade was ice cold early on, but found his stroke midway through the third quarter for his first 3-pointer of the game. Joseph Berry came off the bench with a huge spark (11 points) sinking three 3’s of his own in the win.
Nunez was clearly the difference, doing the majority of his damage in the first three quarters before giving way to his backcourt mates.
“I knew if I was open I was going to take the 3, but I also knew that they had to be good shots,” Nunez said of his outing. “I had to take good shots and not just throw anything up there.
“The shots just continued to come to me because they would leave me open and I would take the shots.”
Lathrop was phenomenal in its effort to stop Ward, holding the 6-foot-5 center to just one field goal in the first, two in the second and one each in the third and fourth. Only Lathrop’s plan for success didn’t include Sierra shooting lights out from the perimeter.
“It’s just lack of experience,” Lathrop head coach J.J. Ramirez said. “It goes back to some of the things that we’ve talked about. I knew they were going to bring it in the second half, and I feel that we just don’t know how to take it to the next level.
“We have a great amount of potential; we just don’t have the leadership.”
Sierra came out and closed the deal in the fourth, holding Lathrop scoreless until Eric Davis connected on one of two free throws in the waning seconds of the contest. The effort that kept the Spartans a handful of baskets off the lead, eventually abandoned them halfway through the third quarter.
“We had a good second half,” Thomason said. “A real good defensive effort. I thought (Robert Orantes) hurt us in the first half going around us, but we were able to hold him to zero points in the second half.
“Overall, we had a good team effort. Jo Jo (Berry) did a greta job shooting the basketball.”
Guzman finished the contest with 11 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, while Ward finished with 13. Orantes’ 12, all of which came in the first half, led Lathrop. Marcus Conley added 11 for the Spartans in the loss.
Sierra will begin the final week of league play with a trip to Manteca High Wednesday, while Lathrop will be on the road to Oakdale to meet up with the Mustangs. Both contests are scheduled for 7:15 p.m. starts.
