Central Catholic did not execute its final play exactly as planned but still managed to get the desired result Wednesday in its duel of reigning Valley Oak League co-champions at Manteca.
Tyler Wentworth knocked down a contested jump shot from the left elbow as time expired, lifting the visiting Raiders to a 47-45 win that gives them sole possession of first place.
“You tip your hat to him,” Manteca coach Jason Hitt said. “You have to give him credit, he made some tough shots tonight. I think we could have (defended) his left side a little bit better, but the bottom line is he’s the MVP of the league right now, as far as I’m concerned. I thought we did a really good job on (Wesley) Payne and the rest of their players, and Wentworth stepped up big time tonight.”
The strapping three-sport star — he’s headed to Clemson on a baseball scholarship — is the son of noted Manteca High alumnus Kevin Wentworth. Tyler led all players with 26 points, getting buckets with crafty finishes around the basket and mid-range jumpers. Payne contributed 12 points and nine rebounds for Central Catholic (4-0 VOL, 14-5 overall).
Peyton Nieman paced Manteca (3-1, 13-8) with 14 points. Evani Gaeta added eight points, while Santiago Sanders provided a spark off the bench before fouling out with six points and four rebounds.
“For me to get off a look like that was kind of what we were planning for,” Wentworth said of his buzzer beater. “I had the hot hand tonight, but we’ve had guys in the past get the looks like Jordan Magana and Wesley Payne who are great players.”
Wentworth and Payne (12 points, nine rebounds) give teams problems in the paint with their length — both are 6-foot-6 — and strength. Magana, a sophomore guard, was limited to four points.
Manteca defended Wentworth’s final shot well. Elijah Nelson (six points, four rebounds) slipped past an off-ball screen to stay with Wentworth, who received the ball near the 3-point line on the left wing. He took two dribbles toward the elbow before rising above Nelson for the game-winner.
“A screen was supposed to happen for (Wentworth) at the top of the key, and it would rub him off onto a guard,” Central Catholic coach Mike Wilson said. “We were hoping for a switch, we were hoping for a closer shot, but it worked out. He did something with it.”
Although Manteca trailed for most of the game, it managed to stay within range.
The Buffaloes had their best stretch in the fourth quarter, taking a 42-37 lead with 5:19 remaining after scoring seven unanswered points. Nieman scored their final eight points, draining two 3s and finishing a coast-to-coast layup after a defensive rebound.
Manteca failed to score again after Nieman’s corner 3 with 2:56 to go. Two free throws from Wentworth and a layup from Payne tied the game at 45-45.
The Buffs had a good opportunity to recapture the lead with about 25 seconds left when Micah Crawford kicked it out to a wide-open Nieman at the top of the 3-point arc, but the attempt rattled in and out of the rim.
Manteca had just nine turnovers compared to the Raiders’ seven, but a few of them were costly in crunch time.
“We have to have a little more patience on offense,” Hitt said. “I thought we got a little antsy, had some horrendous turnovers down the stretch.
“The bottom line is, Wentworth played an unbelievable game. He’s one of the best players for three sports in the entire area, and I thought he played awesome. We let him go left way too many times. We worked on it in practice and still couldn’t stop him. I thought he did a phenomenal job.”
Junior varsity
Central Catholic 45, Manteca 42
The Buffaloes had chances in the end but could not convert on multiple layups and missed three of four free throws in the final 35 seconds.
Antonio Fraley led them with 13 points, while Devon Richardson and Jeremiah Orona each had eight.
Freshman
Manteca 46, Central Catholic 28
Manteca broke away after nursing a 19-16 halftime lead.
Shahab Safi accounted for 14 points. David Grisham and Esteban Vega scored 10 apiece.
