FLAMES BEAT TIGERS IN FINALE
Jaylin Reed heard opportunity knock on his door.
In front of a packed Inferno In the Tri-City Athletic League boys basketball game between Tokay and Lodi on Wednesday, the Lodi junior guard answered and wasn’t afraid to share the wealth with teammates. The Flames spent most of the second half scoring from inside the paint, with 3-pointers from top of the key and near the Lodi student body section. That led to Lodi posting a 7666 win over Tokay.
In a game that neither the league title or a Sac-Joaquin Section playoff berth was a stake, Lodi (2-8 in the TCAL, 8-19) emerged in the second half against the Tigers behind Reed (game-high 32 points). With the Flames clinging to a 38-37 lead at halftime, Reed scored 16 of his points in the second half.
If Reed wasn’t scoring, he was busy receiving or kicking out the ball from guards Chase Shafter and AJ Castaneto. Reed scored 11 points in third quarter to help the Flames take a 58-51 lead.
“We came out with a lot of energy,” Reed said.
Reed had another strong performance against Tokay (0-10 in the TCAL, 3-24); he’s scored 30 or more points in each of the last three games against Lodi’s rival, including 42 points in the TCAL finale at The Jungle last season.
“There’s a lot of energy in the building,” Reed said.
Reed continued to create opportunities for forward Derek Lamb (16 points) by kicking the ball to him. Lamb would either take the inside shot, moving his way past the Tigers’ frontcourt to score his points, or move the ball to center Marcell Roberts. Lodi also took many outside shots that Tokay wasn’t able to prevent.
“Derek just played his (butt) off; he got offensive rebounds,” said Lodi coach Dave Nutting. “Just played a great game.”
Tokay kept pace with the Flames in the third quarter, thanks to 3-pointers from guard Rogelio Herrera and Austyn Reiswig. But the duo of Reed and Lamb proved to be too much for the Tigers down the stretch. A basket from Tokay guard Victor Nateras and Max Starkovich (team-high 15 points) helped cut down the Flames’ lead to from six to eight points in the final quarter.
“They got it together this last game,” said Tokay coach Chris Boss. “They realized that this was the last time they were going to be playing together.”
Lodi sank 9 of 11 free throws that contributed toward half of the Flames’ 18 points in the quarter. Lodi held a 71-59 lead with little over two minutes in the game. The Flames made 13 of 18 free throws.
In the second quarter, the teams traded baskets that led to many lead exchanges. Lodi led 19-17 entering the quarter, but Tokay had its first lead 20-19, then 25-22 halfway through the quarter. Not getting the foul calls hurt Tokay, which only took nine free throws the entire game, mak-
ing five of them.
“It was a good rivalry game,” Nutting said. “Tokay played a tough game. We were lucky to get out with a win.”
Nutting referred to this season as a “practice” year for the Flames. He only loses two seniors who were recognized before the game; Castaneto and Lamb. The rest of the players are juniors. That’s a plus for Lodi, which along with Tokay, will see the league become stronger next winter when Modesto Christian joins the TCAL for boys and girls basketball.
“We’ve got a young, scrappy group,” Nutting said. “They are all going to dedicate themselves in the offseason. They’re looking to see what kind of damage they can do next year. I want the league to be as tough as it can be. I want a strong league, and I want to win that league, and I think the kids want it.”
Boss, too, will be dedicated to turning the Tigers’ fortunes around next winter. Serving as the Tokay boys water polo coach last fall, Boss said he has stepped down from that post and as the school’s freshman baseball coach to focus on reshaping a basketball program that loses 10 seniors, including Nateras and Starkovich, to graduation this spring.
“They treat each other like brothers,” said Boss of his departing seniors. “I’m proud of each of them.”
Behind Reed in scoring for the Flames were Lamb with 16 points and Shafter 14. Nickel followed with seven points, Castaneto three and Roberts two.
Nateras was next in scoring behind Starkovich with 14 points for the Tigers. Brian Solari and Jack Gobel followed with eight points each, guard Mohammad Ibrahim seven, guard Rogelio Herrera five and Anoop Singh, Austin Reiswig and Adam Johnson three each.