HAWKS FALL SHORT OF SECTION TITLE
SACRAMENTO — A big game usually means a big-time performance.
Jalen Patterson did just that for his Liberty Ranch High boys basketball teammates in the third quarter. That seemed to be the spark that the Hawks needed against Sonora in Thursday's Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV title game at Golden 1 Center. While No. 3 Liberty Ranch put in a gallant effort in the second half, No. 1 Sonora produced a 7057 win for its second consecutive crown.
“It was a good battle,” said Liberty Ranch coach Brian Chavez.
This was the second consecutive season that Liberty Ranch and Sonora played for the D-IV title. They squared off, also at Golden 1 Center on Feb. 22, 2019, as Sonora came away with a 7370 win.
This was also the second time this season that Liberty Ranch (18-14) and Sonora (28-3) played each other. The first time was Dec. 27, 2019 at the Modesto Christian Holiday Hoops Tournament, when Sonora posted an 86-83 win.
That makes it three times in 12 months that Sonora has beaten Liberty Ranch in boys basketball. On top of that, Liberty Ranch continues to be the bridesmaid but not the bride. Liberty Ranch has lost four section title games since opening its doors in 2009; the Hawks fell in the 2014-15 and the 2012-13 title games.
Going back to Thursday’s game, Sonora led 40-32 to start the third quarter. After the Wildcats made a basket, Patterson, a four-year guard, made back-toback shots. That cut the Wildcats’ lead to 42-36.
“I just wanted to get my team back in the game,” Patterson said.
After another Sonora basket
for a 44-36 score, the Hawks seemed to have found offensive rhythm that lasted a brief time. A 7-0 run included Patterson making a 3-pointer and two free throws made to make it a 44-43 score. Hawk forward Cody Smith, a freshman who is listed at 6-foot-7 on the Hawks’ roster, scored steadily on his way to 12 points.
“We kept trying to emphasis of getting into the paint, getting some ball movement, getting the ball inside if we could,” Chavez said. “Let the bigs get some touches. We thought we had some advantages. We had some good looks (but) missed some shots.”
That was as close as Liberty Ranch would get to Sonora.
The Wildcats, thanks to strong defensive rebounds — 28 of 34 in the game — led to hustling back on offense. Sonora guard Austin Patterson scored only 7 of his game-high 30 points, but got help from teammates in moving the ball around inside the paint and behind the 3-point line. The quarter ended with the Hawks’ offensive game grounded in the last four minutes and Sonora building its lead to 51-43.
“They made some big shots,” said Chavez of the Wildcats’ offense.
In the first minute of the fourth quarter, Liberty Ranch trimmed the Wildcats’ lead to 51-47. But Sonora went on another run — this time 7-2 — the next two minutes that secured the win.
“Honestly, I think we ran out of gas,” Chavez said. “We had to fight real hard to come back.”
In the second quarter, Liberty Ranch outscored the Wildcats 24-18. That helped whip out a 22-8 Sonora lead after the first quarter. Sonora led 31 minutes, 15 seconds of the game.
“We dug ourselves too deep of a hole,” said Chavez of the Hawks falling behind in the opening quarter. “We had to find our traction. Once we found our traction, we were fine. I would say nerves. We were just a step behind. It matters when you have a returning team that has been there. I think we tried to force some things offensively. We didn’t let the game come to us.”
Liberty Ranch made 23 of 47 shots from the field for a 48.9 percent. At the free throw line, 14 of 17. Sonora pulled down more rebounds than Liberty Ranch by a 34-29 margin.
“That was the main thing was to keep them out of the paint,” Chavez said.
Next in scoring behing Patterson and Smith, who added 7 rebounds, was guard Gavin Martinez at 9 points, guard Branson McLelland 7 points, guard Max Oliver 5 and guard Drew Fischer 2.
Sonora had four players who scored in double figures. Behind Austin Patterson was guard Callahan Hanson 12, and Darius
O’Neal and Jonathan Mayben each had 10 points.
The season is not over for Liberty Ranch. On Sunday, the California Interscholastic Federation will release its playoff brackets for the boys and girls basketball in the NorCal and SoCal regions. To view those brackets, visit cifstate.org. The regional playoffs are scheduled to start on Tuesday.
“I’m really excited,” said Chavez of the CIF State playoffs. “Our team is playing the best it has all year. We beat three really good teams to get here.”