’Cats win close one
Sonora boys basketball picks up first victory of season
As the clock wound down on Sonora Wildcats’ boys basketball contest at home in Bud Castle Gym against the Golden Valley Cougars Tuesday night, a Golden Valley player knocked in a mid-range jump shot at the end of the game to make the final score of Sonora’s victory 42-39.
It was Sonora’s first win of the season, after falling to Ripon at home and Central Catholic on the road to kick things off. Sonora head coach Lloyd Longeway was excited about the win, but he was also excited about the score.
“We have a program goal that we always like to try to hold (opponents) to under 40 points. We held them to 39, so it was our first 40-point club game,” Longeway said.
The 40-point club came about after Longeway read an article about club basketball teams in the valley who would use similar tactics to incentivize strong defensive effort. Since he brought the idea to Sonora a couple of years ago, it has caught on.
“It’s fun. It gets guys to think about defense,” Longeway said. “We keep track of it and when we are able to do it, it’s a special night.”
After trailing 12-8 at the end of the first quarter, the Wildcats put together a strong scoring middle two quarters, outscoring the Cougars 28-17 over that span and allowing only 3 points in the second quarter.
The Wildcats’ 2-2-1 press, which looks to wreak havoc on underprepared offenses, seemed substantially improved since their home game against Ripon last week. However, it was Sonora’s half-court defense that was particularly smothering.
“I think our pressure was able to get to them a little bit tonight,” Longeway said. “That’s when we went on our runs, was when they would struggle with our defensive pressure. That seems to kind of be our M.O. right now — when our team is playing tough defensively, that’s when good things are happening for us all the way around.”
Sonora big man Parker Moore roamed on the interior, contesting shots and grabbing rebounds for the Wildcats without picking up any fouls. That was a positive development for the
‘Cats, who rely on Moore for his size and rebounding.
The Wildcats got balanced scoring from across the roster, with seven players scoring at least four points in the contest. Junior guard Reese Hampton and sophomore Jon Curran led the way with 8 points apiece.
Curran’s scoring came off the bench, and was a pleasant surprise for Longeway, who said Curran’s two three-point makes — along with key deflections on defense — were crucial to securing the close win.
Llongeway’s group got substantially larger this week, as the final winter sports came to a close. The depth of his bench, with additions from the football team in particular, proved helpful Tuesday night.
“Some of the football guys are coming back, it’s really nice to have them. It’s nice to get some of the seniors back, it’s nice to have a bigger bench … just more guys involved. That’s always been a big thing in our program — the more guys we can get involved, the better.”
The Cougars were led by sophomore shooting guard Jeff Tangaan, who scored a game-high 14 points, knocking in four triples — one in each quarter. Tangaan was the only player in double figures in the game.
Despite returning some players within the last week, Longeway said the team is getting closer to determining what each player’s role will be within the team — a key to any successful squad.
“The roles are starting to get more and more defined every game, but we still have a long way to go,” Longeway said. “We have a long way to go in understanding roles, understanding our system. We are in a learning phase right now, but we are working hard and if guys keep doing it, we are going to see good things.”
The Wildcats will compete at the Stagg Tournament in Stockton from Thursday through Saturday.