Yumbar Helps Saugus to Rise Up and Down Canyon, 65-54

Golden League basketball teams, take note. This is the Saugus High team you’ve been waiting to see.

After losing three of their first four league games, the Centurions, picked by coaches in a preseason poll to win the league title, hit Canyon’s gym with a fury Friday night, thumping the Cowboys, 65-54.

In the process, Saugus (13-7, 2-3 in league play) showcased the strength of 6-foot-5 post player Greg Yumbar, who scored 25 points and dominated inside, rejecting Canyon standout Jermaine Nixon’s shots twice in a decisive third quarter in which Saugus outscored Canyon, 17-6.

Saugus used a swarming, dancing matchup zone that challenged Canyon to make its outside shots. Canyon (11-8, 3-2), in turn, was dreadful, making 21 of 56 shots (37.3%) from the field and five of 15 (33.3%) from the line.

Saugus played offense with manic precision, making five of its first six shots to take an 11-3 lead from which Canyon would not recover.

And Saugus played on the emotion of a raucous student section in a packed rival gym, scurrying up and down the court as if each player had been promised a night out with Michelle Pfeiffer for a win.

In short, Saugus used this traditional rivalry to stage a little coming-out party. Sure, it’s halfway through the Golden League season, but as Saugus Coach John Clark knows, better late. . . .

“We probably knew that we had our backs to the wall in terms of performance in the league,” Clark said. “We’re not talking about winning the championship . . . but we’re not a bad 1-3 team coming in. We just didn’t have any luck.”

No luck was needed Friday night. The only advisable thing to do was get the ball to Yumbar, who is emerging as one of the league’s dominant players. He scored 28 Tuesday in a close loss to Antelope Valley and shows little sign of slowing down.

“Coach talked to me about it,” Yumbar said. “He told me I had to be a leader and take over. And Coach is the best in the Valley, I’d say.”

There were others enjoying this night of exorcism for Saugus. Guard Josh Hinrichs scored 14 points from the outside “to keep ‘em honest,” Clark said, and guard Geoff Dains scored seven of his nine points in the momentum-grabbing first quarter when Saugus took a 21-16 lead.

Nixon scored 16 to lead Canyon, but no other Cowboy reached double figures.