EMPIRE LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Esperanza Presses the Point at Start in Victory Over Katella
Esperanza’s basketball team spent Monday and Tuesday perfecting its full-court zone press. On Wednesday, the Aztecs turned it loose on Katella.
“I was pretty confident it was going to create problems,” Esperanza Coach Mark Hill said after watching the Aztecs pressure the Knights in a sloppy 64-57 Empire League victory at Katella.
Eighth-ranked Katella shot well enough and rebounded strongly against a taller, more physical Esperanza team. But the Knights handled the press as if they had never seen one. Passes were deflected, dribbles were snatched away, and Katella wilted under the pressure.
With its press suffocating Katella, Esperanza built a 16-9 first-quarter lead and kept the Knights on a treadmill the rest of the way.
“I think the beginning set the tone for the whole game,” Hill said.
Katella was within 32-26 early in the third quarter, but a 15-3 run by Esperanza broke the game open.
Mike Lawson’s four-point play (a three-point basket and a free throw) with 5 minutes 46 seconds left in the quarter got things rolling for Esperanza.
Mike Oliver added a layup, then made a three-pointer moments later for a 41-26 lead. Katella’s Robert Guzman hit a free throw and Benny Garcia added a short jumper.
But Esperanza’s Jeff Campau made two free throws and Rashaan Clark made three quick layups and suddenly Esperanza’s lead ballooned to 47-29.
Although Katella handled the press more effectively in the third quarter, it couldn’t recover from that haymaker.
“We just had a phenomenal spurt in the third quarter,” Hill said.
Esperanza seemed to run out of gas toward the end of the game, which allowed Katella to cut the gap in the final minutes.
The Knights’ late rally didn’t fool one veteran basketball observer, however.
Standing in front of his bench in the fourth quarter, Katella Coach Tom Danley groused to no one in particular, “This one was over in the first quarter.”
Mike Thimgan had 17 points to lead Esperanza (12-5, 2-0), and Oliver added 11.
Nick Roditis had 19 points, Benny Garcia had 13 points and Brian Carlson added 10 points and 13 rebounds for Katella (12-4, 1-1).
In other league games:
Los Alamitos 81, El Dorado 67--Junior guard Tim Lin scored 20 points and had 10 assists and 10 steals for fourth-ranked Los Alamitos (14-3, 2-0). Teammate Steve Carbone added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Griffins. Andy Hinkle had 19 points for El Dorado (5-12, 0-2).
Cypress 52, Loara 47--Chad Triplet and Rob Walsh each scored 13 points for Cypress (8-8, 1-1). Triplet also made three three-point baskets for the visiting Centurions. Scott Davis had 14 points for Loara (5-11, 0-2).