BOYS’ BASKETBALL : South Gate Locks Up League Title

The playoffs start Wednesday, but the biggest game of the year so far came early for the South Gate boys’ basketball team.

The Rams, with a 73-63 win Friday over visiting Fremont, clinched the Central League title with a 10-1 record, and improved their overall mark to 22-3--the most wins by any City Section team this season.

Had the Rams lost, there would have been a three-way tie for first place among Fremont, Locke and South Gate, and the league winner would have been determined by a coin toss.

“This was our most important game of the year,” South Gate coach Tak Aoki said. “Our kids responded real well under the pressure.”

Guard Tommie Davis, who finished with 18 points, helped the Pathfinders race to a 21-13 first quarter lead, connecting on two of three three-point attempts in the quarter. Davis wound up four-for-10 in three-point attempts in the game.

Eric Wright scored on consecutive three-point baskets with 3:40 left in the second quarter to cap a 20-6 run as South Gate recaptured the lead 33-27.

“This type of play shows why (the Central League) is one of the most competitive leagues,” said Fremont coach Sam Sullivan. “Both of these teams gave everything they had.”

Down the stretch, the game came down to the free-throw shooting of South Gate guard Miguel Villegas.

Villegas, who scored 23 points and made 13 of 15 free throws, sank two from the foul line with 4:54 remaining in the game to give South Gate a 60-49 lead.

Fremont’s Calvin Patterson, who scored 14 points, made a layup to cut South Gate’s lead to 60-54, but that was as close as the Pathfinders got for the rest of the game.

“Our kids gave a good effort out there,” Sullivan said. “But South Gate did what they had to do, and deserved the win.

FREMONT--Davis 18, Patterson 14, Brown 10, Wilcher 8, Cox 6, Bean 4, Sandford 2, Radford 1.

SOUTH GATE--Wright 25, Villegas 23, Rangel 9, Tuialli 6, Hildreth 5, Maciel 5.

Records: South Gate 22-3, 10-1; Fremont 17-7, 8-3.