On Saturday, December 22, the Dons faced off against the San Leandro Pirates for third place in the annual El Cerrito Tournament. The Pirates posed a tough test for the Dons. Two nights earlier, they had defeated Campolindo and earlier this season had taken down College Park. The Pirates are led by 6’7″ Keshad Johnson, who had 18 Division I scholarship offers before committing to San Diego State.
The Pirates jumped on the Dons and raced to a 13-4 lead after the first quarter. The Pirates, led by a couple of dunks by Johnson, expanded their lead and were up 30-15 at half.
The Dons came out for the second half and played arguably their best basketball of the season. The Dons cut into the Pirates’ lead to start the third quarter but still found themselves down 40-29. Sophomore guard Scott Ruegg then hit a 3 to cut the lead to single digits at 40-32. Senior guard Ian Archer (pictured above) added a free throw to close out the third quarter with the Dons down 40-33. San Leandro scored first to start the fourth quarter but sophomore forward Joey Carrillo answered to keep the Dons within 7 points. Junior forward Aidan Bodner finished a layup to cut the lead to 5. Archer converted two free throws to make it a single possession game. Ruegg then hit another 3 and the game was tied up at 42, with the Dons having come back from a 15-point halftime deficit. The talented Pirates regrouped and outscored the Dons 6-1 down the stretch to win 48-43. The Dons held San Leandro to 18 points in the second half and kept Johnson in check thanks to adjustments made by Dons Coach Sol Henik and a strong effort from his players. Ruegg led the Dons with 18 points and Archer had 14.
Archer was named to the all-tourney team. The Dons next host the Chris Huber Classic with three games starting on December 27. The tourney is a tribute to longtime Dons coach and teacher Chris Huber. In addition to honoring Coach Huber, the tourney also is a major fundraiser for the Dons so please come to support the program! The Dons tip off against Concord at Acalanes on Thursday, December 27, at 7:00 p.m.