Friday, January 19, 2024
Record: 16-3
The JV Hoopsters along with Coach Thomas and their fans celebrated their 16th victory of the season. And this milestone was sweet!! The visiting Dons defeated their archrivals Campolindo by a score of 55 to 36. Not only did the Dons improve to 16-3 for the season, but the young hoopsters are 6-0 in league play!
The Dons came to play. Josh Elerts bullied Campo around inside to build a 6-0 lead. Lorenzo Cangini added two points to extend the lead to eight. Now, the Cougars started to double, triple time Josh at times and step up their defense intensity. This intensity led to a mini run for the home team. Lorenzo ended the run with a two, but the Dons now only lead by four.
“This is a physical game. The referees are letting the kids play” pointed out super fan, Jason Bahou after the first quarter. True to Jason’s observations, this game continued to be very physical in the 2nd quarter. Midway through the 2nd quarter, the Dons only led by three points, 12-9. But the Dons, who have played more games than anyone in the league, have experience in these types of games. They know it is best to wear down their opponents with a team-oriented scoring approach. Josh scored inside, followed by a layup and one by Chase Bahou, which was then quickly followed by an Arman Craig two pointer. Multiple passes, multiple scores. Campo did not know which Acalanes player to defend. The lead was now back up to nine. Another Josh put back and Chase layup lead to another mini run. The Dons were ready to end this game early. It was 23-10 at halftime.
The Dons continued to dominate the Cougars in the 3rd quarter. Playing some of their best basketball of the season, Acalanes offense exploded for fourteen quarter points while suffocating their opposition defensively. Lorenzo started the scoring, followed by two put backs from Josh. Arman Craig poured in a bucket. It was quickly 31-17. AJ Hastings dished the ball nicely to Arman for another two points. Lorenzo, who had 12 points for the game, contributed a bucket. The Dons were up 37-19 after three quarters.
In the final quarter, Acalanes continued their offensive onslaught. The Dons erupted for eighteen points. Josh continued to dominate inside, but in this game, he was not alone. Arman was also a force underneath. The two Dons combined for 31 points. With a few minutes left, Gavin Beers hit a dagger three pointer. Acalanes up 50 to 32. It was now officially a sweet 16 party. Coach Thomas emptied his bench so more players could join in the victory celebration. The final score ended up Dons 55, Campo 36.
Coach Eric Thomas had to this say about defeating his nemesis: “We knew how important this game was, and we practiced hard all week, so we’d be ready for them. This was a testament to how hard the boys worked and their commitment to accomplishing the goals they set for themselves.”
The JV Basketball team will return home for four pivotal games. Please join us as the young Dons attempt to win our division. Our next game is Monday, January 22, 2024 against Berean Christian. Tip-off is at 6:00pm. Go Dons!
