The Acalanes Dons boys varsity basketball team beat the previously undefeated St. Patrick-St. Vincent Bruins 58-51 at home Wednesday evening.
The Bruins brought a North Coast Section No. 3 ranking (California No. 38) into the contest and lived up to that billing in the first half. After the Dons took an early 4-0 lead on buckets from Jake Davis, a sophomore, and Scott Ruegg, a senior, the Dons’ shooting touch disappeared, and the Bruins clawed to an 11-9 lead at the end of the 1st quarter.
The Bruins pressed the advantage to open 2nd, using a double-teaming defense and precision transition game to reel off 12 unanswered points and up the lead to 23-9, before Jackson Aris-Dumas, as senior, nailed a three-pointer to stop the run. The Dons would add just seven more in the quarter, all by Jake Davis, a sophomore, and trailed 28-19 at the half.
Whatever Sol Henik, coach, and his staff discussed with the team at halftime (start making shots?), it worked, as the Dons used the 3rd quarter to play their finest quarter of basketball of the season. Fueled by two three-point shots by Ruegg and a quick three and back-cut layup by Graham Smith, a senior, the Dons cut the deficit to two. A four-point counter punch steadied the Bruins, before Noah Bloch, a sophomore, hit a three and Davis added a pretty offensive rebound put-back to trim the lead to one. Moments later, Smith drained a three to give the Dons their first lead of the game, 40-38, and Ruegg finished the quarter with another three to up the advantage to 43-38. On defense, Davis controlled the interior, disrupting the Bruins drivers and grabbing every available rebound.
Opening the 4th, the Bruins bounced back with a five-point run to tie the game at 43-43. Marcus Robinson, a freshman, stopped the run with a corner three that hung briefly on the rim before kissing the glass and falling through the net. The Bruins had one more run in them, scoring six straight to regain a 3-point advantage. A finger-roll by Smith cut it to one, then Ruegg hit a baseline two and deeeeep three to regain the advantage.
At the final minute mark, the Dons held a 53-51 lead. Ruegg took the drama out of the final minute, hitting another three and adding two free throws to seal the 58-51 win.
Ruegg led the Dons scoring with 21, Davis with 13, and Smith with 10. Davis led the Dons in rebounding with so many.
