The freshman Dons went 1 and 3 in a tough, four game stretch in week 2 of the regular season. But in each game the team gained valuable experience and learned critical lessons that will pay dividends over the rest of this season and beyond.
Game 1 – Acalanes 43, Piedmont 53
Key Lesson: Never underestimate your opponent.
Acalanes rolled into Piedmont feeling confident, having just beaten Las Lomas and taken a tough Northgate team down to the wire. Piedmont’s record was less than stellar, and the team only fielded 7 players. None of that mattered, as the Highlanders took it to the Dons right from the jump, led by their top player, #35, who scored 25 points in the game. Christian Dunphy hit a three to give the Dons a brief lead, but Piedmont continued to get inside for easy baskets and built a 9-point lead after one quarter, 18-9. Aca came out with much more urgency in the second quarter and erased the deficit by scoring 14 and limiting Piedmont to 5 in the quarter. The Dons’ shooting went cold to start the third, and the Highlanders went on a 9 – 0 run to lead, 32 – 23. Once again, Acalanes raised their energy and responded with an 8 – 0 run of their own, before giving up two inside baskets. Piedmont led by 5 to start the fourth, 36 – 31. The final frame summed up the game. Acalanes got the looks they wanted but couldn’t convert. Piedmont made the key shots and built a 10-point lead at the midpoint of the quarter and cruised home from there. The Dons shot 11 of 36 (31%) on 2-point FGs; 6 of 31 on 3FGs (19%) and 3 of 10 (30%) on FTs. Zubin Krishnan led the way for Acalanes with 15 points.
Game 2 – Acalanes 58, Alhambra 54
Key Lesson: Stay ready. Next man up is real.
The Dons squared off against the Alhambra Bulldogs with nearly half the squad under the weather and out for the game. Coach Richards rolled out a novel starting five and must have delivered an all-time inspirational speech, because Acalanes came out absolutely on fire. They scored early and often, which let them set up their press and force multiple turnovers. The Dons roared out to a 20 – 3 lead after the first quarter, and it looked like the rout was on. The Bulldogs had other ideas, however, and started to claw their way back into the game in the second, by handling the press better, aggressively attacking the basket, and draining a couple of threes. Cash Woehrle kept the Dons afloat with a few key buckets, but they lost the quarter, 16 – 11. Aca took a 12-point lead into the third, but the Bulldogs continued the momentum from the second quarter and chipped another 5 points off the lead. Kiran Ouk and Kainoa Brinkman added some scoring punch to Woehrle’s efforts, and the Dons took a 7-point lead into the fourth. Alhambra refused to back down and the game got tight in the waning minutes. And just when it looked like the Bulldogs might climb all the way back for the win, a few clutch plays and free throws locked up the victory for Acalanes. Cash Woehrle led the scoring with a season-high 27 points, followed by Kainoa Brinkman (11), and Kiran Ouk (8).
Game 3 – Acalanes 32, Campolindo 71
Key Lesson: “There is a lot of basketball beyond our control, but a player should never let anyone try harder than he does.” – Dean Smith
Yes, the boys were recovering from being sick. Yes, the refs were determined to call as few fouls as possible. But there’s really no sugarcoating it – the rematch against Campo was ugly, although as Coach Powers said, “This is good for the team in the long run.” The Cougars came out hyper-aggressive and kept it up for the entire first half. The Dons found themselves on the back foot and never got off it. The score was 20 – 5 after the first quarter, and somehow the second quarter was worse. Campo led 46 – 10 at the half and had earned it by being the far more aggressive team and understanding how the refs were calling the game. Aca did manage to regroup at halftime and played with much more force in the third quarter, winning it 19 – 17. But the game was out of reach and both teams rotated in new players in the fourth, which Campo won 6 – 5. Although it was tough to lose like this to their arch rival, there are great lessons to be learned from it, which will stick with the team a lot longer than anyone will remember the score.
Game 4 – Acalanes 26, Dublin 68
Key Lesson: “Respect every opponent, but fear none.” – John Wooden
The Dublin Gaels may have been the best overall basketball team the freshman boys had faced all year. They had strengths and skills in all aspects of the game, and they brought their “A” game to the Chris Huber gym at Acalanes. It was clear in the first few minutes that this would be a big test for the Dons, especially coming off the tough loss to Campo. The Gaels sank a three a few seconds into the game and never looked back. They easily handled the Don press to get layups or open threes. They turned the Dons over several times in the first and 24 times in the game. Unfortunately, the Gael pressure and forced turnovers led to tentative passes and plays by the Dons, leading to missed shots and more turnovers. And teams as good as Dublin thrive even more when their opponent becomes afraid to make mistakes. The Gaels led Aca 23 – 10 after the first quarter, and the Dons wouldn’t reach 10 points in any quarter for the rest of the game. In the end, there was another great lesson for the freshmen Dons. “You can’t be afraid to fail; it’s the only way you succeed.” – LeBron James
