All three Los Banos Tiger boys basketball teams came away with victories over the visiting Madera South Stallions on Nov. 29.
Behind the outstanding play of Damien Osegueda (20 points, 3 rebounds, steal) and Elijiah Chiapetta (19 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals) the Tiger freshman squad routed the Stallions by the score of 58-20.
Zaevin Cancino (6 points, 3 rebounds, 5 steals), Landon Borga (5 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals), and Maggio Carter with six rebounds and 2 steals all had strong performances for Los Banos.
In the JV contest it was all Los Banos, as the Tigers outscored the Stallions in all four periods of play. Los Banos carried a 19-13 lead into halftime but erupted for 30 points in the second half to close out the Stallions by the final score of 59 to 43.
Mike Lopez paced the Tiger offense with 15 points, followed by Jacob Castro with 13 points and Moises Perez with ten points. Freshman Kolton Kocher turned in an outstanding all-around performance, scoring 10 points and hauling down 11 rebounds.
The Tiger varsity (2-0) made it a three-game sweep of the Stallions with. The Tigers came up victorious with a final score of 62-51. This marks their second consecutive win of the season.
Coming into the game, Madera South had a 2-0 record with impressive victories against Morro Bay and Firebaugh. The Madera South Stallions are known for their fast-paced offense and their high-pressure defense. They get most of their points off of fast breaks and by their speed.
In the first quarter, the Tigers came out strong with a quick 11-4 lead before a timeout was called by the Stallions. After the timeout, the Stallions went on to score 9 points and held the Tigers to just 2 points. The score at the end of the first quarter was 13-13.
Captains Eric Ramos and Yahir Zuniga led the team, with 21 points and 15 rebounds from Zuniga and 17 points for Ramos. Ramos said, “I am very satisfied to start our season off 2-0. It wasn’t the best win, but we got the job done and I am proud of our team for executing a big game in the second half. I am excited for what’s in store for this very talented team and hope to just keep building on what we have.”
The Stallions’ weakness was their size. Los Banos used their size to their advantage by grabbing 35 total rebounds. The Tigers were able to slow down the game and would not allow the Stallions to score many points off fast breaks.
The second quarter was a battle between the two teams. The Stallions were playing very aggressive and would capitalize off the Tigers missed shots. The Tigers handled the tough defensive pressure from the Stallions well but would force passes that would lead to turnovers and quick scores for the Stallions. The Tigers trailed the Stallions at the end of the quarter 26-29.
After the halftime break, the Tigers came out very strong and took an 11-point lead at the end of the quarter. The score was 45-34. The Tigers put pressure on the Stallions which led to steals and easy points.
The Tigers were also knocking down multiple three-pointers with Eric Ramos, Jacob Camarillo, Jayden Howard and Yahir Zuniga contributing to the score. The Tigers biggest strength is their ability to knock down three-point shots.
In the fourth quarter, the Tigers controlled the game and kept around a 10-point lead for the rest of the game. The Tigers offense was no match for the Stallions. The Stallions were playing aggressively. which led to fouls, and eventually the Tigers would get into the bonus.
The Tigers used it to their advantage and would get to the free throw line. The Tigers would go on and win the game 62-51. This marks the Stallions first loss of their season. This victory was a statement win for the Tigers. They look to continue their win streak and improve for league play which begins on Jan. 15. The Tigers will travel to Gustine High School on Dec. 5-7 to play in the Gustine tournament.
