Raiders’ 13th-place finish at Holiday Hoop Classic: ‘Not what we wanted’

The Central Catholic boys basketball team closed the Holiday Hoop Classic with consecutive wins, but the defending Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV champions didn’t sign up for moral victories.

They wanted the coveted evening time slots, the playoff atmosphere and a chance at the title.

Instead, the Raiders played in front of an empty gym for the third time in four days on Friday, fading into the weekend long before the afternoon rush.

Cooper Wilson and Josh Hamilton scored 15 points apiece as Central Catholic pulled away from Modesto 66-48 to finish in 13th place.

“This is not what we wanted,” said Wilson, a third-year varsity guard. “We blew it. We should be playing in the winner’s bracket. It definitely hurts, but it was important to get back together as a team and playing better.”

Central Catholic (9-2) found a flow early and led 33-22 at halftime. The lead increased to 13 after three quarters.

Guard Jared Rice enjoyed his best day of the tournament, finishing with 13 points and three assists. Conor Fenton and DaRon Bland each had eight rebounds for the Raiders, whose tournament wins came against teams with sub-.500 records.

Modesto (4-5) was led by its post. Esteban Martin had 11 points and Paxton Sweeney 10.

“The fact that they were able to mentally come back after the last two days was a blessing for me,” Central Catholic coach Mike Wilson said. “They were heartbroken and they know why, in regards to both losses (to Central of Fresno and Beyer) we took. It was our own undoing.”

Central Catholic had tournament finalist Central on the ropes in their opener. The Raiders led by 13 in the fourth quarter but were knocked into the consolation bracket by their inability to make free throws.

Central Catholic missed three free throws in the final minute of regulation, and in a cruel twist of fate, the Raiders were beaten by two Cash Williams free throws with one second left in overtime.

It took the Raiders two days to recover from the loss. Central Catholic fell apart against crosstown rival Beyer, an embarrassing defeat that forced the Raiders to take a long look in the mirror.

For an hour after that loss, Central Catholic remained in the locker room, players only. They addressed the one component they lacked: leadership.

Last season, the Raiders were held together by the only player they lost in graduation – forward Pete Hamilton, now a freshman at Eastern Oregon.

Hamilton anchored the Raiders’ run to a section title and Northern California regional appearance.

“The main thing we discussed was ‘What was different last year?’ We had a lot of success last year and a big part of it was leadership,” Cooper Wilson said. “We lost Pete and he was a big part of our team. He was essential, especially in the heat of games.”

That leadership role has been divvied up to four players: captains Angelo Traina, Amrit Dhaliwal, Rice and Wilson. Three of the four are starters.

The Wilsons are confident the team has turned a corner.

“You try to pull positives,” Mike Wilson said. “We had the potential champion on the ropes. That’s a D-I school ranked high in their section, and you look at where you sit against them. That’s something very positive.”

Central Catholic needs the momentum with Valley Oak League play around the corner. Three of the Raiders’ first four league games are on the road. The Raiders go to Weston Ranch (Tuesday), Lathrop (Thursday) and Manteca (Jan. 12). Sierra will visit the Mark Gallo Health and Fitness Center on Jan. 10.

This story was originally published December 30, 2016 at 1:25 PM with the headline "Raiders’ 13th-place finish at Holiday Hoop Classic: ‘Not what we wanted’."