Going Gray: Energetic Beyer forward saves the day against Mountain View

During a timeout late in the game, Beyer High boys basketball coach Kyle McKim filled the minute’s rest with two words: Ball security, ball security, ball security.

His message fell on deaf ears.

The Patriots stumbled out of the break with back-to-back turnovers, fueling an 11-0 charge by Mountain View that cut Beyer’s 16-point lead to five.

Eugene Liao was the catalyst, scoring six straight points. When the Spartans’ top gun soared through the lane, kissing a shot off the glass, McKim looked down his bench and called out two more words: Brandon Gray.

This time, the message was received.

The high-energy junior held Liao scoreless over the final 4 1/2 minutes and guided sixth-seeded Beyer safely into the second round of the CIF Northern California Division II boys basketball regionals with a 68-56 win.

“I pass and cut and I play the best defense I can,” Gray said. “I’m a defensive player. I bring the hustle and intensity, all of that.

“Their key player was (Liao) and I wanted to lock him up, slow them down and get us running.”

Gray broke up 11th-seeded Mountain View’s momentum with a 3-point play and then jumped a pass on the defensive end that led to a layup for Brian Perry to make it 64-54.

With a 9-0 final kick, Beyer won its regional tournament debut, continuing a storybook season on Sylvan Avenue.

“He’s a playmaker, offensively and defensively,” McKim said of Gray, whose reputation as a disruptor began on the football field. A defensive end, Gray led the Modesto Metro Conference with 11 sacks.

“Liao (26 points) is a tremendous scorer. He might be one of the toughest players we’ve played all season, in terms of being a pure scorer,” McKim added. “(Gray) came in at the end and did a great job on him, and then made a nice play from the elbow when we were going the wrong direction. He just brings energy for us, and we needed it tonight.”

The Patriots (23-9) made all five of their free throws in the fourth quarter, shoring up a second-round matchup against third-seeded Moreau Catholic (22-9) in Hayward on Saturday.

Moreau Catholic defeated 14th-seeded Rio Linda 98-87.

Four Moreau Catholic players scored in double figures led by Damari Milstead’s 31 and Lionel Anderson’s 24. Highly touted freshman Kyree Walker had 18 and Jullen Ison 10 for the Mariners, who have won 18 straight, including the North Coast Section D-II championship.

McKim and the Patriots watched Moreau Catholic’s 72-63 victory over Immanuel in their season opener at the Prep2Prep NorCal Tip-Off in Newark. They went as fans, not knowing they’d join the Mariners atop the marquee.

“Phenomenal team. So athletic,” McKim said. “It’s an exciting challenge. That’s what you want. You want to play great teams. That’s something we’ll always remember – getting to play against great talent like that.”

Beyer moved past the horrors of its loss to Whitney in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-II final. That night at Pacific, the Patriots endured one of their worst shooting performances of the season.

On Wednesday, Beyer returned to Patriot Pavilion and treated its fans to an electric opening half. Beyer knocked down seven 3-pointers and led 41-23 at halftime.

Being back home – in front of the Red Sea and casting shots at familiar rims – mattered. The Patriots spent the past three games playing from behind on the road. Beyer trailed by double digits in wins over Rio Linda and Burbank, and then finally wilted against Whitney.

“We know this gym,” said Gray, who finished with eights points and six rebounds.

Deangelo Dancer scored nine of his 14 points in the first half. The senior guard had seven consecutive points in the first quarter, including a corner 3, as Beyer took the lead for good.

“I think that was the best he’s played all year,” McKim said. “That’s not to downgrade the way he’s played all year, but that was a great game. He was active, getting tip-ins and hitting 3s. It was a very high level for him tonight … and we needed it. We needed everything.”

Dancer knocked down a corner 3 to make it 59-43 early in the fourth quarter and then iced the win with free throws.

“I came in with confidence,” he said, “and shot with confidence.”

Perry also rebounded from a frustrating section final. The MMC co-MVP had 18 points on four 3-pointers.

Eight players scored for the Patriots. Dom Dancer had seven, while Ben Polack, Kris Fore and Dylan Weltmer had six apiece.

“We took the ‘L’, came back to practice and worked hard,” Deangelo Dancer said. “We had to bounce back. It was tough. We wanted the (section) banner. We really wanted it, but … we’re trying to get this one now.”

This story was originally published March 8, 2017 at 10:12 PM with the headline "Going Gray: Energetic Beyer forward saves the day against Mountain View."