Gregori pushes the pace, secures share of CCAL title with win over Pitman
Members of the Gregori boys basketball team knew that if they wanted to secure a share of the Central California Athletic League title in the season finale against Pitman, they would have to get back to playing their game.
Pitman changed up the pace in their first matchup, on Jan. 29, slowing the game down and limiting the Jaguars’ possessions. The halftime score was 14-14, and by the end of the game, the Pride pulled out a 46-44 win.
Wednesday night, the Jaguars played the game at their pace, pushing the ball up the court, taking the best quick shot available and smothering the Pride on defense, making them uncomfortable and forcing missed shots. The emphasis on playing fast worked for the Jaguars, who pulled out a 66-58 win to advance to 8-2 in CCAL play this season and lock up a league co-title with Enochs.
“Our strategy this time was to speed the game up,” Gregori coach Ernesto Ruiz said. “They played at their pace last game and we tried to play at their pace and it didn’t work. This time we tried to … force them to take shots early.”
In the first half, it looked like Pitman would have no problems beating Gregori at its own game. The Pride scored 22 first-quarter points and made eight total first-half threes to take a 35-33 advantage into the halftime break.
“They were bringing their A-game,” Ruiz said. “I told the guys this is what a championship game looks like.”
The Jaguars came out strong in the third quarter, led by juniors Jayson Powers and Mason Marsden. Gregori took a 41-39 lead after a Powers dunk and the two sides traded baskets for most of the frame. The junior duo, who each finished with 16 points, led a 7-2 run to end the frame and give Gregori a 53-46 lead.
“They were playing our game, and we were better at playing our game,” Ruiz said. “They were making their shots, but we make more shots at this tempo. We knew we were going to give up layups in the press and open threes to shooters, but that’s the game we were going to play.”
They played nearly even in the fourth quarter, each team answering its opponent’s short runs with its own string of points. Gregori outscored Pitman 13-12 in the final frame to secure the win.
The Jaguars did not celebrate only a league title Wednesday night. Powers also reached the 1,000-point mark. He was just the second player to do it in school history, joining 2022 graduate Kyle Monk.
Ruiz did not even think about what would come next for his team. All he wanted to do was grab the ladder out of the gym weight room’s storage closet, set it up under the hoop closest to the gym entrance and cut down the net.
“It’s a huge accomplishment,” he said. “It’s a testament to their hard work. I’m extremely proud of what they accomplished. It was not easy, they had to beat Enochs at Enochs, then they had to beat an incredible Pitman team. It’s monumental for the team and I’m really proud of these guys.”
Pitman will watch the rankings in anticipation. Wednesday was the Pride’s third straight league loss, dropping them to fourth place in the league standings. Because just the top three seeds get automatic bids, they will need to finish within the top 15 in the MaxPreps SJS Division I rankings to qualify for the postseason.
Boys Basketball
Escalon 58, Ripon 47: The Cougars jumped out to a 20-7 first- quarter lead and extended to 33-19 by halftime. Despite Ripon’s comeback efforts, Escalon beat the TVL’s second-place team.
Davis 74, Pacheco 43: Davis moved to 10-3 in WAC play with Wednesday’s win over Pacheco. The Spartans went from 1-11 in league play to a 10-win season in one year. They finish the regular season against Johansen on Friday.
Ripon Christian 54, Orestimba 38: Amos Cady notched 17 points, five rebounds, seven assists and a steal, Mason Tameling added 16 points and Walker Postma added nine points, 10 rebounds and a pair of blocks to lead the Knights to another league title. The Knights finish the regular season against Sonora.
Hilmar 62, Hughson 52: Aaron Solorio put up 23 points and eight rebounds, Xavier Silveira added 12 points and Riley Quintero added 10 points and eight rebounds as Hilmar picked up its third TVL win this season.
Modesto Christian 73, St. Mary’s 43: The Crusaders locked up their third straight undefeated TCAL title with Wednesday’s blowout road win. Modesto Christian is 21-7 overall entering the postseason.
Beyer 51, Ceres 44: Beyer secured the outright WAC title with a victory over Ceres. The Patriots tied a school record with their 24th win. They have the chance to set a new school record Friday at home against Lathrop.
Oakdale 51, Patterson 45: Oakdale picked up its third VOL win and moved to .500 overall (13-13). The Mustangs have bounced back from their six-game losing streak with back-to-back wins. They finish the regular season against Mountain House.
Central Catholic 55, Manteca 37: The Raiders bounced back from Friday night’s loss to Mountain House with a near 20-point victory over rival Manteca. They finish the regular season on the road against Sierra.
Johansen 67, Livingston 47: Johansen advanced to 9-4 in WAC play with its 20-point win over Livingston. The third-place Vikings take on the second-place Davis Spartans on Friday.
Turlock 85, Modesto 42: Turlock was dominant in Wednesday’s senior night victory over Modesto. Turlock and Pitman finish the regular season with 6-4 CCAL records, but because the Bulldogs are 2-0 this season against the Pride, Turlock owns the tiebreaker.
Enochs 64, Downey 41: Enochs locked up the co-CCAL title with Gregori with a win over the Knights. Enochs earned eight league wins for the first time since 2014-15.
Central Valley 48, Lathrop 37: The Hawks’ late-season push continued with a win Wednesday over Lathrop. A win in the season finale against crosstown rival Ceres Friday secures the final automatic bid out of the WAC.
