Dancer brothers carry Beyer in Modesto City Classic opener

Beyer High School boys basketball coach Kyle McKim enjoys a luxury. His name is Georgie Dancer, a smooth, selfless guard committed to Sacramento State.

Dancer scored a game-high 15 points and knocked down three three-pointers as the Patriots whipped Edison 74-41 in the first round of the Modesto City Classic on Wednesday afternoon.

Three players scored in double figures for Beyer (1-0), which frustrated the Vikings with its frenetic press defense. Edison turned over the ball 27 times, including 11 in the second quarter, as the Patriots opened a 38-20 lead.

Beyer, the defending tournament champion, led by 38 in the fourth quarter.

“We want to try to dictate tempo. We want the game to be fast. We’re not the biggest team in the world. If it’s a half-court game, I think that’s a disadvantage for us,” McKim said. “We definitely want to speed up the tempo, try to press and make it a fast game. I think it’s fun to play and fun to watch.”

There were no complaints from his bench. Tanner Gentry and Ryan Frakes scored 12 points apiece, and Sam Leventini scored eight.

Beyer connected on nine three-pointers and extended possessions with 12 offensive rebounds.

“We’re at our best when it’s a lot of guys doing the damage. We don’t want it to be one guy running the show or anything like that,” McKim said. “We want a lot of guys touching the ball.

“We have a deep bench and play 10. So we expect a lot of guys to contribute every single night, which is why we’re a pretty good team. We have a lot of guys that can beat you.”

McKim is well aware of the matchup advantage he has on most nights.

Dancer is one of the top guards in the Stanislaus District, evidenced by his scholarship offer to Sacramento State.

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound point guard shook off early foul trouble. He threw down a one-handed jam in the second quarter and then buried three three-pointers in the third quarter as the lead ballooned to 64-28 with a 17-2 run.

As good as Dancer was, McKim believes his true luxury sits behind him on the depth chart.

There’s yet another Dancer to join DeAngelo (six points), a junior guard, and Georgie.

His name is Dom Dancer, a wispy 5-10 freshman who possesses the same speed and creativity with the ball in his hands as his oldest brother.

When Georgie went to the bench in the first quarter, it was Dom who ignited the Patriots’ offense with his dribble penetration.

He fired two no-look passes that resulted in a quick five points – a traditional three-point play by Leventini and a layup by Dylan Weltmer (six points).

Beyer closed the quarter on an 8-0 run and led 18-8.

“For a freshman, he plays without any fear out there,” McKim said. “You would think he’s playing with kids his own age out here. It’s great to see.

“The biggest thing is the mental aspect of it. He’s able to come out here and get to the rim and just make plays. He’s a heck of a player.”

Dom finished with nine points. He had 11 points and five assists in a Foundation Game victory over Buhach Colony on Monday.

McKim believes Dom has benefited from growing up in the shadow of Georgie and DeAngelo. In turn, the Beyer basketball program reaps the ultimate reward: wins.

“When you have two older brothers that are as talented as they are, I think it kind of paved the way for him and they’ve shown him how to do things,” McKim said. “They’ve probably beaten up on him over the years a little bit, too, and I think it’s helped him become a pretty darn good player.”

Gregori 62, Lathrop 46: Brandon Waterford scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half as the Jaguars overcame a three-point halftime deficit. Blake Evans also had 14 in the win.

Gregori 62, Lathrop 46 – Brandon Waterford scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half as the Jaguars overcame a three-point halftime deficit. Blake Evans also had 14 in the win.

Downey 57, Atwater 45 – Fabian Hernandez had a game-high 25 points on six three-pointers for the Knights, who outscored the Falcons 23-13 in the fourth quarter. Reggie Hicks paced Atwater with 15 points.

This story was originally published December 2, 2015 at 8:02 PM with the headline "Dancer brothers carry Beyer in Modesto City Classic opener."