Modesto Christian catches fire; Beyer caught in flames

There were fast-break dunks, reverse slams, fall-away jumpers and a barrage of three-pointers.

Oh, and there was a cameo appearance by the Beyer boys basketball team, too.

The highly anticipated Modesto Metro Conference showdown between state-ranked Modesto Christian and fast-rising Beyer turned quickly into the Crusaders’ talent show. Four players scored in double figures, and the game finished with a running clock, as Modesto Christian rolled to a 69-28 victory over the Patriots.

Robinson Idehen scored a game-high 17 points in just 14 minutes. The 6-foot-10 forward was 7 of 10 from the floor, many of which were shots of the highest percentage. Translation: dunks.

Idehen slammed home a rebound to cap a 14-0 spurt in the first quarter, then started the second half with a reverse. His alley-oop finish with about two minutes left in the third quarter made it 53-23.

By then, the Modesto Christian student section had begun to chant, “Start! The! Bus!”

As explosive and efficient as Idehen was Wednesday, the Crusaders’ guards were just as dynamic. Modesto Christian connected on 40 percent of its three-pointers, burning Beyer for its decision to clog the lane and double-team Idehen.

Jordan Hollins-Buckner and Jay Chen had four three-pointers apiece. Chen finished with 13 points, while Hollins-Buckner, operating out of the corners, scored 12.

Modesto Christian coach Richard Midgley credited the Crusaders’ long-range accuracy to their 6 a.m. workouts. The team arrives before sunrise most mornings to work exclusively on shooting.

“These guys are getting up early before school and getting their shots in. We tell them to step in confident and knock them down,” Midgley said. “Obviously, we’d like to play inside-out, but Beyer does a good job of crowding the paint and forcing guys to knock down shots. The shots we knocked down opened it up for us.”

Darrian Grays and Joseph Yanez also had three-pointers for the Crusaders, who made 10 of their 25 attempts from beyond the arc.

Hollins-Buckner said the Crusaders’ postseason hopes hinge on their ability to make open shots.

“It’s going to be very important in the playoffs, especially when teams double Robinson or pack it in on Christian (Ellis),” Hollins-Buckner said. “We have to be able to shoot it. When we’re shooting good, we’re just scary to play against.”

Josthin Dawkins scored 10 points, and Grays came off the bench for eight. Grays, the junior point guard logged 26 minutes in relief of Ellis, who picked up two early fouls.

Grays, Hollins-Buckner and Ellis had five assists apiece for Modesto Christian (16-1, 6-0), now alone atop the MMC standings.

“You have to pick your poison with them,” Beyer coach Kyle McKim said. “It’s a testament to how hard the MC kids have worked this offseason. Hollins-Buckner has developed his shot tremendously. Jay Chen has improved his game. They’re a lot better shooters than they were last year.”

Beyer (14-5, 5-1) arrived at Modesto Christian High School on equal footing in conference play with the sixth-ranked team in the state, according to Cal-Hi Sports. The Patriots and Crusaders had successfully navigated the first five games of the league calendar, and the atmosphere inside the gym matched the stakes.

The stands began to fill to capacity during the junior varsity contest. It seemed everyone was there – including Sacramento State freshman guard Jeff Wu (a Modesto Christian alumnus) and the Hornets’ associate head coach, Brandon Laird – except the Patriots.

Beyer answered Modesto Christian’s 14-0 spurt in the first quarter with an 8-0 run. Tanner Gentry’s long three-pointer made it 14-10 early in the second quarter.

And then the Patriots went ice cold. Beyer mustered just one more field goal in the quarter – a Brian Perry three-pointer – and trailed 33-15 at halftime.

The tale of woe starts and stops at the three-point line, where assistant coach Ron Weltmer said the Patriots endured their worst shooting performance in at least four years.

Beyer was just 3 of 33 from beyond the arc, and Modesto Christian feasted on the misses, turning rebounds into transition points.

“We just didn’t make shots. I don’t have any other answer,” McKim said. “We prepared the best we could and got a lot of shots up this week. I think defensively, in the half court, we played pretty well, but we missed so many shots that it led to long rebounds and a lot of run-outs for them. We have to shoot better than that.”

Midgley is counting on it. The teams will meet again Feb. 12 at Beyer High, where the Patriots gave Modesto Christian a scare last season in a 61-54 loss.

“I don’t imagine they’ll do that again,” Midgley said, referencing Beyer’s shooting woes Wednesday. “We know what type of team Beyer is. We’ll be even more prepared and ready the next time we play them, but we’re definitely happy with the outcome today.”

George Dancer led the Patriots with seven points but was held scoreless in the second half. Dylan Weltmer and Perry had six points apiece.

Beyer was held to single-digit scoring in each quarter and mustered just 13 second-half points.

“We play a lot better at home. We shoot a lot better at home. We won’t be down in the mouth,” McKim said. “They’re a great team, one of the best in state. Losing to them isn’t the end of the world. It doesn’t mean we’re not a good team.

“We’re one of the better teams in Northern California still. They’re a good team, and we’re not at that level yet.”

This story was originally published January 20, 2016 at 10:47 PM with the headline "Modesto Christian catches fire; Beyer caught in flames."