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| The Mission Bears huddle together to discuss about the next play(Photo courtesy of Sheriee Borela) |
By: Richard Lee
It was certainly expected to be a game that’s importance was huge. The visiting Bears and hosting Eagles were both tied for the first spot in the league with a 14-1 record. This game, coincidently the last game of the regular season, was going to determine the team with the best record. Washington had an edge coming into this game, holding Mission’s only loss and playing under their own lights. The Bears would get their revenge as they were able to take the spot as AAA’s highest seed with a statement-making 77-66 victory.
“Well we(Mission) had to clean some things up, we’re still really sloppy in some areas of the game but it worked out and we were able to be successful tonight. As any team should, we’ve gotten a lot better as the season went along.” said Mission head coach Arnold Zelaya in how he thought his team played during the last game of the season.
“They(Mission) played with a lot of intensity today, we knew that if we wanted to have a chance to play well in this game, we needed to match-up to them and we didn’t. And we knew the moment after we beat them the first time that they were going to be ready for us and they played really well today.” said Washington head coach Jolinko Lassiter when asked about what Mission did differently in this game compared to the 89-66 victory in Mission territory dating back to January 18th, 2011.
As roses were being handed to parents and fans were getting settled in their seats, anybody in the building could feel the tension starting to rise. Once tip-off commenced, the beginning of a fight was about to occur. Both teams were playing aggressive defense and the ball was flying up and down the court. The tempo of the game was at a tremendous rate. A total of 18 turnovers were committed by both teams in the first quarter alone with Washington having 11 while Mission had 7. A low-scoring affair was sensed as the period ended with a 17-12 lead with Mission having the slim edge.
The second frame would be a time in where Mission was able to establish a slightly larger lead. The quarter started off with a 9-0 run in the 4:42 mark. The score at the end of the half would show Mission ahead in a 36-26 contest.
Washington would struggle taking care of the ball with 20 turnovers in the first half alone. Mission would have 15 turnovers in its own right, but would have an advantage through it’s rebounding efforts with 23 boards.
As second half began, there was a different feeling to the atmosphere of the gymnasium after a half where Mission looked nothing similar to the team that was embarrassed at home a month ago. The Mission guests would find a spark on the defensive end being able to hold Washing scoreless in the first two and a half minutes of third quarter play. Washington would make an attempt to alter Mission’s offense by turning on the 2-3 zone. It ultimately wouldn’t work out as the Bears would enjoy their best scoring quarter with 22 points. Washington would still find some life scoring 19 points with the main screen showing 58-45.
The fourth quarter would have a fair share of dramatics when senior center Alec Tatum, who was the source of the Bear’s defensive dominance, was called for four fouls within just the first minute of the period. However, it would prove to not be a factor as the concluding frame was merely a matter of trading baskets, a scenario that the Eagles just simply couldn’t have if they wanted to mount any sort of comeback in this season finale. The final count would be 77-66.
The outstanding player of the game would be junior forward Gione Edwards, who was inches away from a double-double with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and seven steals. Also was Gione’s teammate from last year at Sacred Heart Cathedral sophomore Antoine Porter, who had a well-rounded game with 14 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Numerous plays were seen in where these two players assisted to each other as the Sacred Heart Connection was really the dynamic in Mission’s scoring frenzy.
The senior Bigs also played a pivotal role in this one. Forward Travis Price-Moku was able to lead Mission’s rebounding effect of 44 total with 10 grabs on the glass of his own. Center Alec Tatum was the nucleus of the Bear’s defense, recording four blocks that really sent a message to any Eagle that dared make an attempt to flight towards the direction of the rim.
“So far, we’re 15-1. But so far, we still need three more wins until we are where we’re focused at.” said Arnold Zelaya when asked the remaining steps ahead for his team’s goals.
With the title of AAA’s season champions under their belt now, the Bears will continue their quest to meet their ambitions. Their record is now well above .500 with 21 wins and just nine losses. Their 15-1 wins to loss ratio puts them at the top of the standings and established themselves as a force to be reckoned with throughout the coming weeks that lie ahead.
The Bears now await for their opponent, who will be decided within the next two days. Mission will have their postseason dawn in their home court on February 25th, 2011 at 5:30 PM(Pacific time). Their possible opponents for this momentous night will be the fourth seed of the NEFF division, which could be either Galileo High School, Burton High School, or O’Connell High School. These three teams are within a game apart from each other and a wide array of different scenarios are likely to occur before a final stroke of the official pen in the standings are made. All three of these institutes have fallen to Mission in a harsh fashion, with all three NEFF division ball clubs averaging a deficit of exactly 30 points to Mission!
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