Stockdale boys let one slip away
| Thursday, Feb 26 2009 02:30 AM
Last Updated Friday, Mar 27 2009 01:21 PM
Images
Buchanan's Skylar Silva tries to dribble through the double team of Stockdale's Cameron Mahoney (5) and an unidentified teammate during the first half of Wednesday's playoff game at Stockdale.
Stockdale's Cameron Mahoney heads for the basket after making a steal against Buchanan in the first half Wednesday.
Stockdale's Amartej Deol (24) shoots a layup against Buchanan in the first half Wednesday at Stockdale Wednesday.
Stockdale's Jordan Burris (20) passes against Buchanan's Alex Fertig in the first half of Wednesday's Central Section Division I playoff at Stockdale. Burris scored 32 points, but Buchanan won 69-66.
If you think calling Stockdale’s boys basketball team a one-man show is a little harsh, just wait till you listen to Mustangs coach Terence Hubbert.
His team had just lost 69-66 to Clovis-Buchanan on Wednesday at home in the first round of the Central Section Division I playoffs despite 32 points from junior Jordan Burris, and Hubbert wasn’t mincing words.
“In the playoffs, that’s what it’s all about,” Hubbert said. “You can’t just rely on Jordan. Jordan’s a big part of that, but other guys have to step up.”
Buchanan (14-13), the No. 9 seed, moves on to face top seed Clovis East in the section quarterfinals.
Hubbert also bemoaned the No. 8 Mustangs’ inability to hit free throws — they were 15-of-26 — and layups — they missed some half dozen in the first half.
“We gave it away,” Hubbert said. “Missed free throws in clutch situations, seven, eight missed layups. When you get to the playoffs, you’ve got to be able to finish.”
The Mustangs did get 12 points from Cameron Mahoney and 10 from Vinny Lidgett. In the end, though, the fact that Stockdale (16-12) isn’t advancing has everything to do with what the other guys couldn’t do when it counted.
Burris scored 12 straight points for the Mustangs during a third-quarter stretch during which they turned a 3-point deficit into an 8-point lead.
“I felt like I had the hot hand,” Burris said, “and I felt the game getting close, so I trying to get us up. Really, it was my teammates that made me look good.”
But Buchanan clawed back and pulled within one on Alex Fertig’s 3-pointer in the final minute of the third.
“They really had us on our heels, so for us to keep it close, I had a pretty good feeling,” Buchanan coach Eric Swain said. “I thought we weathered the storm.”
Fertig had 10 points. Jackson Carbajal led three Bears in double figures with 16.
Burris hit a couple of free throws to open the fourth quarter, but he took just one shot — a putback attempt he missed — in the next six minutes as he faced double-teams and blanket defending from Buchanan’s Corvaughn Archie.
“They were doubling me, so I was just trying to find the open person,” Burris said.
With Burris hardly even getting the ball in position to shoot, the Bears slowly creeped out to a lead, even though they missed 11 free throws in the final quarter.
Burris finally hit a 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds left to cut the lead to three, and then he intercepted Buchanan’s ensuing inbounds pass at midcourt. Fitting as it would have been, his half-court prayer to tie it came up short.
“They’re a smart basketball team,” Hubbert said. “They’re going to take the ball out of your best player’s hands and make some guys step up. There was opportunities for guys to step up, but they just didn’t get it done.”
