Wolf Pack defeats Vikings for second time in 4 days
| Thursday, Feb 09 2012 11:08 PM
Last Updated Thursday, Feb 09 2012 11:10 PM
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Deountay Wright of West goes for a jumper as Ridgeview's Kenyon Ross tries to block.
Kamron McKinney of West attempts to shoot over Ridgeview's Kenyon Ross in first period action at West high.
Ridgeview's Tyler Ferguson goes for a loose ball along with West's Gerardo Felix and teammate Eric Fortt.
Kamron McKinney of West shoots over Ridgeview's Kenyon Ross in first period action at West high.
Anthony Porter of West looks to pass around Ridgeview's Kenyon Ross.
Coaches will tell you it's tough to beat the same team twice in one season, but what about twice in a week? And what if said opponent is raining down 3-pointers?
Neither kept Ridgeview from winning Thursday night. The Wolf Pack stayed steady down the stretch and grinded out a 60-54 road victory at West to all but clinch the South Yosemite League boys basketball title.
"The way West played, it would have been tough no matter what," Ridgeview coach Dave Purdy said. "They played a tremendous game. We were lucky to get out of here with a win."
Ridgeview (13-8, 6-0 SYL) beat the Vikings 59-52 on Monday at home. The game was originally scheduled in January but was postponed because the power went out at Ridgeview during the junior varsity game.
Purdy said that might have played into his team's hands in the league race because the Wolf Pack is just now finding its stride.
"Our football team was good, which is good but bad for basketball at the beginning of the season," Purdy said. "We're just now rounding into form."
On Thursday, West (11-13, 5-2) fell behind by seven in the second quarter but rallied behind 3-pointers on three consecutive possessions. That would be a theme: The Vikings hit seven treys on the night, hanging around depsite 25 turnovers.
"Those turnovers, man, they've killed us all year long," West coach Will Smith said. "That's our plague."
In a second half that featured 11 lead changes, West took its final lead on two Mason Caragao free throws with 3:34 left. On the next possession, though, Jeremy Lee drove to the hoop for a three-point play to put Ridgeview up 49-47.
West hit one final 3 -- the fourth of the night from Eric Degraffenreid -- to cut the lead to 51-50 with 2:50 left. But Ridgeview scored the next five points and sealed the win on Daylon Warren's layup with 20 seconds left.
"It was defense and rebounding, because I'm not sure we made but one jump shot the entire game," Purdy said. "But aside from the 3s they hit, I thought we played tremendous defense."
Javier Kirksey led Ridgeview with 15 points.
Now, all Ridgeview needs to do to clinch the SYL is beat either Mira Monte or South next week. Do that, and Purdy thinks the Wolf Pack could slip into the No. 4 seed in the Central Section Division III playoff bracket.
