HW, Lemoore will play in final
By Jeremy Luchau
HANFORD -- Hanford West High boys basketball coach Tim Caudillo was visibly upset Friday.
And so was his team.
The Huskies rallied from a 20 point half-time deficit and managed to take a 50-48 lead with three minutes, 25 seconds to play in the fourth quarter on a Roy Ramirez 3-point bucket only to see Porterville score 11 unanswered points to win 59-50 on the final day of pool play at the second annual Kings County Classic.
"We dug ourselves a pretty big hole in the first half, but we worked our way out of it," Caudillo said. "But we can't play the way we did down the stretch and expect to win. We need to make some better decisions."
The Panthers (4-2) got 27 points from Thomas Nelson, who scored eight clutch points in the fourth quarter.
Hanford West (5-1) lost for the first time this season, but will still play in tonight's championship game at Hanford West. The Huskies sewed up a berth in the title game on Thursday with a win over Sanger and will play Lemoore tonight at 7:30 p.m.
Lemoore had to win Friday while holding Reedley under 45 points to get into the title game.
"We had to play a totally different style than we are used to," said Lemoore coach T.J. Wilkins, whose team beat the Pirates 39-32. "We had to slow the game way down, take some time off the clock on offense and play tough defense."
The Huskies were forced into a different style of play and paid for it in the first half. Nelson knocked down a pair of 3-point buckets in the first quarter and the Panthers led 18-2 after the first stanza.
Porterville continued to roll through the Huskies in the second and built a 32-12 lead at the half.
But the Huskies rallied in the third period, scoring 19 straight points to close within 38-36 heading into the fourth.
Jeff Martin ignited the run, canning a pair of 3-pointers and Warren Moon scored eight points during the frenzy.
"That's the type of team that we are," Caudillo said. "We're just not
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the type of team that's going to quit. We gave them fits when we sped up the pace of the game and we moved the ball a lot better on offense in the second half. We made the extra pass and it led to some easy buckets."
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Ramirez in the fourth gave the Huskies its first and only lead of the game, at 50-48. But moments later Ramirez fouled out of the game on a charge, it was the first of several offensive fouls called on the Huskies during the closing minutes of the contest.
At Lemoore High, Kameron Hoyt scored 14 points to lead the Tigers over the Pirates (1-3).
"We wanted to get to the championship game, so we did what we had to to get in," Wilkins said. "We trailed most of the game, but in the fourth quarter we turned it loose and pulled it out."
Lemoore (3-2) trailed 11-4 after the first period, 19-17 at the half and 27-23 entering the final period before rallying for the win.
Hoyt canned a pair of big 3-point buckets and knocked down a pair of free throws in the stanza.
Richie Casteel led the Tigers with 11 points.
In other games:
San Joaquin Memorial 77, Fresno 63
At Hanford West High, Rodny Mendes netted 21 points and Bryce Martinho scored 19 points to lead San Joaquin Memorial (3-1).
Martinho scored 10 points in the fourth quarter and teammate Matt Mazzoni chipped in 12 of his 18 points in the period to break a 46-46 deadlock after three quarters.
Tyrone Williams had 21 points and Dion Hicks added 19 for Fresno (1-4).
CVC 57,Tulare Union 56
At Lemoore High, Lance Reeves scored 11 of his team-high 21 points in the fourth quarter to hold of the Redskins (1-4).
Eric Hofstee added 13 points for the Cavaliers (4-1).
Marquess Wilson scored 21 points and Jordan Searby added 18 for Tulare Union.
Today's schedule is Sanger vs. Tulare Union for ninth place at 12:30 p.m., Fresno vs. Reedley for seventh place at 2:15, Porterville vs. Central Valley Christian for fifth place at 4, San Joaquin Memorial vs. Sunnyside for third place at 5:45 and Hanford West vs. Lemoore for the championship at 7:30.
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