Webster’s trick play turns tide HW’s way

FRESNO - With less than a minute before Hanford West was crowned Central Section Division III champions, the chants of "M-V-P!" rained down from the stands.

Rodney Webster hit both of the free throws but he had done already to get the praise from the Huskies' fans.

Webster scorched Ridgeview (Bakersfield) for 24 points in every way possible, including reverse layups, a spot up 3-pointer, clutch free throws and a trick play that brought the Hanford West faithful to its feet at Selland Arena.

And with that Hanford West won its first Central Section title in boys basketball by upsetting the No. 1 seeded Wolf Pack 54-45.

And was it ever a nifty trick that Webster performed to give the Huskies the momentum to hold off the Wolf Pack.

With the game tied at 32-32 in the third quarter, Webster inbounded the ball off a Ridgeview player's back, grabbed it and hit a layup to give the No. 3 Huskies the lead for good.

"I thought it was now or never," said Webster of the play. "It feels so good. You would only know the feeling once you've won it."

After Eric Smith was fouled during a drive to the lane after a steal and hitting the free throw, Webster hit another layup of his own off a steal and converted on the foul shot.

"He played phenomenally," said Hanford West head coach Tim Caudillo of Webster. "He's a run breaker. If a team gets a run, it's only a matter of time before Rodney goes on one of his own."

Webster went on his first run of the game in the first quarter.

He scored 11 in the first including a reverse layup under Ridgeview's 6-foot-8 center Kaylin Evans as the Huskies went on a 10-0 run that turned a 11-9 deficit into a 19-11 lead after the first quarter.

Evans was held in check after getting into early foul trouble and spending time on the bench.

He finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds and two blocks.

"Even though he's a shot blocker, we knew we were going to take it at him no matter what," Caudillo said.

The Huskies held the lead through the second quarter but Ridgeview (20-9) made two runs in the second half.

Hanford West only got a layup from Webster in the first six minutes of the third quarter during a Wolf Pack 9-2 run that tied it at 32-32 and set up Webster's off-the-back go-ahead basket.

The Wolf Pack cut the lead to two points twice in the fourth quarter at 41-39 and 43-41 with 3:35 remaining, but it was Webster and the rest of the Huskies' night.

Ethen Carrell hit a layup to make it 45-41, then Cody Brice grabbed an offensive rebound and knocked down the putback to make it 47-41.

After a Evans free throw, Warren Moon hit a layup to give the Huskies a 49-42 lead with 1:01 left in the game. Moon then hit one of two on a flagrant foul. After a defensive hold, Webster was fouled and sent to the line where his chants began.

The championship comes after the Huskies went 5-7 in the West Yosemite League and at one time lost five games in a row during league play.

But Hanford West (20-11) won the games that mattered the most, when it was get the victory or have your season ended.

"We struggled there for a while," said Caudillo of the losing streak. "We were playing bad basketball. We said happiness begins where selfishness ends. We decided to become a team again."

The Huskies advanced to the finals by winning two home games then upsetting No. 2 Hoover 68-60 on the road in the semifinals.

To go along with his game-high 24 points, Webster added seven rounds and was 9-of-10 from the free throw line.

Carrell, a senior, finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds.

Travon Wesson led the Wolf Pack with 17 points.

Hanford West will find out what team it opens the state playoffs against today.

"It feels great to win," Webster said. "But it's only the beginning."

(March 8, 2009)