Livingston falls in championship game

Anthony Deol and the Livingston High School boys basketball team started fast against Roosevelt on Saturday.

The Wolves were running with the Rough Riders, and Deol penetrated into the paint whenever he wanted.

That all changed when the Fresno school switched to a zone in the second quarter. The Rough Riders clogged the paint and turned the Wolves into a three-point shooting team.

The strategy worked as Roosevelt ran away to a 75-53 victory in the Atwater-Buhach Colony Tournament championship game in the Thunder Dome.

“We had a tough time guarding the ball,” said Roosevelt coach Jamarr Chisom, whose team improved to 5-0. “We came out trying to press, and (Deol) made some good plays. He was able to blow by some guys.

“We noticed they weren’t shooting the ball well from outside so that’s what we wanted to make them do.”

The Wolves (3-5) were tough to guard early as Deol and Harman Singh torched Roosevelt in the first quarter. Singh scored 13 of his 15 points in the first eight minutes and Deol eight of his 13.

“It was exciting. I felt our guys were clicking,” Livingston coach Ricardo Aguilar said. “We’ve been waiting for Anthony and Harman to play together and then bring the other guys along. Our team is going to go as far as those two guys can take us.”

Other than the five three-pointers from Damien Albores (15 points), Livingston couldn’t do much against Roosevelt’s zone, especially with 6-foot-8 center Bryson Williams in the middle.

“We don’t match up well with them,” Aguilar said. “We’re not a three-point shooting team. The only one that can knock them down consistently is Damien. The zone stopped Anthony’s penetration, and that deflated us.”

The Rough Riders outscored Livingston 32-12 in the second and third quarters to take a 54-35 lead into the fourth.

Leading the way was tournament MVP Brian King Jr., who followed his 40-point performance Friday night against Mariposa with 25 points.

“He played really consistent,” Chisom said. “He played hard, he defended well and he took the right shots. He played with a purpose.”

Williams had 18 points and 13 rebounds to earn an all-tourney honor.

Despite the loss, Aguilar was happy his team didn’t come out timid against a bigger and more athletic opponent.

“We looked pretty good in the first half,” Aguilar said. “I told them I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Our problem is we have to play more consistent.”

Atwater 63, Mariposa 56 in Atwater – Brody Patterson scored 27 points as the Falcons (4-5) defeated the Grizzlies in the third-place game at The Nest. Kama’re Bailey led Mariposa with 16 points.

Merced 48, Reno 25 in Sparks, Nev. – A.J. Stewart scored 14 points to help the Bears (5-3) finish fifth in the Rail City Classic. Merced’s Trevor Pazin was named to the all-tournament team.

Girls basketball

Golden Valley 73, Stevenson 37 in Pebble Beach – Delia Moore scored 21 points and recorded 13 steals in the win for the Cougars (5-2) and was named to the all-tournament team at the Coach Wilson Tournament. Camille Flores scored 23 points, including five three-pointers.

Wrestling

James Riddle Tournament in Oakdale – Golden Valley placed second at the James Riddle Tournament on Saturday with 11 wrestlers earning medals. Bakersfield, ranked No. 7 in the state, won the tournament.

The Cougars were led by second-place finishes by Tanner Browning (114 pounds), Austin Welch (183) and Jacob Pavey (196).

This story was originally published December 14, 2014 at 7:25 PM with the headline "Livingston falls in championship game."