Buhach Colony stuns Merced with fourth-quarter rally in boys basketball

Buhach Colony coach John Bliss said it might have been the proudest he’s ever been of one of his teams after a game.

The Thunder erased a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to edge Merced 63-62 in a Central California Conference opener Friday night.

Jake Walejko scored a layup on an inbound pass with 10 seconds left and the Bears (9-8) failed to score in the final seconds as Buhach students rushed the court.

“This was huge for us, especially after a tough year last year,” said Walejko, who scored 13 points. “I don’t think teams in our league respect us. Beating a big team like Merced is going to help us get respect.”

The Thunder struggled to score most of the game but erupted for 25 points in the fourth quarter. It relied on will and determination, dominating the boards and effectively pressing late.

Buhach Colony grabbed 21 offensive rebounds to help overcome a poor shooting night.

“They were constantly banging,” Merced coach Hector Nava said. “Our inconsistent willingness to bang with them cost us. We lost the game in the paint. At times, it looked like I was watching a volleyball game out there.

“Buhach Colony earned this win. We didn’t let this game get away. Buhach Colony went out and won this game.”

The Bears impressed early by building a 19-6 lead as A.J. Stewart (23 points) drained three quick three-pointers.

Merced led by 17 in the second quarter before settling for a 41-27 halftime lead.

The Bears ran into trouble early in the second half when Stewart picked up his third and fourth fouls within 14 seconds, and he was benched with 6:18 left in the third quarter.

Merced’s second-leading scorer, Jared Pazin (12 points), soon took a seat next to him with his fourth foul.

Without Stewart or Pazin, the Bears struggled to score.

However, Buhach was only able to cut the lead to 49-38 by the end of the quarter because the Thunder suffered its own offensive woes. Buhach shot 3 of 17 from the floor in the third.

“Our guys continued to fight, even when things weren’t going well on the offensive end,” Bliss said. “Our defense finally fueled our offense in the fourth quarter.”

Walejko hit a three-pointer and Jeremy Sicarios and Walejko converted back-to-back steals into baskets to pull the Thunder (7-10) within 51-47 with 4:49 left.

Stewart and Pazin returned, and Stewart scored seven fast points to extend the lead to 60-53 with 2:05 left, but the Thunder kept coming.

Trailing 62-57, Andrew Morris (13 points and 10 rebounds) hit two free throws and then stole the ball and scored to cut the lead to 62-61 with about a minute left.

“I was proud of our guys that as the intensity of the game went up, our concentration level seemed to rise,” Bliss said. “In the fourth quarter, our press was very effective. We got some easy baskets, and in basketball, momentum is everything.”

Buhach Colony trailed by one with 13.9 seconds left when it ran an inbound play from under its basket.

“Coach Bliss called a good play for us,” Walejko said. “It happened so quick. Andrew (Morris) got up and gave me a good pick. A.J. got mixed up and there was an open lane for me. Travis Lema gave me a good pass and it was an easy basket.”

Walejko scored to give the Thunder a 63-62 lead with 10 seconds left. Merced elected not to call a timeout as Stewart drove the length of the court, but his shot was deflected out of bounds with 3.5 seconds left.

The Bears didn’t get a good look at a shot on the inbound play, and Thunder players and the crowd erupted at the buzzer.

This story was originally published January 8, 2016 at 11:28 PM with the headline "Buhach Colony stuns Merced with fourth-quarter rally in boys basketball."