Atwater girls hold off Buhach Colony, grab playoff spot
Jasmine Xiong admits she had a little extra motivation on Tuesday night.
The Atwater High School junior said teammate Brittany Massa spoke to the team before the annual crosstown clash with Buhach Colony, saying she wasn’t ready for her prep career to end. The senior was out Tuesday after hitting her head on the court in a win over Merced last week.
Xiong took it to heart, even looking a little Massa-esque with some dirty work in the paint as she helped share the extra load in Massa’s absence. Xiong finished with seven points, nine rebounds and six steals, and her basket on a runner early in the fourth quarter proved the difference in a 47-44 victory over the Thunder at the Nest.
The victory coupled with Turlock’s 47-45 loss to Pitman gave Atwater the Central California Conference’s third and final playoff spot.
I think there was a definite lack of focus on our part to start the game.
Buhach Colony’s Regina Navarro
“I personally wanted to win this one for Brittany,” Xiong said. “She deserved to have at least one more game and we wanted to get it for her. It was a lot tighter than we were hoping it would be. I think we got a little panicky in the fourth quarter, but in the end, we wanted it more and found a way to get it done.”
Through three quarters, it didn’t look as if Massa’s teammates would have any problem coming through for Massa.
A more aggressive Falcons squad forced 14 turnovers in the second and third quarters to lead by 13. Heaven Mazon (game-high 15 points, 10 rebounds) and Alondra Ponce (12 points, seven rebounds) did the bulk of the damage off of those turnovers, helping Atwater (18-8, 5-5 CCC) build a 43-29 lead late in the third quarter.
“We went back to the film and looked at what we were doing well in December and what was different when we got to league,” Atwater coach J.R. Davis said. “I think it was the way the games were being called. We got in foul trouble a lot and seemed to get a little timid. I told them we had to go back to how we were playing defensively to start the year. We just needed to be a little smarter about it.”
The extra aggressiveness coupled with Xiong moving down to the left wing of the 2-3 zone seemed to unsettle the Thunder’s halfcourt offense.
That was until the fourth quarter, when the Falcons began getting sloppy with the ball.
Seven fourth-quarter turnovers opened the door for a wild comeback. Regina Navarro (team-high 14 points, nine rebounds) led the charge, scoring eight consecutive points for Buhach (8-16, 0-10 CCC). Her final layup cut the lead to 47-42 with 1:18 to play. Kaelee Lynch (13 points, eight rebounds) then sank two free throws on the Thunder’s next possession, making it 47-44 with 49 seconds to play.
It was a lot tighter than we were hoping it would be. I think we got a little panicky in the fourth quarter, but in the end, we wanted it more and found a way to get it done.
Atwater’s Jasmine Xiong
Atwater didn’t exactly close it out in style. In the last 18 seconds, the Falcons turned the ball over twice, the final time with less than nine seconds left. Buhach Colony opted for a quick two-point attempt instead of going for the tying three-pointer, but the shot rimmed out and Mazon grabbed the rebound as time expired.
“I think there was a definite lack of focus on our part to start the game,” Navarro said. “You know going into the Nest for a rivalry game that there’s going to be a lot of energy. We did a better job calming ourselves down and holding onto the ball in the second half.
“I think we felt like we had a good chance to still win in the final minute. You work so hard to create those turnovers, it’s definitely disappointing that we never got off a shot that could have tied the game.”
Sean Lynch: 209-385-2476, @MSSsports
This story was originally published February 9, 2016 at 11:05 PM with the headline "Atwater girls hold off Buhach Colony, grab playoff spot."