Pitman holds off Golden Valley boys basketball

Being competitve in games hasn’t been the problem for the Pitman High boys basketball team. It’s the ability to finish off teams late that has been the problem.

So when Golden Valley made a late surge in the fourth quarter to cut a 12-point lead to five with 2 minutes left there may have been a little doubt creeping in.

However, the Pride went 6 of 6 from the free-throw line in the final 39 seconds to hold off the Cougars 54-45 on Wednesday night at Pitman High.

“We need to learn to win,” said Pride coach Harvey Marable, whose team improved to 10-10 and 3-3 in the Central California Conference. “We need to know we deserve to finish off a game and not hear that little voice in your head say, ‘Uh oh, here it comes again.’ Golden Valley is going to make you play four quarters.”

The Cougars (11-11, 4-2) came in with the momentum after big wins over Turlock and Merced last week to pull into a tie for first place with Turlock.

Golden Valley had an opportunity to play Pitman without one of its top players in Cyle Williams, who was serving a one-game suspension after picking up two technicals in Friday’s loss to Turlock.

The Cougars now find themselves in a tie for second with Merced, one game back of Turlock.

“We couldn’t take advantage with one of their best players out,” Golden Valley coach Keith Hunter said. “This was a great opportunity to make a statement. I’m not quite sure what our statement was tonight.”

The Cougars struggled to get anything going offensively. Lee McNeill, who scored 26 points in the win over Merced, was held to just four points in the first three quarters before he finished with 11.

The normally reliable Collin Hayes had great looks inside, but couldn’t convert.

The Cougars made just 14 of 46 shots, including 3 of 16 from beyond the three-point line.

“We did not make enough plays to win,” Hunter said. “Shooting was part of it. We didn’t get some key rebounds at times. We didn’t give the effort needed to win. You’re not going to win a lot of games scoring 45 points.”

Meanwhile, Pitman knocked down some big three-pointers in the first half that helped them extend their lead.

Jando Diaz helped pick up the scoring with Williams out, making three three-pointers and finishing with 17 points. Branson Garcia also added 17 points.

“It was a team effort,” Marable said. “We had to have everybody that played take a step and make us better tonight.”

It also helped to catch some breaks like Isaiah Marable banking in a three-pointer to beat the shot clock in the second quarter or having a ball bounce off Golden Valley’s Isaac Daniel’s head, past two Cougars and right into the hands of Diaz for layup that gave the Pride a 46-34 lead with 4:10 left in the game.

The Cougars couldn’t catch a break as three times Golden Valley had three-point attempts go halfway down only to roll out as they were trying to mount their comeback in the fourth quarter.

“Breaks went (Pitman’s) way but over the years great teams overcome that,” Hunter said. “We didn’t have the firepower to overcome that tonight.”

Daniel led Golden Valley with 14 points.

This story was originally published January 28, 2015 at 10:55 PM with the headline "Pitman holds off Golden Valley boys basketball."