Turlock boys pull away from GV late to claim CCC title

With Golden Valley High School freshmen Cyrus Allen fouling out of Friday night’s boys basketball game, Turlock’s Habib Velasquez had the matchup advantage down the stretch.

Velasquez delivered, scoring seven consecutive points midway through the fourth quarter to break open a tie game as the Bulldogs pulled away for a 52-36 win at Cougar Arena and clinched their first Central California Conference championship since 2011.

“Last year, our seniors came really close to winning,” Velasquez said. “To win it this year means a lot. All those times waking up at 4 or 5 in the morning for early practice. ... this feels amazing.”

The Bulldogs (15-9, 8-1) were able to hold off a determined Golden Valley team that rallied after falling behind 14-3 in the first quarter.

The Cougars (13-12, 6-3) chipped away at the deficit until Lee McNeill finally gave Golden Valley its first lead, 33-32, with a three-pointer with 5:51 left in the fourth quarter.

Demsen McFaddin quickly tied the score by hitting a free throw on Turlock’s next possession.

Then, Velasquez took over. The 6-foot-4 forward scored and was fouled on a lob pass on an inbound play to give the Bulldogs a 36-33 lead after the free throw with 4:13 left.

Velasquez scored on consecutive pick-and-roll plays to extend the lead to 40-33 with 2:11 left.

“We talked about getting the ball over halfcourt against their press and then spreading the court and running our pick and rolls,” Turlock coach Doug Cornfoot said.

With the 6-4 Allen on the bench, Golden Valley struggled matching up against Velasquez and got pounded on the boards. Allen picked up two quick fouls in the third quarter, including a technical that put him in foul trouble.

“Cyrus changes shots and he rebounds,” Golden Valley coach Keith Hunter said. “He can’t rebound when he’s on the bench. He lost his composure in a big game. I’ve done it myself. Hopefully, it’s something he can learn from. I don’t have stats, but let’s face it, we probably got doubled up on the boards.”

The Bulldogs iced the game by hitting all 12 free throws in the final 59 seconds, including eight by Devan Bains (11 points). McFaddin led Turlock in scoring with 17.

For Golden Valley, it was a tough loss after battling back from the early deficit. The Cougars trailed by nine after the first quarter and cut the lead to 21-17 at the half.

The Cougars started the fourth quarter with an 8-2 run, including big three-pointers by Isaac Daniel (nine points) and McNeill (14) that finally put Golden Valley on top.

“The feeling in that locker room after was somber, but to get this opportunity with two games to go and still be in the hunt for a league title ... I”m ecstatic for them,” Hunter said. “I’m impressed with the defensive effort in the third and fourth quarters to get back in this game.”

The Cougars will wrap up the regular season Wednesday at Merced, looking to break a tie for second place with the Bears.

This story was originally published February 6, 2015 at 11:07 PM with the headline "Turlock boys pull away from GV late to claim CCC title."