The Scotts Valley and San Lorenzo Valley High varsity boys basketball teams each showed they mean business this year at last weekend’s 55th annual Dad’s Club Tournament at the Civic Auditorium in Santa Cruz.
Scotts Valley
The Falcons opened the tournament with their best shooting game of the season and defeated the Soquel Knights, 67-54, on Dec. 9.
Junior guard Jack Pasquini nailed four of five of his 3-pointer attempts.
Pasquini and senior captain Desmond Balco led the Falcons with 18 points each.
“We came out here underdogs today,” Pasquini said, “but we shot well and came together. We pulled off a huge win here.”
Coach Drew Snelgrove was enthusiastic all game long, pacing and shouting direction to his team.
“That was our best shooting game yet,” Snelgrove said afterward. “(The boys) were following direction, staying focused and seeing the court really well.”
The next day, the Harbor High Pirates sank Scotts Valley’s tournament hopes in the semifinals, 59-38.
Colin Gruber scored an impressive 36 points for the Pirates, approaching the Falcons’ team total of 38.
Desmond Balco led the locals with 14 points.
On Saturday, Dec. 11, Scotts Valley lost to Santa Cruz High in the game for third place, 68-42. The Cardinals fell behind by 13 points in the first quarter, but the comeback they mounted was relentless. Through the next two quarters, they outscored the Falcons, 46-9.
The Santa Cruz defense forced 19 steals, setting up many fast-break buckets.
Junior forward Clayton Conroy led Santa Cruz with 20 points and eight rebounds. Balco led the Falcons (3-4) with 21 points, including four 3-pointers. Pasquini added eight points.
Next up, the Falcons will compete in the Condor Christmas Classic Tournament in Castroville. Their first tournament game is Dec. 27 against Seaside.
San Lorenzo Valley
The San Lorenzo Valley Cougars fell to the undefeated Salinas Cowboys, the eventual tournament champion, 57-54 in the first round of Dad’s Club play.
The Cowboys’ 6-foot-8 center, Frank Rogers, gave the Cougars fits under the hoop.
“He was huge,” SLV senior Luke Roberts said. “I’m not used to playing guys that much taller than me.”
The Cougars played remarkably tough, nearly fouling out all their starters and accruing 17 team fouls.
SLV then bounced back to beat Pioneer, 58- 41, in their second game as Blake Bechtle led the Cougars with 16 points, and they advanced to the consolation bracket final.
Luke Roberts scored 14 for SLV. Jared Johnson added 12 and Nick Gorman added 10.
On Saturday, the Cougars fell 65-63 in overtime to Watsonville in the consolation final.
Ivo Basor led Watsonville (5-2) with 21 points and 16 rebounds.
SLV topped the Wildcatz, 49-31, in the team’s first meeting earlier this season.
For the 2-4 Cougars Jared Johnson led the scoring with 21 points, Bechtle scored 20 and Roberts netted 10.
The Cougars played at Menlo Atherton at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 16, after press time.
