The Springlake-Earth Wolverines’ varsity basketball team had three athletes finish in double-figures scoring on Friday, as they took down the Silverton Owls at Canyon Randal’s “House of Doom” Gymnasium, 61-38, to claim the 1A Area Championship.
With the win, the Wolverines improve to 21-7 overall on the season.
Evan DeLeon opened the contest with a three from the right elbow, but on their next possession, Kaden Castillo was called for a charge with 5:12 remaining in the opening quarter. With 4:39 left to play in the first quarter, JJ Jaramillo picked up a steal and got it ahead to DeLeon, who finished off the play with a fast-break lay-up to push their led to, 5-0.
Keshan Holmes followed it up with a steal, as he got it ahead to DeLeon, who again finished off the fast-break with a lay-up, stretching the lead to, 7-0, as Springlake-Earth took a time out with 4:18 remaining in the quarter. Out of the break, Kooper Cox got the Owls on the board with a lay-up, but Trace Goodman knocked down a bucket for the Wolverines, and DeLeon followed it up with a three from the let elbow, off of the assist from Goodman, extending their lead to, 12-2.
Sawyer Francis dropped in a layup to close out the first quarter with the Wolverines on top, 12-4.
Holmes dropped in a put-back to open the second quarter, but on the other end, Cox was fouled on an attempt by Holmes; he converted both free throws to cut the lead to, 14-6. Castillo was fouled on a shot attempt by Cox earning a trip to the line. He converted both shots at the free-throw line to make the score, 16-6, with just under seven minutes remaining in the half.
Francis responded with a turnaround jumper in the lane, but Jaramillo had the answer, as he buried a three from the left wing, off of the assist from DeLeon, pushing their lead to, 19-8. Castillo picked up a steal and took it the other way, dumping it off to DeLeon on the two-on-one break for a lay-up, stretching their lead to, 21-8, with 5:21 remaining in the first half.
Francis dropped in a put-back off of the miss by Cox, as Silverton took a time out with 3:43 left to play in the half. Out of the break, Carlos Alanis dropped in a floater from the left elbow, but Micah Sanchez answered right back, as he dropped in a floater from the right elbow to push the Wolverines’ lead back out to, 23-12, with just over three minutes remaining in the half.
Braelyn Estes buried a three from the right wing for Silverton and Francis dropped in a put-back at the buzzer, off of the miss by Estes to cut the lead to, 23-17, going into the locker room at halftime.
Holmes opened the third quarter with a lay-up off of the assist from Goodman, but Silverton answered with back-to-back buckets to make it a four-point Springlake-Earth lead, 25-21. Jaramillo knocked down a runner from the left elbow off of the assist from Goodman and Alex Alvarez took a charge on Cox to regain possession for Springlake-Earth, with just over five minutes left to play in the third quarter.
Holmes dropped in a lay-up and Caastillo followed it up with a layup off of an assist from Holmes and Alvarez kept the rally going with a lay-up off of the assist from Castillo to push their lead back out to, 33-21. Silverton took a time out with 3:07 remaining in the quarter, and out of the break, Holmes dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Goodman, drawing an and-one foul on Alanis. He converted the free throw to extend their lead to, 36-21.
Francis knocked down a jumper off of an inbound play for Silverton, but Holmes answered with a lay-up to make the score, 38-23, going into the final quarter of play.
In the fourth quarter, Castillo knocked down a second-chance jumper off of a miss by DeLeon, but Zaden Ortiz dropped in a layup off of the inbound pass from Estes and Alanis followed it up with a three from the left elbow to cut the lead to, 40-28, with 6:23 left to play in the game. DeLeon buried a three from the left elbow off of the assist from Holmes and Castillo knocked down a tear-drop in the lane to push their lead to, 45-28.
With just over five minutes remaining in the game, DeLeon drove and dumped the ball off to Holmes for a lay-up and on the next play, Holmes was fouled on the floor, earning a one-in-one opportunity at the line. He converted both free throws, as Springlake-Earth took a time out with 4:52 remaining in the game. Out of the break, Holmes was fouled again on an attempt by Cox. This time he split the free throws, extending their lead to, 50-28.
With 3:25 remaining, Castillo picked up a steal and took it the hoop for a fast-break lay-up, but on the other end, Cox was fouled on an attempt by Goodman; he split the free throws, trimming the lead to, 51-29. With 2:19 remaining, Francis dropped in a lay-up off of an assist from Estes, but Sanchez answered with a lay-up to push their lead back out to, 53- 31.
Francis dropped in a bucket for Silverton, but Springlake-Earth answered, as Castillo dished a nolook pass to Sanchez for a lay-up to push their lead out to, 55-33. With just over one minute remaining in the game, a block on the defensive end by Castillo led to a fast-break lay-up for DeLeon to make the score, 57-33.
With under one minute to play, Francis converted a pair of free throws, but Josh Samaron answered with a lay-up, off of an assist from Castillo to make the score, 59-35. With time winding down, Castillo went coast-to-coast for a lay-up, but Silverton scored the final bucket, as Cox knocked down a three, as Springlake-Earth knocked the Owls out of the playoffs with a, 61-38, victory.
DeLeon led the team in scoring with 17 points, and he was joined in double-figures scoring by Holmes, who netted 16 points and Castillo, who finished with 12 points. Sanchez tallied six points, while Jaramillo chipped in five points and Samaron, Goodman and Alvarez each finished with two points in the contest.