Analy manages one win in four outings
The path to a league basketball championship is often fraught with peril, but exposed weaknesses and preseason growing pains can provide a valuable learning tool before the league season rolls around in January.
That may be the case for the defending Sonoma County League champion Analy Flying Tigers, who have taken their share of lumps in the first month of the preseason.
The Tigers are off to a 2-8 start on their traveling road show, a schedule meant to toughen the team against top-flight competition. Their latest stretch was no different, dropping three of four games played, including all three games in the Brett Callan Memorial Tournament in Petaluma.
“We have four more preseason games and we’re hopeful that our 14-game preseason schedule with no home games will have toughened us up,” Tigers coach Brett Page said. “It’s been a rough couple of weeks but we’re getting better and we can see improvement. The experience will help us be more prepared for what looks like a competitive league season.”
The Tigers opened the stretch with a Dec. 12 visit to Santa Rosa, engaging the Panthers in a battle to the wire before pulling out an exciting 49-47 win. Analy held a sizable lead for much of the game, only to trail by seven points with three minutes left. The Tigers regrouped with a couple of big baskets from J.J. Fain and Antonio Sanchez, and then held off the Panthers in the waning seconds to claim the two-point win.
Fain led the way with 15 points, while other top scorers included Sanchez (9), Nic Visser (8), Quinn Vermuelen (7), Luke Bertling (4), Avi Frey (3) and Brenden Medina (3).
Analy opened the Bret Callan Tournament on Dec. 14 against host Casa Grande, staking the Gauchos to a 41-25 lead at the half. But the Tigers showed heart in the final two stanzas, chipping away at the deficit only to fall in a close finish, 64-58.
Fain led all Analy scorers with 21 points, while injured veteran Zach Binsfeld returned to the line-up to contribute 12 points.
The Tigers fell behind early in Friday’s consolation bracket game against Del Campo to trail 44-23 at the half en route to a 72-50 loss. Top scorers were Fain (17) and Binsfeld (11).
Analy faced Washington in a battle for seventh place on Saturday, and this one followed a familiar script in spotting their opponent a 15-9 first-quarter deficit. The Tigers fought an uphill battle the rest of the way as Washington held on for a 59-52 win. Vermuelen (15) and Fain (12) were the top scorers for the Tigers.
“We missed about six drives that were basically uncontested lay-ups,” Page noted. “The overall game gives us hope as we continue to improve and piece good moments together.”
