The race for the Sonoma County League boys basketball title will come down to the final stretch of the regular season, as the Flying Tigers battle for the top spot.
At the start of play this week Analy (8-2, 17-7 overall) was just a half game up on second place Piner (7-2), with Petaluma (5-3) Healdsburg (6-4) filling out the upper division. Rounding out the league standings were Elsie Allen (3-6), Sonoma Valley (3-7)- and El Molino (1-9).
The Tigers will close out the SCL schedule when they host El Molino on Wednesday, Feb. 10 (after press time), followed by the league finale at Elsie Allen on Friday, Feb. 12. Tip-off times starting with the frosh are 4:30/6/7:30 p.m.
“It’s been a most interesting league season as the first place team has switched from day to day and week to week,” Analy coach Brett Page said. “The team is doing well health-wise, with lots of competitive battles in practice. We’re improving and preparing for the last two games, which are big games for us,” he added.
Also at stake this week is a top four spot in the SCL playoff tournament, which starts on Wednesday, Feb. 17, (7 p.m.) at the site of the highest seed. The tourney opens with the number one seeded team hosting number four, while the second seed hosts number three. Should the Tigers win the playoff opener, they will advance to play in the league tourney title game on Saturday, Feb. 13 at Santa Rosa Junior College at 7:30 p.m.
Last week the Flying Tigers claimed two wins in three league outings, falling to Piner (57-47), but bouncing back with crucial wins over Healdsburg (60-53), and Petaluma (51-50).
Meanwhile, the El Molino Lions (5-19 overall) logged one win in three outings, sandwiching losses to Healdsburg (52-34) and Sonoma Valley (43-26) with a 51-46 victory over Elsie Allen, their first SCL win of the season.
Tigers in the hunt
Analy began a busy stretch with a Feb. 1, visit to Piner, with one bad quarter sabotaging an otherwise tight ballgame. The Tigers trailed 19-15 at the half, but were swamped 19-9 in the decisive third quarter as the Prospectors notched an eventual 57-47 win. Top scorers for Analy were Nick Fujii (18 points), Jordan Armstrong (10 points) and Travis Holmes (9 points).
The Tigers were back in the win column two nights later against visiting Healdsburg, riding the hot hand of Nick Fujii in racing to a 30-11 lead at the break. Analy led by 13 points after three, and held off a strong Greyhound’s rally in the final period en route to a 60-53 win.
Fujii knocked down five three-points for a team-high 26 points. Other good efforts were had by Holmes (13 points, 7 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals), Anthony Narvaez (4 points) and Armstrong (4 points, 11 rebounds).
Analy made a critical Feb. 5 trip to Petaluma, a game that would come down to the wire. The Tigers trailed 25-22 at the half before grabbing a 38-33 edge after three. The teams waged a tense fourth-quarter battle until Holmes scored with 12 seconds remaining to lift Analy to a 51-50 win. Top point-getters were Fujii (18 points, 4 threes), Dom Tripodi (13 points, 8 rebounds), Armstrong (7 points, 11 boards) and Holmes (7 points, 3 assists, 5 steals).
Lions notch “W”
It may have taken five weeks but all was forgiven when the Lions were finally rewarded with a much-needed league win.
El Molino was coming off a 52-34 loss to Healdsburg when they took the court in a Feb. 3, visit to Elsie Allen. The Lions rebounded from a 10-point first-quarter deficit with an 18-9 run in the second quarter. Trailing by one at the half, El Mo continued the run with a 15-9 surge in the third period, and held off a late Lobos rally in the fourth quarter en route to a 51-46 win.
Top El Mo scorers were Eric-Nils Carlson (12), Jordan Kerkvliet (12), Kahleo Daly (11), Ryan Fernandez (7), Jake Peter (2), Ian Siegert (2) and Austin Sani (1).
The Lions will finish out the campaign this week with home dates against Petaluma (Feb. 10) and Piner (Feb. 12). The varsity game tips off at 7:30 p.m.
