Analy ends roller coaster year with postseason trips
The Analy Flying Tigers wrapped up a rollercoaster season in the opening round of the North Coast Section Division 3 basketball playoffs, falling to #4 seeded San Rafael in a hard-fought battle, 46-35.
The Tigers (11-8) entered the NCS tourney as the #13 seed on the heels of a third-place Sonoma County League finish, overcoming a dismal start in December to achieve their postseason objectives.
“It was not one of our big win seasons but we did have success in terms of our goals,” veteran Analy coach Brett Page said. “One big goal was to make both the SCL and NCS playoffs. We did that and were able to end on a positive note.”
The Tigers had upset on their minds when they took the court against host San Rafael on Feb. 20, overcoming a 15-7 first-quarter deficit to trail 23-18 at the half.
The Tigers completed the comeback in the third quarter, outscoring the Bulldogs with an 11-6 surge that knotted the game at 29-all at the end of three. But the magic would run out in the fourth quarter, as the Bulldogs regrouped to close it out on a 17-6 run to notch a 46-35 win.
“They (San Rafael) were shaken by our play for sure and it was a good game,” Page noted. “It was like that all season for us, we were so close but just could not close out the end of the game.”
Senior Zach Binsfeld finished up a distinguished varsity career with a team-high 19 points and 11 rebounds. Other top scorers were Quinn Vermeulen (6 points, 5 rebounds), Quinn Whisman (5 points, 5 rebounds), Brendan Martinez (5 points) and Avi Frey (3 points).
“It was an interesting season in that we had very little experience and we had major changes to the team,” Page reflected. “The group stayed positive and was rewarded with the playoffs and the satisfaction that hard work pays off.”
All league honors
Analy landed a pair of players on the SCL all league squad, including first team selection JJ Fain, the league’s second leading scorer, and second-team honoree Quinn Vermeulen.
