Stallions no match for Panthers
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Madera South’s Jayshawn Thomas drives to the hoop to score two of his team-high 18 points Friday night.
The Madera South Stallions boys basketball team were no match for the San Joaquin Memorial-Fresno Panthers, who have the ability to bring in players they want,
The Panthers scored 23 points in the first two quarters for a 24 point halftime lead and outscored the Stallions by 12 in the second half for an 87-51 victory Friday at Madera South.
“You try to tell the kids to work hard,” head coach Jody Sharp said. “You tell them to work their butts off and get better in the process. You are trying to get them to play together and enjoy themselves.”
Jayshawn Thomas led the Stallions with 18 points to go with seven rebounds. Jessie Ford scored 16 points with seven rebounds and Julian Galvan added eight points with five more rebounds.
However, not only could the Stallions not withstand the Panther’s juggernaut, they also couldn’t match them from the 3-point line. Madera South was just 1-of-9 from 3-point land. However, the panthers hit 13 3-pointers, including four from Joseph Hunter, who scored a game-high 26 points.
“All I ask my kids to do is battle and do the best we can,” Sharp said.
The Stallions opened the game battling the Panthers tough. Thomas got an opening steal and made a layup. He also scored off a pass from Galvan. Ford’s free throw tied the score at five two minutes into the game.
From there, the Panthers went on a 14-2 run for a 19-7 lead that including two 3-pointers.
Thomas stopped the run with a pair of free throws. A short bucket from Galvan closed the quarter with a 32-11 Panthers’ lead.
After Thomas answered Memorial’s layup with one of his own, the Panthers went on a 16-1 run for a 41-14 lead. Back-to-back buckets from Thomas and two free throws from Ford closed the lead inside 20.
The Panthers scored five straight points before Jared Guglielmana found Ford for a layup and a 46-23 Panthers’ halftime lead.
The Stallions battled the Panthers tough in the third quarter. Galvan opened the scoring with a layup. Ford converted a 3-point play and scored on a layup off an assist from Daniel Valdez.
Ford and Thomas made layups to cut the lead to 50-33. Galvan scored a pair of buckets, but it didn’t counter Memorial’s three 3-pointers and layup for a 63-37 lead.
Jacob Hernandez made Madera South’s lone 3-pointer for a 63-41 Panthers’ lead to the fourth quarter.
Ford scored three points for the Stallions, but the Panthers kept scoring with a pair of 3-pointers for a 12-3 run. After a bucket from Thomas, Memorial scored on a pair of layups and a dunk for an 81-46 lead.
Alexis Rodriguez made a free throw for the Stallions. While the Panthers hit a pair of 3-pointers, Valdez made a short jumper and Daniel Alberto made a layup off a Rodriguez assist for an 87-51 final.
