Panthers too much for short-handed Stallions
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Madera South’s Nathan Barron drives baseline against San Joaquin Memorial during Wednesday’s loss.
Two days before, the Madera South Stallions boys basketball team was at full strength in a Senior Night game against the Matilda Torres Toros.
However, the Stallions lost four players for a County/Metro Athletic Conference battle with the San Joaquin Memorial-Fresno Panthers.
The Panthers are one of the top teams in the Central Section and easily dispatched the Stallions, 84-40, Wednesday evening.
Joe Galvan led the Coyotes with 21 points to go with seven rebounds. Erik Cervantes scored eight points. However, the other four Stallions that scored combined for 11 points.
The Panthers were just too much for the Coyotes by scoring 44 points in the first half and 40 points in the second half. They had two players score 27 points each.
Memorial opened the game by scoring the first 10 points.
Galvan hit a seven-foot jumper for the Stallions’ first points. After a Panthers’ bucket, Daniel Valdez hit a driving bucket.
The Panthers scored the next four points before Rondell Jordan put back a miss.
Memorial scored the next three points, but Galvan answered with a 3-point play to cut the lead to 10 at the end of the first quarter.
Cervantes opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer to cut the lead to seven. However, the Panthers got two free throws, an offensive setback and a 3-pointer for a 7-0 run and a 14-point lead.
Cervantes stopped the run with a 3-pointer, but the Panthers scored nine of the next 10 points before getting stopped by a Galvan bucket.
The Panthers made a layup and Galvan made a layup. After another Panthers’ layup, Lucas Samaniego made a pair of free throws.
The Panthers sank four free throw to head into the halftime break with a 44-21 lead.
Memorial scored the first six points of the second half. Galvan stopped the run with a short jumper and then hit Jordan for a layup after a Panthers’ bucket.
The Panthers then scored the next 12 points that included a pair of 3-point plays.
Galvan stopped the run with a short bucket, but the Panthers scored the next eight points. Galvan added a free throw before the Panthers put back a miss to extend the lead to 73-28 after a 29-7 third quarter.
With a running clock, Memorial scored the first four points of the fourth.
Galvan scored down low and made a layup. The Panthers came back with a bucket.
Cervantes got a steal and turned it into a layup. After a Memorial layup, Galvan sank two free throws and picked up a steal and turned it into a layup.
The Panthers hit a late 3-pointer, but Adrian Becerra beat the final buzzer with a 3-pointer for the 84-40 final.
