Stallions fall to barrage of threes
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Madera South’s Daniel Vasquez drives the lane to score against the Kerman Lions. He scored 21 points in the loss.
When it seemed like the Madera South Stallions boys basketball team was going to pull away from the Kerman Lions or begin a run, the Lions hit a key 3-pointer in a 60-48 victory in the Central Valley Invitational semifinals at Madera South.
The Lions hit 11 3-pointers in the win Tuesday evening while the Stallions hit just three. The Stallions also turned over the ball 22 times while Kerman was forced into just 12 turnovers.
Madera South was led by Daniel Valdez and Isaiah Ford, who combined for 40 points and each recorded a double-double. However, the other three scorers accounted for just eight points.
Ford led the Stallions with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Valdez added 19 points to go with 12 rebounds.
The Stallions started the game by scoring the first seven points, all from Ford. He opened the scoring with a 3-point play. He followed by putting back a miss and making a layup.
Kerman came back to score six straight points before Valdez made a free throw. Kerman hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at nine at the end of the first quarter.
After the Lions hit another 3-pointer, Valdez made a driving layup to cut the lead to one.
However, Kerman scored the next 10 points with the help of a pair of 3-pointer to open a 22-11 lead.
Valdez found Ford and Adrian Becerra for layups and cut the lead to seven. Kerman closed the first half scoring with a free throw and a driving layup. Madera South had a chance to get back in the game when they pulled down six straight defensive rebounds, but missed four shots and turned the ball over four times.
Becerra picked up a steal and turned it into a layup and Ford hit a short jumper to cut the lead to six to open the second quarter. A minute later, Valdez came up with a steal and went coast-to-coast for a layup. Ford drained a 3-pointer for a 9-0 run to cut the Kerman lead to one.
After a Kerman layup, Becerra and Erik Cervantes found Ford for back-to-back layups. Valdez pulled down a rebound and went coast-to-coast for a layup for a 30-27 lead and a 15-2 run.
Kerman came back with nine straight points, including a 3-pointer to take a 36-30 lead. Valdez closed the third quarter scoring with a driving layup to cut the lead to four.
Valdez got the Stallions within two with a pair of free throws to open the fourth quarter. After a Kerman 3-pointer, Ford answered with one of his own. Kerman hit another 3-pointer and the Stalilons only answered with a free throw from Cervantes.
Kerman drained its third 3-pointer of the quarter for a 45-38 lead.
Valdez got involved in the scoring with a layup off a pass from Ford and a driving layup that led to a 3-point play to cut the lea to 47-43.
Kerman hit its fourth 3-pointer of the quarter and Valdez cut the lead down to five with a free throw.
Naprese Adams hit a 3-pointer for the Stallions to answer Kerman’s fifth 3-pointer of the quarter to get Madera South within five.
Kerman added a free throw, a layup and four more free throws to close the game on a 7-0 run to secure a 60-48 win.
