Stallions run away in second half
Courtesy of Christopher Cross
Madera South senior Lucas Samaniego drives the lane against Matilda Torres’ Arturo Corona during Monday’s cross-city match-up. Samaniego scored seven in the win.
The Madera South Stallions didn’t start off Senior Night against the Matilda Torres Toros the way they wanted.
After coming together at halftime, the Stallions outscored the Toros 49-20 in the second half to turn a five-point lead into a 71-37 rout Monday at Madera South.
“I told them this is Senior Night and seniors are supposed to lead,” Madera South head coach Corey Edmiston said. “I’ve said all I could say. I let them have their time. I told them to try to figure it out. We’re at the point of the season that they should be able to do that.”
“We said don’t be selfish,” said senior Joe Galvan. “It was Senior Night and we wanted to shine. We were being selfish so we needed to come together as a team and realize it’s just another game. It’s another game we have to win as a team.”
The five Madera South seniors — Galvan, Vincent Botello, Lucas Samaniego, Nathan Barron and Rondell Jordan — combined for 38 points to lift the Stallions to their third win over Madera schools this season.
“It’s a great feeling to get a win,” Galvan said. “We beat both teams in Madera. It’s good to be the best team in Madera.”
Galvan led the Stallions with 13 points. Isaiah Ford scored 11 points and was one of three players in double figures and was one of 10 Stallions to score. Vincent Botello added 10 points to go with five steals. Daniel Valdez scored nine points to go with six steals. Jordan pulled down 13 rebounds with 10 on the offensive glass and scored six points.
Jose Soriano led the Toros with 10 points with five rebounds. He was one of eight players that scored for the Toros.
“I thought our guys played well in the first half,” Matilda head coach Charles Rigby said. “Madera South is well coached and they capitalized on our turnovers. You can’t win on the road turning the ball over. Coach Edmiston has a gritty team and I look forward to our games in the future.”
The Toros committed 31 turnovers in the game, including 12 in the third quarter. Madera South recorded 21 steals and out-rebounded the Toros 42-29, including 18-9 on the offensive glass.
Samaniego got the scoring started with a steal and layup. He added another steal and layup.
The Toros battled back to tie the score. Amani Sua hit a short jumper and Soriano hit a 15-foot jumper.
Valdez got a steal and layup, but the Toros took the lead with an Ali Alkahfadi 3-pointer.
Ford tied the score with a free throw to begin an 8-0, 12-1 run. He added another free throw 30 seconds later and Valdez closed the first quarter scoring with a layup for a 10-7 lead.
Angel Martinez-Garcia put back a miss and Adrian Becerra found Ford for a layup. After a Soriano free throw, Valdez scored down low and Jordan put back a miss to give Madera South an 18-8 lead.
Demitrio Nila stopped the run with a 3-pointer. Joel Conde put back a miss and Arturo Corona hit a jumper for a 7-0 run to cut the lead to three.
Ford sank a pair of free throws and Joseph Bass answered with a layup. Off a pass from Botello, Galvan scored on a layup for a 22-17 lead at the half.
The Stallions came out on fire in the second half with an 11-0 run. They took advantage of six Toros turnovers in the run.
Valdez began the run with a layup. He found Botello for another layup after a steal. Valdez picked up another steal and found Martinez-Garcia for a layup. Valdez picked up his third straight steal and found Botello for another layup.
Valdez’s fourth steal of the quarter led to a free throw. Botello got a steal and found Galvan, who found Martinez-Garcia for a layup.
Moses Soto stopped the run with a 3-pointer, but the Stallions scored the next nine points. Jordan put back a miss, Valdez found Galvan for a layup, Samaniego sank a free throw, Valdez found Galvan for a layup, Erik Cervantes made two free throws and Ford made a layup for a 44-20 lead to complete a 22-3 run.
Nila drained a 3-pointer and was fouled on the play. He sank the free throw to complete the four-point play. However, Ford answered with a wide-open 3-pointer.
Soriano sank a pair of free throws, but the Stallions outscored the Toros 25-9 in the third for a 47-26 lead.
The Toros tried to chip into the lead with buckets from Alkahfadi and Corona. Madera South answered with a free throw and a layup from Galvan.
Soriano got a steal and scored a layup.
Cervantes came right back with a 3-pointer. Galvan sank two free throws and Barron made a layup for a 59-32 lead.
Corona sank two free throws, but Botello hit a 3-pointer on back-to-back possessions. Soriano answered Botello’s second three with one of his own.
The Stallions closed the game with layups from Jordan, Galvan and Naprese Adams to close a 71-37 non-conference victory.
