Lancers Boys Basketball Grounds Hawks
Jan 26, 2017 12:00AM ● By By Mike Bush
Cordova forward Markell Briggs drives the lane toward the basket in an SVC game against El Dorado last week. The Lancers knocked off defending conference champions Liberty Ranch on Tuesday. --Photo by Rick Sloan
On the road Tuesday night, the Cordova High School boys basketball team was looking to play a very competitive game against Liberty Ranch.
Both teams did just that – and the Lancers coming out on top.
Trailing by one point entering the fourth quarter, Cordova used defensive stops that led to 65-62 win over the Hawks in Galt. The win also snapped Liberty Ranch’s 15-game winning streak in the SVC. The last time Liberty Ranch lost an SVC game was on Feb. 10th, 2015 – ironically to Cordova, which posted an 89-75 win at Lancers Gym.
In Tuesday’s game, Cordova (2-1 in the SVC, 9-10) outscored Liberty Ranch 25-21 the helped to be part of the difference in this SVC game. What proved to be the difference for the Lancers were defensive stops against the Hawks’ offense in the final minutes of the quarter.
“A real close game,” said Cordova head coach Fletcher Johnson. “It went back and forth.”
Liberty Ranch (2-1 in the SVC, 10-7) led 41-40 entering the final eight minutes of the game, before the Lancers’ overall performance led to the win. Part of the success for the win was offensive rebounds that led to extra possessions for Cordova.
“Just the stops, rebounding,” said Fletcher of the Lancers’ play that led to the win. After the game, the players were “happy” with the win over Liberty Ranch, which won the SVC title last year en route to a 27-0 regular season record, Johnson said.
Both teams were tied 14-14 after the first quarter. Cordova led 25-24 at halftime, then Liberty Ranch and then the Lancers pulling out the win.
Cordova at Galt
The SVC game played at Warrior Gym on Jan. 20th was called toward the end of the third quarter because of verbal confrontations between Cordova and Galt fans that led to game officials to stopping the game.
The Lancers led by 17 points before the game was halted. Players from both teams did not take part in the verbal jabs between fans.
“I haven’t heard yet that we’ve officially won that game,” said Johnson, regarding hearing from conference and school officials.
Tonight, Friday, Cordova will host Union Mine in an SVC game, which also concludes the first round of conference action. Next Tuesday, the Lancers open the second round at Rosemont. Both games scheduled to tip-off at 7 p.m.
