Boys Basketball

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Entering last Friday night, both West Campus and Cordova found themselves tied for second place in the Greater Sacramento League. With the regular season quickly coming to a close, every game has the feel of a playoff atmosphere.

The second meeting this season between the two schools definitely didn't disappoint, as a potentially game-tying three-point attempt by the Warriors at the buzzer clanked off rim, giving the Lancers the hardfought 61-58 victory.

Cordova (12-14 overall, 6-2 GSL entering this week) struggled to put the ball in the basket in the first half, and would ultimately trail by nine points at halftime. But as they've done all season long, they would rely on senior guard Isaiah Bolden to shoulder the majority of the load offensively in the second half. Bolden scored eight of his team-high 20 points in the third quarter to pull the Lancers within one point entering the final frame, 50-49.

A remarkable 10-2 run to open the final quarter by Cordova proved to be the difference in the contest, which included two straight three-pointers from junior guard Tavion Thomas-Dominguez, who tallied nine points on the night. The Warriors (13-11 overall, 5-3 GSL) would pull within one possession late, but staunch defense by Bolden on a steal at halfcourt converted into a layup gave Cordova breathing room.

West Campus senior Shane Osby would miss his chance to force overtime at the buzzer, giving Cordova the win and a season sweep of one of their biggest league rivals.

"The game was a good test for us," Lancers' head coach Fletcher Johnson said. "We got down and then we persevered. We got down for a second mentally and emotionally in the first half, but at halftime we had a real good talk about how real teams come back and don't quit. They went out there and made themselves proud."

Sophomore forward Leo Wagner led the Warriors with 19 points.

The Lancers will wrap up their regular season with senior night this Friday, February 14 with a home game against Valley. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. inside the Cordova gym. As for the playoffs, the CIF Sac Joaquin Section will be releasing the playoff brackets this weekend, with dates and times for postseason games to be determined.

Girls Basketball

With their 64-55 loss at West Campus last Friday, the Lady Lancers varsity basketball team made things very interesting for themselves as they entered this week, with just two games left in their regular season.

With the win, West Campus (18-5 overall, 7-1 Greater Sacramento League) evened things up in the league standings with Cordova (15-10 overall, 7-1 GSL). The two schools split their regular season series 1-1, as the Lady Lancers defeated the Lady Warriors 61-49 back on January 17.

After a closely-contested first two quarters which saw the two teams tied 28-28 entering halftime, things came unraveled for Cordova. The Lady Warriors were outscored 18-11 coming out of the locker room, largely due to West Campus senior guard Gabby Rones. Rones, who was the shortest player on the court Friday night, stood tall as she scored 12 of her game-high 24 points in the third quarter to give the Lady Warriors a seven point lead they would not relinquish.

Cordova would be unable to pull any closer in the fourth quarter, and ultimately dropped what was a playoff primer for both teams inside a raucous West Campus gym.

"The third quarter was tough," Lady Lancers' head coach Kim Little said afterward. "That's where we kind of struggled a little bit. It hit us pretty hard. It wasn't even all that bad, but in a game like that it is too hard to take hits like that and try to recover."

Junior forward Emika Love led Cordova with 16 points, and junior Eva Graf tallied 13 points, including 11 in the first half.

With at least a share of the league title hanging in the balance, Cordova hosted Natomas this past Wednesday inside the Lancers gym, however the final results were unavailable at the time of printing. The Lady Lancers wrap up their regular season with a Valentine’s Day showdown at home against visiting Valley on Friday, February 14. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.

The Lady Lancers will learn their playoff fate this weekend as well after the Section releases their playoff brackets.