The defending champion Mount Shasta Bears added intrigue to the 2010 Shasta Cascade League boys basketball race when they defeated Trinity in Weaverville Wednesday night, Feb. 10.
“That was the game we’ve been waiting for,” said Mount Shasta coach Kirk Andrus. “But only half our job is done. Now we have to play (Trinity) in our gym Tuesday. They’re a very good team.”
The Bears’ 61-54 win at Trinity was their second road victory in as many nights, following a less stressful 65-34 victory at Burney.
Mount Shasta (7-3) pulled even with Trinity in the loss column in the SCL standings and stayed within one game of league-leading Weed (8-2).
Weed defeated Modoc, 57-49, Tuesday night in Weed and was scheduled to play at Burney (1-8) Friday night.
Trinity (6-3) is scheduled to play at Etna (4-5) Friday night before coming to Mount Shasta Tuesday.
The Bears and Cougars conclude the regular season against each other Feb. 19 in Weed.
Trinity, which hadn’t lost a home game in SCL play before the Bears came to town, started fast and led by as many as 13 points in the first quarter.
“To our kids’ credit, they defended harder and got tougher every quarter,” Andrus said.
By half time the Bears had narrowed the margin to 27-24, then they outscored the Wolves 37-27 in the second half.
Erik Thelander made 8 of 12 field goal attempts, including 2 of 2 from three-point range to finish with a team-high 18 points. He also had 9 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocked shots.
Tim Jaegel made 2 three-pointers and scored 15 points with 5 assists and 5 rebounds.
Gene Kenyon was 2 for 2 from three-point land and finished with 15 points. “He took all the right shots, took them in rhythm and played with confidence,” Andrus said.
Shane Freeman scored 8 points with 7 rebounds and 3 steals; Mark Maumasi scored 4 points with 5 rebounds; and Dustin McDaniel made 3 for 4 free throws in the game’s final minute and a-half.
At Burney, Thelander scored 13, Kenyon 11, Freeman 10, Jaegel 10, and Jake Padula, who returned from an injury sooner than the coach expected, scored 7.
Maumasi scored 4, Austin Herrick 4, Brad Thomas 3, McDaniel 3.
Mount Shasta, Calif. —
