The Dunsmuir High School boys basketball team finished behind Big Valley and Happy Camp in the 2010 Evergreen League standings, but the Tigers are going farther in the Northern Section playoffs.
Dunsmuir is on its way to the NSCIF Division VI semifinals after winning a second consecutive postseason game on the road, 68-55, Thursday night at No. 3 seed Paradise Adventist Academy.
Next for No. 11 Dunsmuir is Tuesday night’s game at No. 7 Maxwell, which defeated No. 10 Happy Camp in the first round of the playoffs then knocked off No. 2 Big Valley Thursday night in Bieber, 69-68.
Semifinal winners will advance to the championship game on March 5.
“It’s all about match-ups,” Dunsmuir coach Kale Riccomini said of his team’s longer stay in the postseason than Big Valley and Happy Camp.
It’s also about the Tigers playing their best basketball at the end of a season that included such adversity as a week-long weather-related layoff followed by four consecutive road games.
Dunsmuir trailed Paradise Adventist 12-11 after one quarter Thursday night, then went on a 28-13 run in the quarter followed by a 17-11 run in the final period.
“We shot well and they didn’t, and we out-rebounded them,” Riccomini said.
The Tigers had a 17-6 advantage on the defensive boards and 13 offensive offensive rebounds to the Cougars’ 6.
Dunsmuir led by as many as 26 points before Paradise Adventist closed the gap.
As was the case in the Tigers’ 66-65 first round win at Champion Christian in Chico, “We matched up well,” Riccomini said. “They weren’t as athletic as we are.”
The Tigers also had a height advantage Thursday night, which they prepared for the day before.
Riccomini said his team’s guards “did an outstanding job getting the ball” to post players Jordan VanWilgen, Zack Shirley and Collin Lattanzio, and those post players “did an outstanding job finishing.”
VanWilgen led Dunsmuir with 12 rebounds and scored 6 points.
Nate Gonzales and Matt Norton scored 16 points each, LT Hisey 8, VanWilgen, Shirley and Lattanzio 6 each, Jake Mekeel 5 and Christian DeLeon 5.
The Tigers have now won 5 of their last 6 games and improved to 10-13 for the season. Paradise Adventist finished 15-11.
Semifinal foe Maxwell (11-15) was 5-5 in the North Valley League and finished behind Hayfork (10-0) and Paradise Adventist (6-4) and tied with Champion Christian.
Dunsmuir was 3-7 in Evergreen League play and finished behind Tulelake (10-0, 21-6), Big Valley (7-3, 12-11) and Happy Camp (5-5, 7-11).
Tulelake, which moved up to Division V for the playoffs, defeated Etna in its playoff opener Wednesday night.
As reported by ChicoER.com: http://www.chicoer.com/preps/ci_14475590
