OAKLAND, CA – Out in the East Contra Costa County community of Brentwood they call it “Jordan Sweeney time,” and in the Saturday late game nightcap of the second annual five-game MLK Classic at Bishop O’Dowd she answered the bell just like she’s done more than once this season
Just when her state-ranked and Prep2Prep North Coast No. 4 Heritage team looked like it might fall victim to an upset at the hands of P2P Central Coast Section No. 10 Eastside College Prep-East Palo Alto, the Patriots senior Idaho State-bound guard took over down the stretch to score 10 of her team-high 27 points (five assists, three rebounds, two steals) in the fourth quarter to help Heritage hold on for a 74-68 victory.
“We wanted the ball in her hands in the fourth quarter and she wanted it in her hands too,” Heritage Coach Rob Ocon said.
There were five ties and Heritage (16-2) had its biggest lead of eight points four times and Eastside only led twice at 51-50 and 53-52 in the late third quarter before the teams went to the final period in a 53-53 tie.
With Heritage leading 63-60 Sweeney hit her fifth three-pointer to make it 66-60. After an Eastside free-throw she drove to the basket for a score that made it 68-63 and then followed that with an acrobatic scoop shot that drew a foul for a three-point play that gave Heritage its third eight-point lead at 71-63 with three minutes left.
Eastside Prep got two free-throws from sophomore Alayah Flucus (double-double 10 points and 12 rebounds) that cut the deficit to six, but Heritage junior 6-3 post Abigail Muse answered with an offensive rebound and putback that made it 73-65 with under a minute to play and sealed the deal.
Muse finished with a double-double 18 points and 14 rebounds but on the surface it seemed like Heritage wasn’t really getting the ball inside to her as much as they would have liked and despite her big night rebounding they only had nine rebounds combined for the rest of the team.
“We didn’t execute our game plan to get it inside to the post as much as we wanted to, and our rebounding wasn’t great, and we didn’t make our free throws,” Ocon said. “But the positive is the girls fought through it and stayed composed, and our key players took over when we need them to.”
Patriots’ junior guard Paige Ziemann was also a factor with 13 points and five assists, including five points and two assists in the fourth quarter.
The Heritage win overshadowed a tremendous performance by Eastside Prep senior Mina Temeilau. The Panthers senior had a career-high 35 points that included four three-pointers. Senior Zion Gabriel added 10 points, three steals and two assists.
Eastside Prep (9-7) is done with MLK weekend action but they now face state-ranked and P2P CCS No. 2 Pinewood-Los Altos Hills at home on Tuesday in West Bay – Foothill League action.
Before returning to Bay Valley Athletic League play next week Heritage returns to O’Dowd on MLK Day to face state-ranked and a very formidable Sacramento in day two of the MLK Classic.
