OAKLEY, CA - An annual battle between intra-district rivals played out as hoped for many in attendance, as visiting Liberty (17-8, 4-5 BVAL) gave host Freedom (21-4, 9-0) all it could handle for three quarters. The Falcons closed the game with a 21-6 fourth quarter, however, securing the 65-51 victory and their third straight outright Bay Valley Athletic League title.
"We turned up the pressure defensively (in the fourth quarter)," said Freedom coach Drew Torres. "The game had been too slow for us up to that point, and we were able to make it a full-court game in the fourth."
Freedom led 16-15 at the end of one quarter, and 32-30 at halftime. Liberty surged in the third quarter, however, taking a 45-44 lead heading into the final period of play.
"(Liberty) executed real well in its half-court offense and defense, and stuck to a good game plan," Torres said. "They slowed the tempo on us, and kept it a back-and-forth game."
The game did not start that way, as Liberty's first four possessions of the game resulted in three steals and a 10-second violation for the Freedom defense, as the Falcons raced out to an early lead. That forced Lions' coach Jon Heinz to call an early timeout, and get his team settled down. By the end of the first quarter, the Falcon lead was down to a single point, and Freedom had lost its early energy.
"For us, the turning point really came late in the third quarter," Torres said. "We've been pretty balanced lately, and we played 15 guys tonight. I went real deep into the bench in the third, and those guys gave us great energy off the bench. They allowed us to start the fourth quarter with high energy."
The game remained a back-and-forth contest, with great defensive energy from both sides, until about three and a half minutes remained in the game, with Freedom leading by five points. Over the last few minutes, that lead would balloon to the final 14-point margin, likely securing the two seed in the playoffs for Freedom.
DeShawnte Collins led Freedom with 13 points and five rebounds, Devin Pierce had 12 points with three steals, and John Ketchel had eight points and six assists. Travis August led Liberty with 13 points, while Darius Scott added 10 points.
Freedom finishes its regular season against Deer Valley on Friday night, while Liberty battles Pittsburg, who is tied for second place in the BVAL.
