RICHMOND, CA - A defensive battle kept both teams on their toes Friday night, but a big fourth quarter by the Pride gave Salesian a 62-54 victory, which helped solidify its spot on top of the TCAL-Rock Division in boys basketball.
With only a five-point lead going into the fourth quarter, the Pride needed a spark to close out the game. Junior guard Brandon Betson hit a corner three, which sparked a 13-point fourth quarter from Betson alone to seal the deal for the Pride. Coming off of two down games, Betson never lost confidence in his ability to perform.
"I just have to give credit to my coaches and teammates for believing in me and encouraging me to continue to shoot," Betson said.
The Pride came out in the first quarter a little shaky, with emotions running high and a sold out crowd, leading to sloppy play from both sides. Salesian (17-3, 3-0 TCAL-Rock) settled down in the second quarter, with junior guard James Akinjo, who finished the night with 15 points and eight assists, taking charge of the offense and settling down the top-ranked team in the North Coast Section.
"We've played big games in Las Vegas and Modesto, and have gained composure as a team as a result of those experiences," said Salesian head coach Bill Mellis. "We have experience in big games, and tonight we executed in another big game. It's key for us to win these games against top competition like (St. Patrick-St. Vincent)."
The St. Patrick-St. Vincent (15-4, 3-1) boys were never out of the game, and were in fact a couple of shots away from possibly winning the game. The Bruins got a huge game from sophomore dual-sport standout Akil Edwards, who led the team with 15 points, many coming in the second half to keep the Bruins in the game.
"He's a scrappy kid, he's not afraid of the big moment and he performed well tonight," said St. Pat's head coach Derek Walker.
These two teams will meet again on February 7, possibly for the Rock Division title.
