DANVILLE, Calif. – Oakland headed into San Ramon Valley on Tuesday night undefeated, with a 10-0 record all on the road. After two-and-a-half quarters of trailing, the Wildcats seized the lead and held it as late as the 2:30 mark of the fourth. But the hosts closed strong and escaped with a 61-54 victory.
Mason Thomas, a 5-10 freshman point guard, poured in 18 points for San Ramon Valley (6-2). Parker McClaughry added 14 and William Ambidge chipped in 13 for the Wolves, who ended the game on a 12-1 run that featured feisty defense, 6-of-8 shooting from the foul line, a big three-pointer by Duke Beardslee, and a gorgeous baseball-style pass from Ambidge to McClaughry for a clinching layup.
“I adjusted fast [to the high school game], but it’s easy when you play for a good team that plays the game the right way,” Thomas said. “And that’s what we did today. I kind of expected them to push the ball a lot, try to create chaos. We had to adjust, go to a 1-3-1 zone, which really helped us win the game.”
Oakland came out of the gate slow, managing just five points in the first quarter compared to San Ramon Valley’s 13. In the second quarter, each team put up 14 on the board. It was in third, however, that the Wildcat offense really came to life. Joshua Clark and Money Williams, who finished with 17 and 15 points respectively, sparked a rally that saw Oakland take its first lead of the game with 4:24 to go in the period.
All signs were positive for Oakland as it began the fourth with a 39-35 lead. But Ambidge scored the first four points of the quarter on free throws, Beardsley had a steal followed by another pair of foul shots, and Thomas sank a three-pointer off a Wolves’ steal. Clark answered with a three of his own and the game went back and forth until the game-ending San Ramon Valley run.
“They got a lot of momentum and confidence going there, so our guys had to weather their athleticism,” San Ramon Valley coach Brian Botteen said.
“In the first half, San Ramon had a great game plan and they executed,” Oakland coach Orlando Watkins said. “After halftime, we were on our game and we were able to get some easy shots, we were able to get some transition jumpers, and we got great stops. Once they went to the 1-3-1 zone...we practiced against it, but we haven’t seen a lot of it. And they have nice length.”
Seamus Deely added nine points for the Wolves and Te’shawn Gamble tacked on 13 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals for Oakland. Ambidge also had eight rebounds and two assists, while McClaughry had three blocks.
Both head coaches have plenty to look forward to. Botteen’s starting five included two sophomores plus the freshman Thomas, who Botteen calls “hard-working, humble.” Oakland’s top three scorers in the game are all juniors. Clark and Gamble were freshmen when the Wildcats lost at San Ramon Valley almost two years ago to the day, 79-47.
Oakland began this season with a win over Sacred Heart Cathedral and beat Piedmont twice as part of their undefeated streak. The Wildcats return home after the holiday to kick off a four-day tournament. San Ramon Valley will play in the St. Francis Tournament starting December 28th.
“I knew that they’d be good,” Watkins said of his team and the 10-0 start. “We got lucky in some of these games. For this team to be 10-1 still not playing a home game yet, I think we’re doing pretty good.”
