Liberty High School (8-0): 13-24-12-25=74
Woodcrest Christian (6-3): 17-16-11-17=61
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RIVERSIDE – Liberty boys basketball coach Andrew Ellis has a young and talented team at his disposal that is just getting their feet wet with varsity competition. With that in mind he entered the Bison in two of Riverside County’s better mid-level tournaments in Citrus Hill’s Big Daddy Classic and Woodcrest Christian’s Royals Invitational…an event that Ellis won twice as a head coach while at Heritage.
So far, at 8-0 after a 74-61 victory over Woodcrest Christian in Saturday night’s tournament championship game, the Bison have passed every test Ellis has thrown at his young squad.
“Playing teams like Elsinore and Woodcrest Christian this week really taught us to play through certain situations. They (Woodcrest Christian) execute really well, do an impressive job of finishing around the basket, and were a good test for our defense that will show us where we can be better.” Ellis remarked. “I’d like to be a little more polished on both ends of the floor as we work our way towards January and February, but I’m proud of the way they answered late in that game.”
For much of the first sixteen minutes Liberty found themselves trailing as the Bison struggled to finish around the basket and convert from the three-point line. Justin Flye scored four straight points on a pair of free throws and a floater in the lane to push Woodcrest Christian to a 17-10 lead late in the first quarter. However, Liberty’s Jaden Ortega connected on a deep three pointer with 31.5 seconds remaining to make it a four-point Royals lead at 17-13 after eight minutes.
Starting the second quarter, Liberty went on an 11-2 run over three and a half minutes to go up 24-19. Rene Delgado connected on a pair of three pointers and converted a three-point play in the stretch. Woodcrest Christian’s Roger Perez connected on a three pointer which cut Liberty’s lead to 29-27 with just under three minutes until the half. However, a pair of late half three pointers kept the Bison in front 37-33 at the half as the Royals’ Logan Michaels connected on a buzzer-beating basket.
Liberty’s largest lead prior to the late fourth quarter was nine points at 42-33 off an Ortega three pointer with 6:52 left in the third and the Bison took a 49-44 lead after three quarters.
On a couple of separate occasions in the fourth quarter, Woodcrest Christian chopped Liberty’s lead down to three points but each time they had an answer and were able to maintain a lead. Flye’s basket with just over seven minutes left made it a 51-48 Bison lead but Delgado scored on the next possession. Then, holding a 55-52 lead after Kiandre Linton finished in the paint, Delgado’s layup made it 57-52 with five minutes left. Woodcrest Christian got no closer and fell for a second straight year in the tournament final.
“I think our guys learned more about themselves tonight than I did as a coach,” Royals coach Scott Reynolds said. “We put together 32 minutes tonight that I was really happy with that even though we lost, and our guys learned tonight what we’ve known about them since day one…that anytime they step on the court they have a shot to win.”
Liberty Scoring:
Delgado 23, Ortega 21, Isaiah Tiggett 17, Alvarado 8, Ivan Tiggett 2, Wallace 2, Derla 1
3 Pointers: Delgado 3 and Ortega 4
Woodcrest Christian Scoring:
Flye 22, Michaels 15, Linton 10, Perez and Dupree 5, Pierce 3, Downs 1
3 Pointers: Michaels and Perez 1 each
Derryl Trujillo can be reached via email at socaltrekkie@gmail.com.
