Trailing by double digits at halftime, Sierra tightened up defensively to make things interesting against visiting rival Manteca on Wednesday.
The offensive woes continued for the Timberwolves, however, and their comeback fell short in a 48-43 defeat.
Sierra (0-2, 9-8 overall) was coming off a 52-23 loss at East Union in its Valley Oak League opener.
“That’s our Achilles’ heel right now,” Sierra coach Eddie Morales said of his team’s struggles on offense. “In our last game, the score doesn’t say it but the defense was fine. Offensively, if we don’t turn the ball over and take good shots, I think we can play with just about anybody. (Manteca) is one of the better teams in the league. That’s what we have to work toward.”
Manteca (2-0, 15-4) never trailed and had its largest lead of the game at halftime, 34-21. The Buffaloes were able to attack the basket at will and hit uncontested jumpers in the first half.
They were limited to just seven points in each of the final two quarters but were able to pull away by making five of six free throws in the final minute of the game. Sierra held them scoreless in the fourth period until Elijah Nelson converted from the post with 2:45 remaining, extending the Buffs’ lead to 43-35.
The T’wolves answered with Joshua Seals’ bucket in the paint, but a turnover coming out of a timeout on their next possession forced them to extend the game by fouling. Daniel Rushing and Jack Cunial each hit a touch 3 in the last 13 seconds, but it wasn’t enough.
Nelson led Manteca with 12 points and six rebounds, while Peyton Nieman scored 10 points. Santiago Sanders contributed seven points and eight boards.
Seals amassed 15 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks for Sierra. Rushing chipped in 10 points.
“Eddie does an unbelievable job with his kids every single year,” Manteca coach Jason Hitt said. “This is my fourth year (as Manteca coach) and I haven’t lost to Sierra, but at their place I’ve won by a total of 10 points. They had a great crowd, as well. (Morales) prepares his kids well, and they run a lot of the same stuff that we run. We looked like we were a deer in headlights and didn’t know what to do.”
Sierra came out of halftime rejuvenated, starting the second quarter with six unanswered points in the first three minutes. The 6-foot-3 Seals ignited the run — and the home crowd — with a left-handed, put-back dunk in transition following a missed contested layup by Cunial.
“I saw my guy going up and I had to back him up in case it was a miss,” Seals said. “After that, we had the fire and intensity that allowed us to stay in this game.”
Both teams are aiming to put together four-quarter efforts in their next outings. It doesn’t get easier, as Sierra heads to Kimball (1-1, 12-7), while Manteca gets another cross-town showdown with a showdown at East Union (2-0, 13-6).
“I’m glad we had a game like this early,” Hitt said. “It shows why the VOL is one of the toughest leagues there is. On any given night, you can be beaten.
“We just have to be more consistent, and we have to be ready for East Union. They’re playing very solid basketball right now.”
Junior varsity
Manteca 52, Sierra 33
The Buffaloes jumped out to a 21-9 lead and coasted to the win.
Blake Glasgow led the way with 13 points and eight rebounds. Johan Perengelli contributed 11 points and eight rebounds. Jayden Scarver also tallied 11 points and played well defensively.
John Estrada spearheaded Sierra with 12 points, while Anthony Mendoza had eight.
Freshman
Sierra 36, Manteca 34
Sierra battled back after falling behind 13-6 and hit a game-winning shot at the final buzzer.
Jahadis Luckey compiled 10 points and 10 rebounds for Manteca. Cooper Chamberlain added 10 points and four rebounds. Devon Richardson collected seven points and eight rebounds.
