Down by the score of 14-1 at the end of the first quarter of play, the COVID-depleted Oakdale Mustangs varsity boys basketball team battled back, to nearly defeat the visiting Central Valley Hawks. The final score was 49-48 in the Tuesday, Dec. 7 contest with Junior Nico Klose scoring a two-point basket with two seconds left in the game. The officials did not recognize a time out call by head coach Ryan Berg with about three seconds remaining, just prior to Klose’s shot, creating some controversy at the end of the game.
Missing six players due to a COVID-19 quarantine, the Mustang starting five included only two normal starters. That situation manifested itself in the first quarter as the visiting Hawks, led by senior Yajnesh Kumar, stormed out to a 14-1 lead. In the second quarter, however, the Mustangs, using tough board play by seniors Jackson Holt and Nate Criswell and deft three point shooting by sophomores Carlo Antinetti and Jayden Coelho, battled back, outscoring the Hawks 21-11, to make the halftime score 25-22. The Mustangs came out on fire in the third quarter behind senior Jake Kettering (nine points, one 3-pointer), Holt (four points), Criswell (10 points), Coelho (11 points, two 3-pointers), and junior Tyler Cooley (three points), and took a five-point lead. In the end, the shooting of Central Valley’s Kumar (23 points) and Gage Mastropierro (15 points) was enough to allow the Hawks to edge the Mustangs.
Oakdale Scoring
Jake Kettering, 9 points
Jackson Holt, 4 points
Carlo Antinetti, 9 points
Tyler Cooley, 3 points
Jayden Coelho, 11 points
Niko Klose 2 points
Nate Criswell, 10 points
Three pointers: 6 (Antinetti 3, Coelho 2, Kettering 1)
Total fouls: Central Valley: 8; Oakdale 18; Fouled out: Criswell
Tournament play saw the varsity squad travel for games in Yuba City, Thursday, Dec. 9 through Saturday, Dec. 11, as they participated in the Mel Good Classic.
They opened with a 69-56 loss to Florin on Dec. 9, paced by Criswell, 12 points and 11 rebounds; Coelho, 13 points (four 3’s); and Klose, 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Oakdale came back with a satisfying 58-53 win against Yuba City in the next game, this time with a 22 point, 15 rebound effort from Criswell pacing the team. Coelho had 14 points including three 3’s and nine rebounds. Jackson Holt had 16 rebounds in the win and Jake Kettering chipped in with eight.
In the finale of the three-day tournament, the Oakdale team fell to Foothill by a 69-52 decision. Holt put together his best game of the season, 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Coelho had 16 points, including three buckets from beyond the arc.
Criswell was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Yuba City event.
The Mustangs next home game will be on Tuesday, Dec. 21 against the Bruins of Riverbank High School.
Varsity Girls Outpace Knights
The Oakdale Mustang varsity girls basketball team used a major fourth quarter surge to defeat the Ripon Christian Knights by the score of 40-27 in the Mustang Arena on Monday, Dec. 13. Both teams started out unsteadily with several missed lay-ins and other shots. At the start of the second quarter, however, Mustang senior Savanah Borba sparked her teammates with two quick baskets, including a steal and a ‘coast-to-coast’ lay-in. Sophomore Elizabeth Webb chipped in six first half points, and freshman Anika Garrett and sophomore Brooke Wheat added four apiece to drive the Mustangs to a 20-15 halftime lead. The Knights, led by sophomore Maddi Yonker, hung around in the third period as Yonker picked up five of her game high 15 points in that stanza. In the fourth period, Mustang head coach Kelly Nasrawi called for a full-court-press and the Mustangs used that, a three-point basket by Borba and deft foul shooting by Aidyn Hill to ease out to the 13-point margin of victory. During the Oakdale High School winter hiatus, the Lady Mustangs will play on the road with the next home game being the VOL home opener against the Sierra Timberwolves on Saturday, Jan. 8.
Oakdale Scoring
Savannah Borba 11 (one 3-pointer)
Brooke Wheat 6
Aidyn Hill 5
Alivia Antinetti 2
Anika Garrett 8
Victoria Cadwell 2
Elizabeth Webb 6
Three pointers: 1 (Borba); total fouls: 14; fouled out: none
Earlier varsity action saw the girls take a 51-40 loss to Buhach Colony on Thursday, Dec. 9 and they also fell to Ripon by a 62-32 verdict on Dec. 7 in preseason play.
