As the final seconds ran off the clock to end the third quarter, the bench for the South City boys’ basketball team was getting more and more rowdy.
The Warriors on the court had held Drew-San Francisco scoreless for most of the period using a hounding, pressure defense. South City completed the third-quarter shutout and led by 20, 46-26, going into the fourth quarter.
It was the perfect encapsulation of what opposing teams can expect from the Warriors this season: pressure on the ball at all times and fast break offense whenever possible. South City did that to perfection as the Warriors went on to beat the Dragons 59-43 in the first round of the South City Classic tournament.
“We usually go with a zone (defense),” South City head coach Isaiah Igafo said. “This time, we needed to play man. (Our pressure defense) tired out their guards.”
South City (6-2) showed some of its hand in the first half and while it gave Drew (3-6) problems at times in the opening two quarters, the Warriors didn’t lock it in.
And they kind of paid for it because it allowed Drew’s 6-6 forward Quinn Fishburne to get into the offense. Using a fadeaway jumper akin to an NBA Hall of Famer, Fishburne’s scoring in the first half kept Drew in the game.
Fishburne scored 13 of the Dragons’ 26 first-half points and was proving to be just as solid on the defensive end, ending up with four blocks in the first two quarters as Drew trailed 32-26 at halftime.
“We were shocked at how close the game was (at halftime). … [Fishburne] reminded me of (former Dallas Mavericks forward) Dirk Nowitzki. Our halftime adjustment was to put two bodies on him (defensively),” Igafo said.
The only thing better than playing better defense? Not letting Fishburne get the ball or allow the Dragons to get into their offense.
So Igafo and the Warriors turned up heat defensively and the Dragons wilted. Seven of the Warriors’ 15 steals came in the third quarter and Drew threw the ball away on four other possessions.
And yet the Dragons still managed to get off 18 shots — none of which found the bottom of the net.
“We take pride in the defensive side. That’s what we do, just that high intensity, up-and-down game,” Igafo said. “Our goal is to keep teams under 50.”
The South City offense, meanwhile, fed off the helter-skelter defensive intensity. After the Warriors opened the third quarter with a Reuben Lem 3-pointer, Nolan Alimorong came up with a steal on the defensive and went coast-to-coast for a layup to push the lead to 37-26.
Alimorong, along with teammate Angelo Abellan, went on to share team-high scoring honors with 11 points as 13 Warriors got in the scoring column.
Additionally, Alimorong came up with five steals
“He and Steven Fernando are our foundation,” Igafo said. “[Alimorong] is pretty athletic. … He does everything.”
A pair of Fernando free throw with under a minute left in the third gave the Warriors a 20-point lead and then the defense held on for the scoreless quarter.
When South City scored on a steal and layup, followed by another fast break layup off yet another theft, the Warriors had their biggest lead of the game, 50-26, before the Dragons finally snapped their scoreless drought. When Fishburne knocked down a jumper with 6:22 left in the game, it ended a run of nearly 10 scoreless minutes for the Dragons.
That basket seemed to invigorate Drew. Fishburne came back with a spinning scoop shot before Teo Kimball-Directo found the range from behind the 3-point arc. Three of the Dragons’ next four scores came courtesy of Kimball-Directo, who scored 15 points on five 3s.
The second of his back-to-back 3s cut the Warriors’ led to 54-41 with 2:26 left, but a 3-pointer from Preston Hong pushed the lead back to 16, 57-41, with a little over two minutes to play.
That took the wind out of the Dragons’ sails, as they scored just two points the rest of the way.
In other first-round tournament action, Terra Nova held off Leland, 50-45. Anthony Wierzba scored a game-high 20 points to lead the Tigers. Vinny Smith added 15 for Terra Nova (5-3).
In the final game of the day, Sobrato kept Capuchino winless on the season, pulling out a 54-50 victory.
The tournament continues Wednesday with Terra Nova facing off against Summit Shasta at 11:30 a.m. in a semifinal game, while South City will take on Sobrato at 2:30 p.m. in the other. Capuchino and Drew will play in a losers’ bracket game at 1 p.m.
The tournament concludes Thursday. The consolation final is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. and the championship game at 2:30 p.m.
Sports Editor
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