Woodside rallies late to overcome Terra Nova in boys’ hoops opener

The Wildcats (1-0) got off to a horrendous start, committing nine turnovers in the first quarter, including five before they even attempted a shot. Terra Nova led by 12 points midway through the second quarter. But after a glum halftime break, Woodside cleaned up its act and ultimately went on a 12-2 run to overtake the Tigers late in the third quarter.

“We’re a little undermanned right now but we got the job done,” Woodside head coach Ramon Meacham said. “We’ve got a bit of a young squad experience wise with a lot of sophomores. But they did a good job talking to each other and playing as a team as we move forward. The biggest thing was us getting defensive stops and not fouling, and rebounding.”

Senior forward Ben Lamm enjoyed a big night for the Wildcats, posting a double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Even with Woodside playing from a 28-16 deficit in the second quarter, Lamm was a picture of composure as he stayed fluid and balanced to create shots from the outside.

A second-year varsity player, Lamm didn’t see the floor a lot last season. And Woodside’s preseason scrimmages have frustrated the senior, who at times had been critical of his own performance.

“It was beautiful because it’s something that he’s been frustrated with the last couple games,” Meacham said. “He felt like he could have played better. But we’ve been trying to let the guys know that it was just our preseason games. As long as we figure out where we’re actually playing when the games count, that’s what matters.”

Lamm’s cool stroke from the outside put Woodside on the comeback trail. With Terra Nova opening a 35-26 lead to start the second half, Lamm responded with a corner 3. He’d go 6 of 8 from the free-throw line, including 3 of 4 in the third quarter to narrow the deficit to 40-36.

Then guard Andrew Tinson got cooking en route to scoring a game-high 23 points. Burak Akkaya nailed to 3 to cut it to 40-39. Then Tinson boogied back down the court to earn a pair of free throws to give the Wildcats the lead with 55 seconds remaining in the third. He didn’t stop there, finishing the period by cutting a lane and pulling up for a short jumper to stake Woodside to a 43-40 lead.

Tinson’s shooting proficiency set up his best moment in the fourth quarter, when he drove a lane to draw a double team in the paint. This left Lamm all alone in the corner for Tinson to kick it out and Lamm to swish it home to make it 51-43. Tinson reacted with a rally cry that all but signaled the win for the Wildcats.

“It’s great to see him happy,” Lamm said. “We’ve been playing all summer, so we really have that chemistry. He’s a big player — a junior — he’s stepping up into a big role this year.”

Terra Nova (0-1) wasn’t at its best. Not only was head coach Robby Wierzba’s squad without one of its top playmakers in 6-4 junior Vinny Smith, two of the Tigers’ starting five — guard Dylan Uter and forward Mason Mini — just recently returned from football season, and only have a few practices under their belts.

The transition from football to basketball was evident, as the Tigers found themselves in foul trouble early in the second half. Three Terra Nova players had four fouls by the third quarter, and power forward Jermaine Camasura fouled out in the third quarter to give Tinson the go-ahead free throws.

“A lot of the guys, this is their first week back from football,” Wierzba said. “They’re transitioning from football to basketball. So, they’ve got to learn to play basketball without fouling, how to be physical without fouling. That will come with practice.”

Uter finished with a team-high 17 points, including five 3-pointers. But Uter and Terra Nova went ice cold from beyond the arc, shooting 28.6% (10 for 35) on 3-pointers.

“I want everybody to play with confidence, and that’s what we’re going to live by,” Wierzba said. “I can’t have unconfident players out there. … I know who the shooters are, and if they miss a few, I’m going to tell them to keep letting it fly. That’s our style.”

The game was reminiscent of last year’s season opener between Terra Nova and Woodside, when the Wildcats rallied from 12 points down to make a game of it, only to lose 59-47.

“Every time we play them it’s a fight,” Uter said. “It’s a great coached team. They’ve got some shooters out there.”

Woodside finished shooting 56.4%, including 8 of 11 from the floor and 7 of 10 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.