With plenty of reasons to NOT play well in its season-opener Sunday night, the California boys basketball team went the opposite direction and cruised past an overwhelmed Warrensburg squad 53-42 in the Norm Stewart Classic at Columbia College.
With three of their starters coming off a long football season in the fall, the Pintos only had two weeks of practice with a full roster. In total, six California basketball players were part of the football team's run to the Class 3 state semifinals.
"There's going to be a steep learning curve for our guys," Pintos head coach Blair Scanlon said. "They're still getting themselves in shape, still figuring out defenses and still learning on the fly. You just have to get back to work and sharpen up."