COLUMBIA - 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."
California showed little signs of rust early in the game, outscoring the Tigers 14-5 in the second quarter to open a commanding 22-9 halftime lead. Warrensburg shot a dismal 3-of-13 from the field and committed eight turnovers.
"Our shots weren't really falling, either, but we held them to nine points in the first half," said California senior guard Jaden Barr. "If that says anything about our defense, we're going to be tough and competitive. If shots aren't falling, we'll still have our defense to back it up."
The Pintos continued to apply pressure in the third quarter, outscoring the Tigers 24-17. Barr's 3-pointer gave California a 32-15 edge with five minutes left in the period. Warrensburg cut the deficit to 40-26, but the Pintos answered with consecutive layups from senior forward Damon Shaw and two free throws from junior guard Landon Mouse to push the lead to 46-26.
"We're all tough kids and we're going to keep working hard and fighting, no matter what the score is," Barr said. "Basketball is a game of runs, and just because they score a few baskets, that doesn't mean they're back in the game. You just have to make a run of your own."
With the game more or less decided early in the fourth quarter, Scanlon replaced most of his starters with reserves. Warrensburg took advantage of the move, outscoring the Pintos 16-7 in the period to make the final score respectable.
"You have to make sure the game isn't in doubt," Scanlon said, "but it's always good to bring your starters out and get them a little rest, even if it's only a few minutes. That's always a good thing."
Barr, a four-year varsity player, led the Pintos with 21 points, four rebounds and two assists. He was a starting quarterback and defensive back for the school's football team.
"Basketball-shape is different than football-shape, and it showed in the fourth quarter," Barr said. "We started rushing things, turning the ball over and not making good decisions. That will come with time. We're just starting to play together. Overall, I think we did pretty well."
Shaw finished with 11 points and nine rebounds, while senior forward Drew Norton scored 10. Mouse added five points, four assists and three steals for the Pintos, who played their first live action this season on a college court.
"It's a great little shootout. We had fun," Barr said. "It was late at night, so we didn't have many people here, but it was still a nice gym and overall fun atmosphere."