After an emotional win over the Eldon Mustangs on courtwarming night, the California Pintos braced themselves for their annual matchup against their arch rival, the Blair Oaks Falcons. The Pintos had lost eight straight games to the Falcons dating back to 2016 and they would have to win the game without their two leading scorers, Hunter Berendzen and Ayden Bryant, who were both unable to play due to illness. Although they got off to a strong start, the Falcons dominated the game from the second quarter on and defeated California 59-30.
Head coach Brad Conway had to make changes to California's starting lineup with his top two players out. Conway decided to insert sophomore Hayden Kilmer as the starting shooting guard for Ayden Bryant while freshman Landen Dunham started at center for Berendzen.
At the start of the game, sophomore guard Brooks Volkart led the charge for California with five quick points and an assist to Kilmer for a three-pointer. Volkart's early surge spured the Pintos an early 11-6 lead on the Falcons. Blair Oaks head coach Ryan Fick took a timeout with just over two minutes left in the first quarter and told his team to pick up their energy. The Falcons came out of the timeout and gave the Pintos trouble by forcing three turnovers and ended the quarter on an 8-0 run. The Falcons led the game 14-11 after one quarter.
Blair Oaks continued their run in the second quarter and never looked back. The Falcons shot just under 70 percent from the field and forced six turnovers in the quarter to outscore the Pintos 29-8 and exploded to a 43-19 halftime lead.
The Pintos tried to make a comeback in the second half, but Blair Oaks used each offensive possession to take time off the clock and preserve their double-digit lead. Blair Oaks led by as many as 37 points in the second half and the shorthanded Pintos were defeated 59-30 by the Falcons.
In their loss to Blair Oaks on Feb. 14, the Pintos shot 33 percent from both the field and the free throw line, they also shot 17 percent from three-point range. Dunham led the Pintos with nine points, six rebounds and a block. Volkart and Kilmer each had seven points. Junior guard Gavin Porter had six points and three rebounds. Freshman guard Chase Trimble chipped in with four points, one rebound and one steal off the bench.
Blair Oaks shot 50 percent from the floor, 42 percent from three-point range and 71 percent from the foul line. Senior guard Zach Henry had 15 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. Fellow senior Alec Wieberg had 13 points and seven rebounds. Junior forward Jaxon Marshall had 12 points, five rebounds and a block.
Conway said that the Pintos hurt themselves with their turnovers and bad shot selections from the second quarter on. Conway knew that beating Blair Oaks was going to be a tall task without Berendzen and Bryant, but he acknowledged that his younger players got some valuable experience in the game and they showed a lot of effort after being in a difficult position.
"I thought that we did some nice things both offensively and defensively in the first quarter. The second quarter came and they started knocking down shots and we took a few bad shots that led to leakouts and fast break baskets for them. Then turnovers started happening which led to more transition baskets for them and it became like a domino effect for the rest of the game," Conway said. "I told our guys after the game that you've got to learn how to play through a little adveristy. We had three teammates out and we had to play the 'next man up' mentality and see where we are at. Our inexperience showed tonight. We competed and played hard at times, but that second quarter hurt us and we couldn't stop the bleeding."
California got another chance on Friday night in Sedalia and came away with a 49-43 victory over the Smith-Cotton Tigers. The Pintos will end their regular season on Thursday night when the host the Camdenton Lakers.
Sophomore forward Hayden Kilmer gets a steal and goes coast to coast for a California score. (Democrat photo/Evan Holmes)
Freshman guard Chase Trimble knocks down a mid-range jumpshot for the Pintos. (Democrat photo/Evan Holmes)
Freshman guard Chase Trimble shoots two free throws for the Pintos. (Democrat photo/Evan Holmes)
Junior guard Gavin Porter shoots two free throws for the Pintos. (Democrat photo/Evan Holmes)
The California Pintos are now 10-13 on the season after their loss to Blair Oaks on Feb. 14. (Democrat photo/Evan Holmes)