WARDSVILLE, Mo. - The California Pintos boys basketball team (8-14) lost Feb. 20 to the Blair Oaks Falcons (18-4) by a score of 71-40.
The Pintos kept the game close throughout the first half. In the first quarter, they trailed the Falcons 6-3 with just around 5:00 left. Blair Oaks went on an 8-2 run after that to make it a 14-5 game with less than 3:00 left in the opening quarter. However, the Pintos fought back to cut the lead down to four points after a three-pointer by Calen Kruger made it 14-10 with around 1:00 left on the clock. Blair Oaks hit a three-pointer buzzer beater to take a 17-10 lead into the second quarter.
In the next quarter, the Pintos again cut the lead down back down to four points after Trevor Myers made a free throw to make it a 17-13 game with more than 6:00 to go before halftime. Blair Oaks then went on another 8-2 run to make it a 25-15 game with just more than 4:00 before halftime. The Pintos trailed 34-17 with around 2:30 left in the first half but ended the half strong, going on a 6-0 run to make it a 34-23 game entering the break.
The Falcons started to pull away in the third quarter, starting off with an 8-3 run to make it 42-26 with just more than 6:00 left in the quarter. The Eagles extended their lead until it stood at 25 points at 55-30 with just more than 2:00 left in the quarter; California was outscored 21-11 in the quarter.
After the third quarter, the Eagles led California 55-34. In the final quarter, Blair Oaks led by 33 points at 71-38 with less than 3:00 left in the game, outscoring California 16-6 en route to a win.
Head coach Brad Conway said going into the game, he told the players there were specific things he wanted them to focus on: taking care of the basketball, and that he wanted the team to compete and play hard.
In the first half, the Pintos gave up four turnovers but in the second half, the Pintos lost the ball 12 times. Conway said Blair Oaks increased the pressure during the second half. Despite that, Conway said he thought the team did play hard throughout the game.
"We did a good job competing, we played hard," Conway said. "We had three or four trips there in the second half where turnovers led to easy opportunities for (Blair Oaks)."
Conway said he thought when the Pintos got into their half court offense, they executed well.
"We did not score every time, but at least we got good looks," Conway said. "It is something I have been preaching all year; this is a process, and the things that we are doing now offensively we were not doing before Christmas. I feel like we are heading in the right direction."
In the first half, the Pintos committed only two fouls throughout the entire half; in the second half, there was an increase as Pintos committed eight fouls before the final buzzer. Conway said he thought Blair Oaks got more aggressive attacking the Pintos' defense in the second half.
"At times I thought we did okay, but we just have to get more consistent (with) what we are doing," Conway said. "I think we are making strides in the right direction, we just have to be more consistent and getting more comfortable with playing with each other and playing in this new system."
Trevor Myers led the team with 12 points, followed by Calen Kruger with nine points, Will Pickering with eight points and Bryant Davis with six points.
The Pintos' next game is at 12 p.m. Feb. 27 at Southern Boone in the first round of the Class 4 District 8 Tournament.