MAXWELL, CA (MPG) – It was a repeat performance for the Princeton Eagles at the 70th Annual Irene Wells Tournament, as they successfully defended their title with convincing wins over Los Molinos, Williams, and the host Maxwell Panthers.
Although early in the season, the Eagles are firing on all cylinders, relying on a core of seniors that includes Junior Andrade, Corwyn Roberson, and Tito Reynoso, along with junior Chris Roberson and sophomore Nate Ramirez.
Before beginning play in Maxwell, Princeton handed Pioneer Valley League foe Loyalton its first loss to a conference opponent in five years by outscoring the Grizzlies 49-39, behind 19 points from Ramirez, 16 points from Andrade, and 10 rebounds from Corwyn Roberson.
Coming off the emotional win, the Eagles bested the competition at the Wells Tournament with sharpshooting from the outside, tenacious rebounding, and a fluid transition game.
In its first contest against Los Molinos, Andrade dropped in 20 points and dished out eight assists, Ramirez tossed in 17 points, while Corwyn Roberson finished a rebound short of a double-double with 14 points and nine boards.
Chris Roberson also established himself underneath, pulling down eight rebounds in the 56-43 victory over the Bulldogs.
Princeton continued to roll the following evening by blowing past Williams 65-52.
Andrade posted a double-double with 27 points and 10 assists as did Corwyn Roberson, who finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds.
Also pitching in was Ramirez with 11 points, and Chris Roberson with nine boards and two blocks.
To close out the tournament, the Eagles dominated the Panthers in all facets of the game and came away with a 74-49 victory to retain their title.
Andrade, who poured in 46 points, including hitting 10 of 15 from beyond the arc and handing out seven dimes, was named to the All-Tournament team, as was Corwyn Roberson who had 13 rebounds and nine points in the finale.
Ramirez also earned All-Tournament honors pitching in with 10 points and three steals.
Meanwhile, Maxwell, who rolled CORE Butte 50-33 in the opener, dropped its next two games, falling 52-53 to Los Molinos, before struggling mightily against the Eagles.
Cristian Lara got an All-Tournament nod after scoring 19, 15 and 13 points, respectively, over the course of the three days.
Also receiving All-Tournament recognition for the Panthers was Tanner Vierra.
Williams, the third county team in the tournament, lost its first games 55-66 to Upper Lake and 52-65 to Princeton, but ended on a positive note, prevailing 61-31 over CORE Butte.
Kyden Bowen showed off a smooth stroke, dropping 23 in the first game and 26 against the Eagles, although no statistics from the win over the Lynx were reported.
For his efforts, Bowen was named to the All-Tournament team.
This week, Princeton (6-0) hosted the Panthers (2-5) on Monday, traveled to Quincy to play Plumas Charter on Tuesday, then returned home to face CORE Butte on Thursday.
After the rematch with Princeton, Maxwell welcomed Faith Christian to town on Tuesday, then hit the road to play Paradise Adventist on Wednesday, before beginning play at the Burney Tournament on Thursday.
The Yellowjackets (2-8) were in Winters on Tuesday, then made the short trip east to Colusa’s Georgia Raczniak Tournament starting on Thursday.