Two weeks ago, the Pierce Bears laid claim to the Sacramento Valley League crown with an upset of Durham; however, the team has proven that it has higher aspirations, after dismissing No. 10 Anderson 65-48 last Friday night at home, to punch their ticket to the semifinal round of the Northern Section CIF Division IV playoffs.
Riding a four-game win streak coming into the Feb. 18 contest against the Cubs, the Bears got off to a slow start offensively, but their trademark defense held Anderson to just 12 points over the two first quarters.
However, coming out after halftime, Pierce caught fire, putting 44 points on the board over the final two periods and cruising to victory.
Although Anderson never mounted any real threat, things did get chippy in the second half, where a combined 27 fouls were called and the reality that their season was about to end set in for the Cubs.
Still, the Bears’ overall performance exemplifies the team-first attitude that characterizes this year’s squad, as Coach Cody McCullough explained.
“We have known all along that this team has great depth, and I think we are starting to see that factor into these games down the stretch,” McCullough said. “It’s not easy for other teams to game plan against any one individual because any of our players can be our leading scorer. And as for our defense, well, that’s just Pierce basketball.”
Ryan Travis had the hot hand for the Bears, dropping a game-high 18 points, while Joey Saavedra and Guillermo Jauregui added 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Things got tougher for the No. 2 seeded Bears (19-8) this week as they welcomed No. 3 Orland (19-9), a team they edged 36-31 early in the preseason, to Natalie Corona Gymnasium on Feb. 23.■