Sobrato will likely miss postseason after 55-48 loss Friday
MORGAN HILL — Roy Talactac scored 18 points, Derek Muaava netted a dozen, and the Independence 76ers clinched at least a share of the Blossom Valley Athletic League-Santa Teresa Division championship the hard way, beating Sobrato 55-48 Friday before a raucous crowd in Sobrato Gym.
The teams entered the regular-season finale in a three-way tie with Willow Glen for first place in the division.
Independence (21-6 overall, 11-3 BVAL) secured a spot in the CIF-Central Coast Section Division I playoffs — and likely knocked Sobrato out of the Division II tournament. The playoff invites will be announced Sunday.
Chris Bradley collected 13 points, five rebounds and three steals to lead the Bulldogs (20-6, 10-4), and point guard Rauley Cambra scored 11 before fouling out with 2:13 remaining.
Independence snapped Sobrato’s six-game winning streak.
The 76ers took the lead for good, 38-37, when Talactac sank a layup in traffic, drew a foul, and added the free throw with 26 seconds left in the third quarter. Independence pushed ahead with a 10-3 scoring run to start the fourth.
Trailing by 10 with 3:28 remaining, the Bulldogs cut the deficit to 50-45 with a five-point spurt. Bradley capped the run with an easy layup off a back-door pass from Charley Bynum. Bradley’s runner with 1:14 left made it 52-48, but Sobrato was forced to foul from there and could not land a big shot.
Independence, which won the first meeting this year 64-55, led 29-25 at halftime.
