Leading by nine points with four minutes left in a crucial
Tri-County Athletic League contest, the Live Oak High boys
basketball team appeared to be on its way to vaulting back into the
thick of the league standings Wednesday night. Then Salinas
’ Kelly McCarty took over. McCarty, who scored a team-high 16
points, almost singlehandedly drove the visiting Cowboys on a 10-0
run to finish off the game and lead his team to a big 56-55
victory.
Leading by nine points with four minutes left in a crucial Tri-County Athletic League contest, the Live Oak High boys basketball team appeared to be on its way to vaulting back into the thick of the league standings Wednesday night.
Then Salinas’ Kelly McCarty took over.
McCarty, who scored a team-high 16 points, almost singlehandedly drove the visiting Cowboys on a 10-0 run to finish off the game and lead his team to a big 56-55 victory.
“I thought we played really good team defense for most of the game, and then at the end we let McCarty get too much penetration inside,” LO coach Brett Paolucci said. “He’s a great ballplayer. He was the difference.”
The loss was devastating to the Acorns’ postseason hopes. Instead of being in a tie with Salinas and Gilroy for third place in league, LO remained in a last-place tie with Palma, while the Cowboys rose into sole possession of third and the Mustangs settled for fourth heading into last night’s action.
LO was set to play at Palma, still needing a single win to guarantee a .500 overall record and a CCS playoff berth.
The loss to Salinas also squandered a couple of oustanding performances by LO seniors Doug Porras and Kevin Toombs, who combined for 35 points in the game.
Porras, who had a game-high 18 points, and Toombs, who had 17, started off fast and teamed up for 13 in the first quarter to help lead LO to a 19-8 advantage.
Salinas pulled within 28-23 at the half, then got within a point on three occasions in the third quarter before a bucket and a 3-pointer by Porras got LO back to a seven-point lead midway through the third quarter.
The Cowboys rallied again in the fourth quarter and got within four but a Toombs 3-pointer and a Porras bucket gave the Acorns a 51-42 lead with five minutes to play. LO led 55-46 with 4:04 to go when McCarty drove the lane and scored, then added a free throw for the three-point play. From then on, McCarty drove the lane at will, dishing off to a teammate for a hoop or scoring one himself to capture the lead.
LO had a couple of shots at regaining the lead in the final minute to no avail.
LO girls hoops
An undermanned LO girls basketball team limped through a pair of losses in TCAL play last week. Missing their two post players due to injury, the Acorns (5-16 overall, 2-6 in TCAL) lost at Salinas 54-31 on Tuesday and against visiting Notre Dame 59-32 on Thursday, which was also Senior Night.
Seniors Amanda Lytle and Christina Rodriguez were honored before Thursday’s game.
