BASKETBALL: Laguna, defense lift Live Oak boys to opening win

Point guard Ardean Salvador was setting teammates up with ease, shooting guard Luke Laguna was attacking the basket and the defense was in lock-down mode.
It was only one game, but if Live Oak’s boys basketball team can use its season-opening 47-29 rout of visiting Branham of San Jose on Wednesday night as a blueprint, the Acorns should be in good shape this season.
“We’ve got to keep it in perspective. It’s one game,” Laguna said. “But definitely, this game showed us a lot of potential. We held them to under 30 points, which shows our defense. Even though nobody was really firing on all cylinders on offense, our defense was key to the game.”
Laguna, a junior, scored a game-high 15 points for the Acorns. Eddie Plascencia added 12 points and five blocks for Live Oak.
“Those guys are hustlers. They’re basketball players, and they finish really well,” Acorns coach Brett Paolucci said of Laguna and Plascencia. “I thought Luke did a really good job attacking the basket. He can get to the rim, and if he can do that, he’s going to be getting to the free-throw line.
“Eddie’s just a guy full of energy. There’s no quit in him. He’s a key component; if Eddie’s going, we’re going.”
Live Oak dominated defensively, holding Branham to 18 points through three quarters. No one scored in double figures for the Bruins, who didn’t reach double digits on the scoreboard until Andrew Morris sank a free throw with 2:04 left before halftime.
Andrew Poonia scored 10 points for Live Oak, and fellow senior team captain Salvador totaled seven assists and three steals.
Salvador assisted on the first two baskets for Live Oak, setting the tone for a night in which the Acorns outscored the Bruins in each quarter.
“He’ll get the defense moving one way, and then he’ll hit the open man, or he’ll reverse it and shift the defense,” Laguna said of Salvador. “He’s very good at that.”
Paolucci said Salvador has “limitless” potential for the Acorns, who are trying to return to the Central Coast Section playoffs after a 9-5 run through league play last season.
“He’s the general out there,” Paolucci said of Salvador. “Our communication on the court is great, and that’s what I need from him. He runs the show and makes sure everybody’s in position. He knows our plays in and out, he handles the ball well, and he’s a tempo guy we need.”
Live Oak returns three starters from a team that bowed out of the playoffs with a 51-43 first-round loss to San Mateo last season.
“We’ve got two captains, (Salvador) and Andrew Poonia, and they are making sure guys are ready to play,” Paolucci said. “These guys want to win. They’re a good group of guys, and that camaraderie is really good for us right now.”
Some of that camaraderie was on display when Live Oak players congratulated Ryan Rupp for making a long, high-arcing 3-pointer to beat the third-quarter buzzer.
“He’s 1-for-1 on the season,” Laguna said with a smile. “He’s bragging that he’s got a hundred percent field-goal percentage.”