The Sobrato boys basketball team took an impressive second place at the Mel Goode Tournament in Yuba City, dropping only a close decision to powerhouse Berkeley.
The Bulldogs (3-5) opened the tournament by defeating host Yuba City 63-49 Thursday. That was followed by a 64-59 win over Nevada Union on Friday before losing to the Yellowjackets 55-51 in Saturday’s championship game.
Coach Lawrence Crawford said he knew Berkeley was going to be a tough match, but had confidence his team was going to do well.
“Everyone except in our locker room thought Berkeley was going to blow us out, including Berkeley,” Crawford said.
Crawford said the biggest obstacle was Matt Simpkins, a 6-foot-9 player on Berkeley’s side with NBA potential who dominated the inside.
“He was the biggest difference of the game,” Crawford said.
Leading the Bulldogs in the final game was Mubarik Abdullahi, who scored 21 points.
He was followed by Marqus Crawford with 17, bringing his tournament point total to 66.
In the first game, Sobrato had to battle back from a 10-1 deficit in the start of the game, going on a 17-5 run to close out the quarter.
Crawford said his team did a good job at staying in the game and that both teams fought hard despite the 14-point difference.
“It went back and forth through out the game,” Crawford said.
When the Bulldogs went up against Nevada Union, the Minors tried to contain Crawford, who had 25 against Yuba City, but Marqus still lit it up for 24 points.
“They took what I consider is the best defensive player they had and matched him with Marqus,” Crawford said. “They came out and challenged and we rose to the occasion.”
Crawford said Robert Mercado had a good tournament, scoring 30 points in the three games.
“If he can focus on being available, most teams will focus on Marqus and Mubarik going to the basket,” Crawford said. “If he is available for a kick out, that’s dangerous against any team.”
The Bulldogs will next hit the court Dec. 27 against Anzar in the opening round of the Bulldog Chase.
