Warrior Basketball
The Warrior basketball team rolled over the Bakersfield Adventist Academy last week defeating the Eagles, 63-48, in the last non-league game of the season. Above, Corey Torres flies toward the basket in second-half action. Torres was called for an offensive foul on this play but he finished the game with 12 points. Photo by Michael Duffy, The Tehachapi News.
Posted by Tom Shea, The Tehachapi News on January 14, 2009 Mountain Basketball Tops BA Academy
SSL Play Set To Begin This Week
In mid-December tourney play, Bakersfield Adventist overtook Tehachapi for third place honors overall in the first annual City Slickers Shootout on the Mountain.
With the loss leaving a bad taste in their mouth, a motivated Tehachapi squad had a different look in the starting line-up, and the rotation change proved effective at game’s end in an eventual 63-48 win.
“The last time we played them, we had a lot of guys that just came back from football, just coming off the football CIF championship the night before,” said head coach Chris Olofson. “We’ve been able to focus on basketball since then, but we still have some work to do.”
Bert Hall led the Warriors with 24 points, going 10-12 at the free-thrown line. Hall completed the double-double in the game by registering 13 boards, while also adding a block and two steals.
Other leading contributors included Corey Torres with 12 points and three assists, JJ Balkar with eight points and a block, and Derek Lange with six points, six rebounds and a steal.
Lange also had a solid output in an early week loss to El Diamante-Visalia (56-37), scoring eight points and registering five blocks, while Kurtis Knudson was the leading scorer with 12 points.
The pre-season has officially concluded for the Warriors, with the first SSL game of the year set for this Friday at home against Wasco. Game times will be 4 p.m. (freshmen), 5 p.m. (jayvee), and 6:30 p.m. (varsity). The Warriors also have a big league title deciding game against BCHS next Tuesday at home with the same tip-off times.
“It came on us quick but the league season is here now,” Olofson said. “We’ll have to play on a high level each and every game, and if our guys have that mindset, we should do well.”
