photos by Charlie McDonald (charlie.mcdonald@surewestsports.com)
by Mike Finnerty (mike.finnerty@surewestsports.com)
The Sacramento Dragons boys basketball team joined the Metro League back in 2006 and it's been nothing but dominance for the Dragons since that time.
Over that span Sac High captured Metro League titles from 2006 to 2009, until last year when the Burbank Titans won the league title by sweeping the two-game season series from the Dragons.
These two teams had their first meeting of the season Thursday at the Dave Hotell Memorial Pavilion on the campus of Sacramento High School and it was a back and forth battle for four quarters.
With Burbank up 59-58, Sac High forward Erik Kinney drilled a three-pointer to go up 61-59 with 1:45 left. Moments later, Burbank had an opportunity to score in the paint, but Sac High center James Hadnot swatted the shot to keep it at a two-point game with 55 seconds left.
Neither team could get a shot to fall in the final minute as Sacramento gets the win this time in a 61-59 final.
"I think we are a little fatigued from LA and that's why we weren't as sharp," said Sac High head coach Derek Swafford. "The kids 'warrior'ed up'. They did what they had to do. We knew it was going to be a battle. We kept going up, and free throws let us down which let them back in."
Four players scored in double figures for Sac High, led by Darius Graham who had 15 points, but the captain urged his guys to battle in the final seconds.
"At the time out late I just told my team 'we need this one, we need this one". We need to get in a zone and win this one and we prevailed," said Graham
Coming up big late in the game was Kinney who had seven points of his 10 points in the second half. Not only did Kinney have the game-winning three, but he also had a thundering dunk on a fast break that cut the Burbank lead to 57-56 with 2:55 remaining.
"The whole game I wasn't playing as well, but my teammates kept me going," said Kinney. "They patted me on the back and I just had to get my mind straight and get us through this game. Last year we lost to them twice so we had to come back and show who is the best in the Metro league."
Although the lead changed several times throughout, Sac High took an 11-9 lead after the first, and then after a De'Von three-pointer just before the buzzer, the Dragons went up 37-34 at the midway mark.
Boyd shot well in the first half, scoring eight of his 13 points on the night, and he was a big factor early on.
"I was just letting the game come to me," said Boyd. "Started getting into the flow and feeling it after that. It was big. It was about who had the most heart, who wanted to fight this win. It was a big statement for this year. It's just one game at a time and we have to keep going at it."
Sac High's biggest lead of the game came with 1:38 left in the third when they extended their lead to 51-44 with a nine-point run.
Burbank on the other had had no more than a two-point lead in every quarter, but had a 59-56 advantage with 2:28 left in the game and looking like they might pull out the win.
Titans senior guard Jay Stone led all scorers with 17 points and was tough to handle both outside as well as inside. Teammate Mitchell Love had 11 points for the in a game that could have gone either way.
The rematch will be January 31 and there's no reason to think that the game won't come down the final possession again.
"They're good," said Sac High head coach Derek Swafford. "We'll have to deal with them in the Division I playoffs."