Bulldog basketball advances to tournament final after winning four games
By Bill Tamburrino
Coach David Reichner’s Bulldog basketball team got off to a flying start as it won four games in the Mt. Miguel Tournament to advance to the championship game.
The Bulldogs never trailed in a 57-52 win over Mt. Miguel to open the tournament. Senior Scott Stransky paced the Dawgs as he led all scorers with 16 points and dealt off four assists.
“Scott showed great poise and maturity as he shot 75 percent from beyond the arc (3 of 4) and the stripe (3 of 4),” stated Reichner.
The coach also had praise for sophomore guard Marco Cobian (13 points, 3 steals): “He was a big provider of offensive penetration, allowing the Dawgs to obtain some needed scoring.”
Anthony Silvaggio (6), Riley Hubbard (5), Blake Siets (5), Calvin Harris (4), Colton Harris (2), Tanner “T-Bone” Williams (2), Christian Dominguez (2), Evan Reichner (1) and Jake Newman (1) also scored in the victory. Cobian and Silvaggio each grabbed four rebounds apiece to share the lead in that category.
The Dawgs beat Clairemont High school 64-43 in the second round of pool play. Two Dawgs scored in double figures. Stransky led all scorers with 15 points and shared a game-high nine boards with teammate Riley Hubbard. He hit three shots from beyond the arc and led the Dawgs with four assists. Cobian sunk two from 3-point range and ended the game with 12 points.
Siets scored all 9 of his points by way of the 3-point shot. Calvin Harris (6), Colton Harris (5), Hubbard (5), Silvaggio (4), Dominguez (4) and Newman also scored in the game. Williams made his presence felt in the paint as he grabbed seven rebounds. Silvaggio and Calvin Harris each grabbed five boards each.
Reichner’s charges made it three in a row in the third-round 51-47 victory over Crawford High School. Stransky scored 19 points and posted three steals on the defensive end of the court. Silvaggio scored 10 points and led the team with five boards.
“It is a great sign of a good team when they are not playing their best and still come out on top,” stated Reichner after looking at the stats that revealed the Dawgs only had 18 rebounds and committed 22 turnovers, and shot poorly from the stripe and the arc.
The Dawgs played their way in to the tournament championship game as they beat Montgomery High School 64-55. Three Dawgs scored in double figures. Stransky scored 24 points and added five assists. Siets looked more like a veteran than a freshman as he scored 13 points. Cobian scored 10 points. Hubbard led the Dawgs with five rebounds all coming on the defensive end of the court. Dominguez led the team with three steals.
“It was another fantastic team effort. The RHS defense is something fierce and arguably one of the best defensive teams in the state. The saying ‘offense puts people in the seats, defense wins championships’ was ringing in our ears after a barn burner and one for the ages,” Reichner posted on the basketball team’s website.
The Bulldogs lost a hard-fought contest to Abraham Lincoln Preparatory High School in the championship game of the Mt. Miguel Tournament. The Dawgs were in the game until the final minute in the 64-59 loss. Cobian led the Dawgs in scoring with 24 points. He hit three from 3-point range and contributed five assists. Hubbard scored 13 and led the team with six boards. Stransky scored 11 and sunk two from beyond the arc and dished out four assists.
The Dawgs are off to their best start in Reichner’s tenure with a 4-1 record. They will take a week off to get ready for the Tri-City Christian Tournament on Dec. 26.