CSDR Escapes with a Win

CSDR faced an undefeated team with a 5-0 record. Southlands Christian is ranked #285 in California. The game opened with S.C. running the ball well and they took the lead in the first quarter, 18-8. In the second quarter, Coach Valencia told the players, “never assume about players’ appearance – show some respect for their basketball game.” After that, CSDR staged a comeback and led 35-32 at halftime.

In the third quarter, the game was like a tennis match, with the lead going back and forth between CSDR and S.C. In the fourth quarter, we battled hard on both ends. S.C. had the lead by 2 points with 30 seconds left. Jacob Weiss made a great steal and scored, which tied the game. Then CSDR had the ball after S.C. turned it over, and the Cubs made a basket, giving us the two-point lead. S.C. missed their next basket which made them have to foul us. The foul ended up being a flagrant, so the Cubs made both free throws. That helped us take control of the game. S.C. was stubborn and stole the ball and made a 3-pointer, trying to come back to re-capture the lead. But CSDR held on to the lead. With 5.7 seconds left, we had a 3-point lead. CSDR made a turnover and S.C. had possession of the ball with 2.1 on the clock, but they missed the buzzer shot so we escaped with a 61-58 win.

“I told the guys, we must RESPECT the game, regardless of whoever we face. The team may not be as good as the one we faced yesterday, but they are still pretty good with their ball movements. Again, we need to learn to focus on nothing but playing on the right type of basketball game. Hope we learn from this experience as it was a good one for us all,” stated Coach Valencia.

CSDR (5-3) will continue to participate in the Grizzly Tournament hosted by Calvary Chapel Downey by playing against Anaheim Discovery Christian at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 17.