Ortega, Tiggett lead Liberty High to 83-53 playoff victory
Liberty's Manny Nazario dives for a loose ball as an opponent falls on him. (Photo by Action Captures Media Group) By Doug Spoon, Editor...
By Doug Spoon, Editor
Their first-ever CIF playoff game turned out to be no problem for the Liberty High boys basketball team, which raced to an 83-53 victory over San Bernardino in a home game Wednesday night.
Using an efficient combination of speed, defense, rebounding and long-range shooting, the Bison improved their season record to 20-3 and advanced to the second round of the Division 4A playoffs, where they will play host to Long Beach Jordan on Friday night. Once they rallied from an early 10-1 deficit, the Bison beat the Cardinals with the winning style fans have become accustomed to.
“I think everyone was nervous a little bit at the start because it was the first CIF game and everything,” said forward Isaiah Tiggett. We knew we had to pick it up.”
The Bison certainly did that. Tightening up on defense, they began to create more opportunities to find the bottom of the net on offense, which had eluded them in the early going. Down 10-1, they went on a 14-0 run to take a 15-10 lead, with Tiggett score nine consecutive points on a follow shot, a layup, a 3-pointer and a shot from the corner. Liberty never gave up the lead after that.
By the time sophomore guard Jaden Ortega got going, the Bison were on their way to controlling the game. After missing his first five shots – all 3-point attempts – Ortega made back-to-back 3’s late in the second quarter and Tiggett capped off the scoring with a layup for a 29-21 lead at the break.
The second half was the Jaden Ortega Show. He made nine more 3-pointers to finish with 33 points and, along with the good ball movement of his teammates and tight defense, took the visitors out of the game. During another 14-0 run in the third quarter, Ortega made three straight 3-point shots, drawing cheers from the crowd and building a 49-27 lead.
Adding to his flair for the dramatic, Ortega made another 3-point shot moments later and nailed another one at the buzzer to end the third quarter with a 60-36 lead.
“My coaches and my teammates, they believe in me,” Ortega said. “I think I missed my first five, and they kept telling me to ‘shoot the ball, shoot the ball, next shot…’ I have a lot of confidence. Once I saw one go in, it’s pretty much over from there.
“We did good on offense today. but defense is where we’re going to hang our hat. That’s what coach preaches to us, that defense will win games.”
True to his reputation, coach Andrew Ellis was quick to emphasize the importance defense played in the victory.
“We got some good looks early and the shots just didn’t fall,” Ellis said. “We talk a lot about how some shots fall and some don’t. It’s something you can’t control. But we can control the ball on the defensive end, and I think we did a pretty good job of keeping the game close and not letting them get into a rhythm. It allowed us to chip away at that lead and take over, even though overall we had a poor first half.”
Ellis also was quick to praise twin brothers Isaiah and Jalen Tiggett, who at 6-foot-5 are dominant forces all over the court. Their ability to box out and control the boards was a key factor in the game.
“They’re long and they’re active, and if you think they’re out of the play … they’re never out of the play,” Ellis said. “They always find some way to get it done. They’re our two hardest workers. They play basket to basket every single time, and they never give up. They really fuel our defense. They might not fill up the stat book, but they change the game for us in a magnitude of ways.
“And Jaden, he’s one of the best I’ve seen in finding space to get open. He’s just really good at constantly moving and finding that space to get open. And it’s a testament to his teammates in finding him. Understanding when he has the hot hand and getting the ball to him. They did a great job with that.”
Liberty guard Jaden Ortega made 11 3-point baskets for a total of 33 points. (Photo by Action Captures Media Group)
