Godinez dominates offensively, defensively, beats Heritage
Aaron Contreras drives to the basket for Heritage High Friday night. (Photo by Rick Rowell) By Doug Spoon, Editor When your shots aren’t f...
By Doug Spoon, Editor
When your shots aren’t falling and the other team is shooting the lights out, you're probably in for a long night.
Such was the case with the Heritage High boys basketball team, which lost a 62-37 decision to visiting Godinez High Friday night in the second round of the CIF Division 5AA playoffs.
Using accurate outside shooting and a strong inside game, the Godinez Grizzlies took control late in the first quarter and never looked back, improving their season record to 24-6. Meanwhile, Heritage (12-15) struggled on defense all night and couldn’t make enough baskets to stay in the game.
Godinez guard Lucas Andaluz led all scorers with 26 points, including six 3-point shots that continually sparked rallies. Forward Adrian Gonzalez scored 17 points, hitting five 3-pointers of his own against a frustrated Heritage defense.
The Patriots’ two outside shooters had rough nights in this one. Senior Aiden De Leon hit just one 3-pointer en route to 9 points, while senior Aaron Contreras made just one 3-point shot for a total of 3 points.
“Godinez is a great team,” De Leon said. “They have a good brotherhood. We have a good brotherhood too, but we just weren’t making the shots. When one team does and the other team doesn’t, that’s what happens.
“I wasn’t hitting my shots tonight, and it sucks because it’s the last game for me. But overall I think we had a great season.”
Godinez jumped out to a 14-5 lead on the basis of four 3-pointers and a drive to the basket by Andaluz. The Patriots scored the next 7 points to close the gap to 14-12, and it looked like they would make a game of it.
Unfortunately for the Patriots, Godinez went on a 13-0 run, taking advantage of mismatches and getting some wide-open looks outside. Heritage trailed 34-19 at halftime and things only got worst in the second half.
It was difficult to tell which was the bigger factor – the Patriots missing shots they would normally make, or Godinez denying them good looks at the basket with aggressive defensive play.
“It was a combination of both,” Contreras said. “We definitely forced up a lot of shots and they weren’t falling. There wasn’t a lot more we could’ve done. They had a lot of size under the basket and we needed to play together better as a team.
“We tried to adjust defensively. We went from a zone to man and back to zone, but I feel like nothing was working for us.”
Aiden De Leon gets open for a shot from the outside in the first half. (Photo by Rick Rowell)
