NEWMAN, Calif – Two of three non-league games that the Orestimba High boys’ basketball team played were at home last week.
But Orestimba did not walk off the court with a win in the young season.
The Warriors’ most reason game was against Liberty Ranch, out of Galt, on Saturday. The visiting Hawks flew back to Sacramento County with a 64-41 win over Orestimba (0-3).
Orestimba jumped out to a 15-8 lead after the first quarter. But Liberty Ranch responded in the second quarter with a 19-8 score to take a 27-23 halftime lead.
Then the Hawks soared to a 23-3 run in the third quarter, extending their lead to 50-26.
The Warriors outscored Liberty Ranch 15-14 in the final quarter, but it wasn’t enough.
Orestimba at Cornerstone Christian
On Nov. 29, Orestimba played another Sacramento-area school on the road, but host Cornerstone Christian came away with an 88-18 win.
Orestimba at West Campus
In its first road non-league game of the season on Nov. 25, Orestimba made its first trip to Sacramento to West Campus in a battle of the Warriors.
Orestimba overcame a slow start in the first quarter for better play in the second quarter. But West Campus’ defense forced the Warriors into many turnovers in the third quarter, which led to a 69-46 win.
West Campus jumped out to a 22-7 lead after the first eight minutes of the first quarter. But the visiting Warriors responded with an 18-14 scoring advantage in the second quarter. West Campus went into the locker room holding onto a 36-25 lead.
Orestimba was held to only nine points in the third quarter, while West Campus’ defense forced nearly a half-dozen turnovers to establish a 17-9 lead in the quarter. The host Warriors extended their lead to 53-34 entering the fourth quarter.
There were two Orestimba players who scored double digits in the game. Devon Bell had 11 points for the Warriors, while teammate Alan Gamboa followed with 10.
Brett Gray, a freshman, followed in scoring for Orestimba with nine points. Rudy Corona scored six points and Michael Maier four.
Orestimba made 16 field goals out of 42 attempts on the floor. The Warriors were 5-of-13 at the 3-point line and 9-of-15 from the free throw line.
The Warriors had 29 rebounds in the contest. Bell grabbed 10 boards and Corona five. Bell also had five blocked shots. Gamboa and Emiliano Alvarez each had three assists.
Upcoming games
On Tuesday, Orestimba is back on the road again, but this time into the foothills as it plays another non-league road game at Argonaut of Jackson.
Mike Bush is a multimedia journalist who was born and raised in the Stanislaus and Merced County areas. Follow him on X/Twitter @MikeBMultimedia and Instagram @mikebushphotography.
