On Friday, January 5, the Coronado Islanders took on the Bonita Vista Barons in another close matchup. Pre-game, Coach Anthony Ott emphasized to the players that defense was their main focus. They want to cause as many turnovers as they can and force mistakes. With that in mind, the team as a whole did a great job in doing so. However, it wasn’t enough as they would yet again fall three points short, losing 69-66.
As the game was played, there was never a moment where either team quit. The lead changed multiple times and got extremely close. Some notable players from the Islanders that contributed to the competitiveness were Tekur Velazquez, Austin Brown, Jimmy Lavine, and Kyle Kuester.
Velazquez had a great night, scoring 25 points, with a shooting percentage of 75%, he had three steals, six rebounds, and three assists. He was able to make incredible plays, making very contested shots, and helping the Islanders stay in the game.
Lavine also had quite the stat line, having 19 points, five rebounds, and three assists. He has been very consistent each game, being one of the top scorers.
Brown was a great shooter and scored nine points – going three for three from the three-point line. He also had three rebounds and one steal.
Finally, a vital big man taking all the rebounds off the board, and making great team plays was Kuester. He showed up to play and was very aggressive in the paint, grabbing nine rebounds, having three assists, and scoring four points.
Final:
Falling short in the end were the Islanders, taking the loss by just three points, with the final being 69-66. They now have a 3-13 overall record, but have not entered league play yet.
Coach Ott mentioned at the end of the game that, “Executing the game plan is getting better; something we need to continue to improve upon if we are to make a push for a league championship and aspirations of making a strong playoff run.”
The Islanders will continue to work on defense and hope to be fully prepared before league play starts.
Upcoming Home Games:
Tuesday, January 9 vs. Lincoln @6:15pm (Non-League)
Tuesday, January 16 vs. University City @6:15pm (League)
Friday, January 19 vs Hoover @7:30pm (League)
