The 49ers are moving on to the Elite Eight after defeating College of the Sequoias 87-69 in their Regional Finals matchup.
The majority of the contest was tightly contested as each team matched each other blow for blow. The Giants took a narrow lead into halftime, and the game remained close until the final five minutes, when the 49ers were able to clamp down and grow their lead until the game was out of reach.
The crowd was electric and maintained energy all night, due largely to many highlight reel plays made by the 49ers. Halfway through the first half, Sophomore Josh Dhatt stole the ball and ran the floor on a fastbreak, dunking the ball at the other end while drawing a foul. The play not only ignited the crowd but also the 49ers team.
“That was crazy,” said Thomas Austerfjord, “it got us pumped up, got everyone pumped up, changed the momentum.”
Austerfjord played a key role in the game, logging six points on 1-3 shooting and grabbing ten rebounds. He was also able to draw several fouls by boxing out, which led to seven free throws and four of his six points.
“Each player has his role,” Austerfjord said, “mine is to try to get those loose boards.”
“Those are our hustle guys,” said Jeryn Lucas of Austerfjord and Dhatt.
Lucas was often matched up with Giants guard Isaiah Johnson, who looked frustrated early and often with Lucas, who played tough defense along with the rest of the team.
“It was the gameplan,” Lucas said, “play solid defense,” while also pointing out that only allowing 69 points was a good showing of their tough defense.
The 49ers intensity eventually got to the Giants. In the final minute with the game out of reach, Kody Wilson shoved Elishja Duplechan to the floor, and the two exchanged words before Wilson shoved Duplechan again, starting a small confrontation between the two teams. Johnson and Lucas also exchanged words and shoves before being separated.
When the dust settled, Kody Wilson was ejected on a double technical call, Duplechan shot four free throws, and Lucas held the ball to run out the clock on a complete team effort.
Duplechan was a large part of the 49ers late surge. He seemed to score effortlessly and unconsciously down the stretch, extending the 49ers lead.
“That’s what he does,” Lucas said, “When we need a bucket we go to Elishja.”
Duplechan led the way with 33 points on 10-16 shooting and 11-12 from the free throw line, to go along with 9 assists. Lucas chipped in 18 points on 6-12 shooting, including 5-7 from 3, to go along with 7 rebounds.
The 49ers playoff run will continue when they play Cerritos in the Quarterfinals of the CCCAA State Tournament on Friday March 9th at 3:00 PM at Ventura.
Comment Policy: Comments are welcomed and encouraged. However, the editorial board reserves the right to edit or delete, without notice, any comments submitted to the blog. For more details, see our full Comment Policy.