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Turlock edges rival Pitman
TURLOCK, Feb 14, 2012 (The Modesto Bee - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
It's been a wild ride through the Central California Conference basketball race, and it's got at least one more twist remaining.
The Turlock High boys set up a championship game by defeating rival Pitman -- in front of the Pride's frenetic crowd -- 47-46 Monday in a Central California Conference thriller.
Turlock (15-11, 10-4) hosts Golden Valley (19-6, 10-3) Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. in the Bulldogs' gym. GV won 64-38 the last time it played at Turlock.
"Three weeks ago, I would have been surprised to hear we're playing for the championship," Turlock coach Doug Cornfoot said. "But we have won five in a row by trusting the other guy will make the shot."
In the closing seconds vs. Pitman, and trailing by a point, Turlock fed its big man and he went to work.
Six-foot-6 Alek Carlson drove the baseline and was fouled while shooting with 3 seconds to play. He put in both free throws, setting off a frenzy in the Turlock student section.
Turlock had taken a 45-44 lead with 22 seconds to play, before Pitman's Zach Olsen hit a layup with 11 seconds left to give the Pride a 46-45 lead. It had been that type of game, the teams swapping leads and staying close to one another.
"Every game we've had these last few weeks seems to come down to the end," Cornfoot said. "We told the kids 11 seconds was plenty of time to run a play, so we had Carlson come off a pick and drive.
"We told 'em that if Alek gets doubled by the defense, look for (Tyler) Murphy spotting up for a shot. That's what I mean about trust. Early this year, Alek and (DeShawn) Holcombe scored a lot and other guys watched. Now when they get doubled, they pass off."
Carlson scored 15 points, and sophomore center Austin Bush (nine), Holcombe (eight) and Brandon Esquivel (seven) provided a balanced attack for Turlock.
Carlson and Bush are both 6-6, and they combined to hit Turlock's three treys -- with Bush hitting two.
It was a crucial game for the playoffs: Both are on the bubble in Division 1. Going into the game, Turlock was ranked No. 15 in Division 1 and Pitman (15-11, 7-7) was No. 18 -- and only the top 16 teams get to the postseason.
___ (c)2012 The Modesto Bee (Modesto, Calif.) Visit The Modesto Bee (Modesto,
Calif.) at www.modbee.com Distributed by MCT Information Services
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