From December 3-5, the Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball teams had a chance to display a hint of what is to come this season as each played in their first tournament of the season.  The boys participated in the High Sierra Showdown in Reno, Nevada while the girls stayed closer to home, taking part in the Sonora Kiwanis Invitational in Sonora, CA.

In past years, Boys’ Basketball also played in tournaments in Hawaii and Colorado to compete against different teams from around the nation.  In their second year at Reno, the boys looked to rebuild after losing six seniors by taking advantage of their hard work during the off season and coming out ready to play.  Led by Coach Pete Vaz, the team fought through obstacles such as high altitude and put up praiseworthy efforts.  

In their first game against Galena, the Warriors stayed neck and neck with the Grizzlies for much of the game and led by one point with a quarter left.  However, the team was outscored 21-15 in the last eight minutes and suffered a tough 49-44 loss.  Besides struggles on the court, the boys also had to play without a shot clock because of technical difficulties, which made the situation harder.   

Facing Atwater in the next matchup, the team rebounded and pulled through 54-40, aided by a team-high 15 points from Junior Eric Yai.  To cap off their tournament, the Warriors played against a resilient team in Merced.  “This was a tough match up for us; [Merced]played a different style from what we were used to and was more athletic,” admitted Vaz.  Still, MSJ put up a good fight and had nothing  to  hang their head about in a 54-45 loss.  

Even though they finished the tournament with a record of 1-2, the trip to Reno was definitely not a waste. Senior Captain Brendan Tsao said, “The tournament allowed many players to get more experience at the varsity level and learn more about the team’s identity.  We built a tremendous amount of team chemistry on and off the court.” 

A week later, the boys played in the Valley Christian Tournament in Dublin. Led by Senior Captain Paul Chen and Senior Albert Koh, the boys beat the competition and won first place. Chen and Koh earned All-Tournament honors for their performances. Koh also received the title of Tournament MVP. With the Don Nelson Tournament coming up, Boys’ Basketball looks to continue its success. 

Meanwhile, the Girls’ Basketball team was a couple of hours drive north in Sonora, a city not far from Yosemite.  Playing Lodi in the first round, the energized girls showed no signs of fatigue from the trip and came out with perhaps their best half of the early season, sailing into half time leading 39-9.  Although the second half didn’t go as smoothly, MSJ easily finished off the Flames 61-28.  

There was no time to relax as the  Lady Warriors had to face five-time tournament champion  Del  Oro, a top ten team in the San Joaquin Valley.  Despite out hustling their opponents and being down  by only six at the half, the girls could not overcome committing sloppy turnovers and a cold shooting day in a 47-36 loss. 

But in their final game, the squad came out pumped and ready to battle after a good night’s rest.  Playing the tournament host team of Sonora, the Warriors fought through home court advantage and sent the Wildcats a message with a 59-28 beating.  Senior Rohini Jain led MSJ’s winning effort with 17 points, which later helped her earn an All-Tournament Player award.  Senior Captain Rachel Chang said, “We really showed our determination and skill this tournament with two blowout wins and a great effort against a talented Del Oro team.”

Coach Doug Sakamoto stated he was satisfied with winning two out of three games and being competitive in the loss, but there is always huge room for improvement.  “It’s still early to tell what results will be like during league, but the players’ hard work in the summer and fall has paid off,” said the second-year head coach.  Off to a great start so far, the team is ready for a shot to add to the Girls’ Basketball board on the gym wall by winning its first outright MVAL title in 38 years.      

All in all, it looks like our basketball teams are off to  a  competitive  start. Make sure to go to their games and cheer them on as both teams battle tough opponents this season.