Sophomore scores 22 in 64-54 loss to Cabrillo
GILROY – As the finals seconds of the game counted down to zero, sophomore guard Jimmy Herrera saw his last game as a Ram ending in another loss.
But the 64-54 defeat at the hands of Cabrillo College did not bother Herrera much.
“I thought we played hard,” Herrera said. “That was our main focus, finish on a high point so we could feel good about ourselves.”
Herrera – the only returning sophomore from last season – finished off his two-year career at Gavilan with a team-high 22 points.
“He did a phenomenal job for us this year. He was our hardest worker, most consistent competitor and really the glue that held our team together at the most difficult times of the season,” said head coach Chris Shoemaker of Herrera. “I’m really proud to have coached him. He was a first class person.”
At the start of the first half, the Rams came out strong. Even with Cabrillo scoring first, the Rams were able to take their only lead with two consecutive three-pointers – one made by Herrera and the other by freshman Jimmy Cheatum (10 points).
Unfortunately, they couldn’t hang on to the lead for very long, as the Seahawks tied the game and then took the lead. As the last five minutes of the half were played, the Rams fought back – coming within five points.
With 12 seconds left until the break, Herrera drained a huge trey, bringing the Rams within three points of the lead. But Cabrillo followed with another shot with just seconds left in the first half to go into the locker room ahead, 31-26.
The second half wasn’t any better for the Rams. Cabrillo continued its dominance on the court, stretching their five-point lead to 14 before Cheatum put the ball in the basket.
It was all freshman standout Jody McAlpine (13 points) and Cheatum in the second half. McAlpine. Each of them hit some big shots, including a three-pointer from McAlpine. Even with their scoring, the Rams just couldn’t battle back enough. In the last five minutes, they were able to score seven points – but it wasn’t enough to close the gap.
“I think I performed pretty well,” McAlpine said. “I tried to get us back into it.”
The other scorers for Gavilan were Maurice Davis (four points), Tommy Sondgroth (three points), and Erik Nelson (two points).
“We played really hard, but we didn’t make the few small plays that were necessary,” Shoemaker said. “I’m very proud of the effort my team gave this year.”
LOSS TO WEST VALLEY: The Gavilan College men’s basketball team could not pull it together Wednesday night as the Rams suffered yet another conference defeat at the hands of West Valley, 66-45.
The Rams were led by Alan Aubuchon’s 16-point peformance as well as a 12-point output via freshman Jody McAlpine and a eight-point effort from freshman Tommy Sondgroth (eight points).
