SAN JOSE — Holding a narrow two-point lead in the second quarter over Leland, Leigh junior Dylan Johnston got the ball on a fast break and found a good look for a three pointer, shooting the ball in the basket to increase Leigh’s lead to five and ignite a 8-0 run. The Longhorns’ run created enough separation from the Chargers to create separation and end up with a huge 87-58 win.
The first quarter was fast-paced and full of offense as both teams were firing balls in the basket at will, trading shots as every minute passed by. Leland was able to come up on top at the end of the first with a narrow 27-24 lead, but it all went downhill for them there. The Chargers did not score a single point in the second quarter until three minutes in. Leigh was able to utilize a 8-0 run to outmuscle Leland in the second to take a 39-31 lead at half.
Leigh junior Connor Smith started the second half off with a bang, firing a three almost immediately to increase his team’s lead to eleven points. A few minutes later, Leland senior Khalil Simmons shot a three pointer to cut Leigh’s lead to just six, but the Longhorns then responded with a 15-0 run to put the game away for good, winning the game 87-58 over the Chargers.
Leland (8-8, 2-4 BV-MH) was inconsistent on offense on the night, going on the occasional scoring run but was otherwise stifled by a strong Leigh defense. Simmons led the Chargers in scoring with 17 points and junior Shane McKnight also added in 16 points of his own.
Leland head coach Mitch Shapero was disappointed in his team’s blowout loss.
“What hurt us was our inability to hit shots. We scored 27 in the first quarter, and we couldn’t score anything for the rest of the game,” Shapero said. “Leigh’s a good team. We have to bounce back strong. We are in A league this year, so every night is going to be a battle. We just have to keep going and keep grinding.”
Leland junior Kian Elyasi, who had two blocks in the game, stressed that the team needs to work hard to improve.
“We didn’t get rebounds, missed a lot of shots even when we had opportunities, had a lot of defensive breakdowns, and let them shoot too well,” Elyasi said. “We just gotta move forward to the next game. We got Willow Glen at home next Wednesday, and just focus and practice on that game. We have to keep shooting and limiting defensive breakdowns in order to prepare for them.”
Leigh (6-10, 4-2 BV-MH) was consistently firing on all cylinders throughout the game, especially with the help of senior Riley Houser, who scored a staggering 28 points, including four three pointers. Senior Jaxon Richards was also a big threat on the court, adding 18 points of his own. The Longhorns offense was well balanced, getting good looks on both inside the paint and on the perimeter.
Junior Connor Smith was excited after the win, feeling that this year’s Longhorns team could be something truly special.
“It was a great win,” Smith said. “In preseason we were building up playing really good teams. We came out here and we did what we needed to do. We played with a ton of energy and it was fun. This team is ready to take the next big step.”
Leigh will try to take that next big step at home next Wednesday hosting Westmont, and Leland will try to bounce back at home next Wednesday against Willow Glen.
