WALNUT CREEK, CA – As unstoppable as the Clayton Valley Ugly Eagles have been for most of this season, equally tough Las Lomas found a way to beat them, 83-75 at home on Tuesday night, to claim sole possession of first place in the Diablo Athletic League’s Foothill Division.
Nate Robinson scored 30 points, and Robert Prince tallied 17 points, seven assists, and four steals for the Knights, who avenged their earlier loss to Clayton Valley. Las Lomas (21-2, 6-1 DAL) fell to Clayton Valley (21-2, 5-2 DAL) by the count of 82-63 in the teams’ earlier matchup, January 19th in Concord.
“We got back to playing defense, we got the ball to the hole, and that made all the difference,” Las Lomas coach Brian Dietschy said. “They can score so fast, and they put so much pressure on you, we never felt safe.”
Garrett Pascoe paced the Ugly Eagles with 19 points and four assists, and JD Williams added 15 points and eight rebounds. Nick Klarman struggled offensively but pulled down a game-high 11 boards.
“It’s the little things that other teams do,” Clayton Valley coach Eric Bamberger said. “In the first half, we didn’t wear them out. It does take a lot to come back but we’ve been in that situation a lot this year.”
Las Lomas came out on fire, amassing a 27-14 first quarter advantage behind eight points each from Prince and Jason Holman, and six from Homer Kravets.
Midway through the second, the Knights took a commanding 39-20 lead. A pair of three-pointers and trips to the free throw line fueled a 15-5 run at the end of the first half for the Ugly Eagles, and they continued that push in the third, even taking a lead with 5:15 to go. The teams traded baskets, and a corner three by J.T. Estes at the quarter buzzer put the Knights ahead by five as the fourth period began.
“We had to be prepared for it,” Prince said of Clayton Valley erasing the 19-point margin. “It’s how you bounce back in that situation.”
In the final period, Robinson went to the free throw line again and again as he drew fouls both unintentional and intentional. Down the stretch, a three by Holmon with 1:32 remaining made it 76-71, and a big offensive rebound by Devin Payne combined with a couple of costly Clayton Valley turnovers decided the final outcome. At the buzzer a slew of screaming Las Lomas students rushed to center court to celebrate.
“This is a fun environment,” Robinson said. “Shout out Sixth Man. We always find a way to get it done at home. Time and possession was really key for us once we were up.”
Holmon finished with 13 points and Estes nine. Kravets grabbed nine rebounds, and Payne had eight points, seven rebounds, and three assists. For the Ugly Eagles, Klarman contributed 11 points, Sinjin Speer added 10, and Roman Merritt tacked on nine.
“This is not a bad loss, playing with this environment and this crowd,” Bamberger added. “They made some plays when they needed to, and we kind of made the plays to get back but not over the hump.”
Each team has three league contests remaining. Las Lomas is away at Miramonte and Campolindo, then home vs. Acalanes; Clayton Valley hosts Campolindo and Acalanes, then finishes away at College Park. The Ugly Eagles came into the game ranked 3rd in the NCS by Prep2Prep, while the Knights claimed the 9th spot. Campolindo, College Park, and Acalanes all have a place in the Top 25.
“Our whole league is tough,” Dietschy commented. “I think all those other games we played prepared us for this moment. A lot of people counted us out, but these guys believed we were gonna get it done.”
