BOYS BASKETBALL: Renaissance Academy turns it on
Second-half surge propels Wildcats to 67-40 win over Maranatha
Maranatha played a strong first half, but Renaissance Academy shifted into high gear behind Treamaine Tatum, who scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half, and nine during a 15-0 run which extended the Wildcats' lead from one point to 16.
Anthony Stover is becoming a scary player. Just a junior, Stover has grown a few inches from last year and is up to 6-foot-10. Who knows how much taller he can get, but his game has improved big-time since last season.
Your thoughts.
Above: Maranatha's Ronald Cole, left, battles with Renaissance Academy's Yader Combs.
Above: Renaissance Academy center Anthony Stover puts down a dunk.
By Scott Galetti, Staff Writer
PASADENA - Something had to give when Maranatha High School's boys basketball team hosted Renaissance Academy on Wednesday night.
The Wildcats rode a nine-game winning streak into the contest, including a 32-point win over La Canada, while the Minutemen had a seven-game win streak on the line.
With a wild student contingent urging them on, the Minutemen appeared comfortable in the role of heavy underdogs.
The Wildcats used their pyramid of success - Justin Cook, Anthony Stover and Tremaine Tatum - to eventually wear down Maranatha in the second half en route to a 67-40 victory.
Tatum, a junior guard, scored a game-high 19 points to lead Renaissance Academy (19-2), the No. 1-ranked team in the CIF-Southern Section Division III-A, to its 10th consecutive win.
Stover, a 6-foot-10, 210-pound junior center, collected 18 points, seven rebounds and eight blocks, while Cook, a senior guard, chipped in with 15 points, eight assists and two steals.
Ronald Cole pulled the Minutemen (14-6), ranked No. III in Division V-AA, within a point at 26-25 early in the third quarter.
But Tatum and the Wildcats stole the show and exploded for 15 consecutive points to turn a close game into a runaway.
"Our coach gave us a big talk at the half and when we came back out, we were fired up and it seemed like we couldn't miss," said Tatum, who scored nine points in the sequence. "Our center Anthony Stover gave us a big boost in the second half and I think that's what started the run."
Stover, swatting shots away like flies and playing assertive on offense, scored 11 second-half points.
"Even though we were up in the game, we were down on spirit because we know we can outplay this team," Stover said. "When we came out in the second half, me and Tremaine gave 100 percent on the floor and just took over."
Cole led Maranatha with 13 points and Daniel Dingle scored 10.
Mark Elffers was held below his season average off 11.3 points per game, scoring just five.
"They're an extremely good basketball team," Elffers said. "Their center is an awesome player. We played a good game, but they just outplayed us down the stretch."
Maranatha stuck with Renaissance Academy throughout the first half.
The Wildcats took their biggest lead of the half at 19-14 on a dunk by Stover off a lob pass by Cook.
But the Minutemen tied it at 19 behind a 3-pointer by Elffers and a layup by Dingle.
Renaissance Academy eventually took a precarious 26-23 lead into the locker room at halftime.
"We didn't think that they could hang with us in the first half, so we were kind of surprised," Tatum said. "In the second half we had to come out tough because they came ready to play."
The Minutemen will be back in action on Saturday when they play at defending V-AA champion and No. 1-ranked Pacific Hills. Renaissance Academy goes to Reseda on Saturday.
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Melendez worked as a correspondent for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune for three years and later landed a job as a freelance writer at the Los Angeles Times before accepting an offer at The Orange County Register covering high schools. Melendez covered Major League Soccer at The Register for three years before being promoted to report on the Lakers, Angels and Dodgers for the Web. Melendez also worked for the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Fresno Bee, Oakland Tribune and The Boston Globe. E-mail opinions, suggestions and tips to miguel.melendez@sgvn.com. |
Man, I thought I was the only one getting bashed on this thread. Let’s see, it’s been said that I have too much “hateration”????, what ever that is.
And then a few posts ago it was said that I have a “small man's complex”
And all I’ve posted is support for Maranatha’s basketball team, which by the way is rated #4 in the latest Star News Top 10 behind the big boys, RA, LC and Pasadena. Should be a good match tonight against Marshall.
Directed at me, a detractor? Are you kidding me? NEWS FLASH: RA has been ranked No. 1 in our poll since Day 1 and was highlighted as such in our preview section. How respected do you think Pasadena, a team that won a CIF title last year, felt? By the way, I didn't write the game story that day, I was there to shoot a video on your player Anthony Stover, who told me how big the game was because the schools are close to each other. Maybe you have your reporters mixed up in terms of disrespect. To call me a detractor and that I want a certain team to win is a bit naive.
Scott I was there also and I think the intensity you saw was a blacklash toward the way the media and the community disrspected RA. I beleive you did think or even wanted LC to win at least thats the way I preceived you to have wrote it. The LC community wanted LC to win and the players heard this around town. I don't think RA ever beleived this years LC team could come within 20 pionts of them. I think the intensity was directed more at you and the detractors than anything else.
Yes a RA vs. Pasadena match up would be a good one to see.
Anon: I was there. They were sky high for the game and appeared to me to be treating each point as if it were an important one. That's the opinion I walked away with. But let's face it, RA had been trying to get that game for a while and wanted a big win. Nothing wrong with it. They weren't as excited about the Maranatha game. And no, I don't think anyone thought this year's LC team was going to win that game. I would've liked to have seen last year's LC team take them on.
Let's face it. RA vs. Pasadena would be a dream game this season.
Stop with the RA-LC comparisions. RA did not treat the LC game like the CIF final, they were intense but let's not get crazy. LC have very good players but I don't think RA ever thought LC could come close to beating them.
I think Maranatha being at home will beat Marshall by double digits.
I agree Maranatha would give LC a good game. Who will win the Marshall-Maranatha game tomorrow? That should be a good game also.
I know using comparative scores in basketball is tough, but here goes.
Maranatha lost to Temple City 73-67. Yes, it was the first game, but both teams have improved since then.
La Canada beat Temple City 67-36 in a game I saw. It wasn't as close as the score shows.
Maranatha is a very solid team.
I'm not sure Maranatha has the horses or scoring punch to stay with La Canada for 32 minutes.
Both teams have size. The difference I've seen is that La Canada has better overall outside shooters which is key if you can't drive to the hoop.
And I know there will be arguments on how close Maranatha kept it against Renaissance.
Renaissance treated the La Canada game like it was for the CIF title and was sky-high for the game. They were going through the motions during the first half against Maranatha.
And, not that it would have changed the outcome, La Canada was without one of their scorers due to an injury which affected the game plan considerably.
La Canada is good. In no way would they beat Maranatha by even double digits. Anon, have you seen Maranatha play? That would be a great matchup between two very even teams.
PS,
are you joking? LC would be Maranatha by 45 points if they played? There are 3 real team in the area RA, Pasadena and LC all others don't belong on the list.
Tom S has small man's complex. It is a joke to consider Maranatha in the same basketball class as RA. It is like the freshman team against the Varsity at a real school.
How in the world did La Salle get lumped in with Prep an Poly for academics?
Your right RA parent this is about sports and bottom line is RA beat Maranatha by 27 points. No speculation in that.
Since you are so concerned, call and ask the school administration where previous graduates have gone? They will gladly provide that information.
It really is far better than continuously posting negative comments that the kids read with no fact basis to your claims.
And really, this article and this blog is about sports. So, let's talk sports.
anon
we will see... i'm not a maranatha fan .. but a fan of real small schools.. (La Salle, Poly. Prep ) Schools where kids h=get in to schools like UCLA, USC, Stanford and the likes where do your kids get into?? and if they didn't play basketball where would they go???
Loser, Tom S why so much hateration? I guess we will have to see who goes on to Universities. In order to go to a Div 1, 2 etc.. a player must be eligble through the NCAA clearinghouse. Which means a student must have an acceptable GPA and SAT scores to be considered. So I guess after the next two years of RA students moving on to college will close the pie hole.
Pot stirrer. The rankings come out in the paper the same day every week. Wednesday. They then make it on the web when I'm able to post them.
Hey Scott, when are your new local rankings coming out? Curious to see where you put LC and Maranatha... which of them do you think is better? What about some of the other teams?
loser
I agree with you. I also wonder about RA's school .. what are their test scores like and sat scores? can you really be called a school if your School does have real classes? just wondering out load. Also how many basketball players are on scholarship? Schools like poly, la salle and prep have real STUDENTS....
Yes, Marshall has better athletes playing B Ball than Maranatha. Maranatha has a superior coaching staff than we do, our coach is not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
Tom S you are exactly proving my point. Bottom line is the only team that Maranatha beat out of the teams you mentioned is Marshall. Don't base how good you are based on two other teams playing each other. Maranatha plays Marshall soon, concentrate on that because if Maranatha and RA were to play 10 times RA would win 10 times going away. Maranatha beat Pac Hills last year so maybe if Pac Hills is off there game Maranatha could come away with a win. You can keep hoping. BTW RA beat Pac Hills last year by what, 30? Maranatha is a good program but you've taken things to far.
Anon 6:23
You might want to get your facts straight before making comments you appear to have no knowledge about.
Let’s see, you said, “ Maranatha does not have the athletes to compete with Pac Hills let alone RA. Maranatha should concentrate on beating Marshall, that more your speed.”
During the first round of league play the Minutemen beat Marshall 62 – 58 and Marshall beat Pacific Hills 62 – 47.
Loser,
One day you will see the light and give credit where credit is due. The school is too small to offer another sport. But, we are trying. Wouldn't matter anyway, you'd still complain here and on socalhoops. You've nothing better to do with your time.
They go to class, real class, everyday. Stop with the lies. Enough already.
No one got happy about a 27 point win. Say what you will about RA, bottom line Maranatha does not have the athletes to compete with Pac Hills let alone RA. Maranatha should concentrate on beating Marshall, that more your speed.
Tom S,
Dream on - RA could have beat the Maranatha by 50 points!
Hey Anon,
Let's not get happy about a 27 point win over a team that has to attend classes AND play basketball. RA is a joke. Play one other sport, just one and you might be considered something beyond a fake school basketball factory. By the way, i hate Maranatha. I just hate cheaters more!
RA came out soft in the first half but as you see in the second half RA stepped up the pressure and the minutemen could not hang. Let not get happy with a half of play it was a 27 piont loss.
Hey, I’ve been meaning to post a comment on the game but haven’t had time.
What a great first half it was. Most thought the Minutemen would be down 15 to 20 going into halftime but they played with such intensity and surprised most that were there. Scott, glad we had a chance to talk during halftime. Unfortunately the Minutemen went cold during the third period, I think the Minutemen only scored 5 points that quarter and you’re not going to keep pace with Renaissance Academy with that.
It's the nature of the beast. Some people, for some odd reason, like to sit in front of a keyboard and complain. I don't think It'll ever change.
Gee...you get a number of complaints from the "small school" fans about a lack of coverage and, then, you cover one of their games...and nobody has anything to say. What gives?