By MARTY JAMES martyjames.sports@gmail.com

There are a lot of good things that coach Steve Ball is seeing from the Napa Valley College men's basketball team.

There's the all-out effort and high-level energy that both starters and backups are giving.

There is the overall depth that a roster of 13 players provides.

There is the excitement of having a solid number of redshirt players in the program.

There is the standout play of freshman point guard Chris Farrington, who has scored 44 points in two games for the Storm.

"I think we're starting to learn the word compete a lot more," said Ball. "I think we got a little downtrodden (Thursday) night when we gave up a run. (Friday) we gritted our teeth, fought back and knew that there were no 10-point shots. You can't make two 10-pointers and be back in the game. You've got to do it one possession at a time and they did that defensively."

Napa Valley, the host of the Storm Classic, sure did.

The Storm was behind at halftime, 50-31, but rallied in the second half in a nonconference game against Sacramento City College, twice making it a nine-point game in the second half at 67-58 with 8:42 to go and 77-68 with 4:55 to play.

Farrington scored 27 points, hitting two 3-pointers and going 11-of-16 from the free-throw line, but Napa Valley lost, 89-76, on the second and final night of the Storm Classic.

"Chris Farrington did a great job carrying us. Chris needs to be aggressive for us," said Ball. "A lot of guys stepped up and defensively, we did a good job, despite almost giving up 90 points.

"But I feel like the issue was a couple of turnovers in the first half. And then second-chance points again. Those are our two bugaboos right now."

The season-opening Storm Classic was a two-day, four-team event, Nov. 2 and 3. College of the Redwoods-Eureka and Folsom Lake College also played in the Storm Classic to start the 2023-24 season and regular season schedule.

A 12-0 run gave Sacramento City an early 19-4 lead.

Raekwon Bell scored 15 points and was 3-for-3 at the free-throw line.

Jaleel Turner scored 11 points and was 4-of-6 from the free-throw line.

Jalen Moore scored seven points.

Napa Valley (0-2 overall) made six 3-pointers and was 22-of-31 at the free-throw line.

"There was just a positive energy in the building. We got a technical foul for our bench being too excited. I'll take that one. That means that we got 18 guys supporting each other. And that's what we're trying to build here. And so, for them to do that, I'll eat that one. We'll clean those up," said Ball.

"What I saw (Friday) was that we supported each other."

Ball is getting quality play from a deep bench. He is hoping to get Keith Nyangena, a sophomore forward, back this week. Nyangena has been out with a concussion.

"We're going to need that because it's a long season. You can't play six or seven guys. You've got to have a deep rotation. Hopefully, we can continue to play a deep bench with Keith," said Ball.

Oliver Aandahl and Hassan Flemming each had five points for NVC.

Nate Broome scored four points.

A 10-0 run got the Storm back in the game, as NVC closed the gap to 15 points, at 63-48 with 12:21 to go.

An 8-0 run by the Storm made it an eight-point game, 67-58.

"I think Chris, being aggressive in the second half, really changed the tempo of the game. And Raekwon also finding his attack mode. I think he was a lot more aggressive at the right times in the second half. Getting downhill in transition is something that he does, as well as anybody," said Ball.

"It's sharing the basketball but also guys being assertive and aggressive."

Farrington scored 19 points in the second half.

Nine players got into the game for NVC.

"We've made some strides and we're heading in the right direction. We need to continue to do that," said Ball.

Sacramento City (2-0 overall) was led by four players in double figures: Andrew Ferrara-Jones with 25 points, Dajon Lott with 21 points, Sidney Duplessis with 19 points, and Drew Fischer with 14 points.

In Friday's first game, it was College of the Redwoods winning, 75-65 over Folsom Lake.

NVC continues its season on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at Santa Rosa Junior College at 7 p.m.

The Storm is at home on Friday, Nov. 10 for a game against Monterey Peninsula College at 5 p.m.

* Marty James is a freelance writer who makes his home in Napa. He retired on June 4, 2019 after spending 40 years as a sports writer, sports editor and executive sports editor for the Napa Valley Register, a daily newspaper in Napa County. He is a 1979 graduate of Sacramento State and a member of the California Golf Writers & Broadcasters Association. He was inducted into the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Hall of Fame in 2016, the Vintage High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019, and the Napa High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022.