NVC men's basketball can't sustain good start, loses to Los Medanos
By MARTY JAMES
The Napa Valley College men's basketball team got off to a very good start in its Bay Valley Conference game on Wednesday night.
Back-to-back shots by Hassan Flemming were followed by 3-pointers by E'Jay Rogers and Chris Farrington.
It was a 10-0 lead for the Storm, with Los Medanos College-Pittsburg taking a timeout.
A basket by Jayden Robinson gave the Storm a 12-3 lead.
"I thought that we did a really good job of moving the ball in the first eight minutes of the game. I think we got to 12 points pretty quickly, and then we got stuck on that number," said Napa Valley coach Steve Ball. "We were doing a good job defending. But attrition, they're going to make some shots. And we weren't making shots for quite a big stretch there."
Napa Valley had an early lead, 19-18, at the start of the second half. But Los Medanos took over, going on a 13-0 run and beating the Storm, 56-44.
"They were playing a lot of zone. And so, it's a different look on the finish than it would be if you're in man to man. So, maybe that threw us off a little bit. But I've got faith in us to make those, to finish those shots at the rim," said Ball. "We've just got to make plays. We didn't pass and catch very well. So, that comes with confidence.
"Also, you've got to give it up for their big man (Tochi Onyeador). He can change some shots at the rim."
Napa Valley was outscored in the second half of the game, 38-28.
Rogers was the only player for Napa Valley (3-21 overall, 2-10 Bay Valley) in double figures, scoring 16 points. The loss is the second in a row for the Storm, which is tied for eighth place in the conference standings.
Rogers hit three 3-pointers.
"E'Jay's got a lot of potential. And when he plays with his confidence, he can do those things," said Ball. "E'Jay is always going to bring that defensive energy. When he's a sophomore, he's going to be really, really impactful."
It was a season-low scoring total for Napa Valley.
Eight players scored in the game for the Storm.
Jayden Robinson and Flemming each scored six points.
Farrington had five points and Nate Broome had four points.
Napa Valley had five 3-pointers.
"We're not finishing shots at the rim. We're just not finishing around the basket," said Ball.
Los Medanos had three players in double figures. It was Jacob Hodges with 13 points. Onyeador and Victor Montez each had 10 points
Los Medanos had eight 3-pointers.
Napa Valley continues its season, playing at Contra Costa College-San Pablo on Friday, Feb. 7 at 5:30 p.m.
"We just keep chopping wood. Keep chopping wood," said Ball. "These guys, when they step on the floor, they want to compete. Someone asked me the other day, 'How do you get your kids to play so hard?' I said, we just bring in guys who play that hard. We have that culture of kids in the area who play their tails off, who want to come play here and have that opportunity."
* 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.