Trojans press Lions into submission

The Petaluma High School boys basketball team threw a complete game at El Molino’s surprised Lions on Friday night.|

The Petaluma High School boys basketball team threw a complete game at El Molino’s surprised Lions on Friday night.

“It was the most consistent full game of defense we’ve played all season,” explained Petaluma coach John Behrs after the Trojans had slain the Lions, 41-34, before a boisterous and appreciative home crowd.

Spicing a tenacious man-to-man defense with an effective press that morphed into an even more damaging zone press in the game’s critical final minutes, the Trojans made scoring difficult to impossible for the Lions.

The win was just the second in six first-half Sonoma County League games for the Trojans, but their second in the last three contests. Overall, Petaluma is 3-14, with a home game against league-leading Analy coming up Friday. El Molino stands 3-13 overall and 0-5 in league.

Petaluma received defensive contributions from all 12 participants, but none did more than hustling guard Ryan Cox, who scored the game’s first point on a free throw and added 12 more later to finish game high with 13.

But it was his defense that was his most important, not to mention most spectacular contribution to the Petaluma cause, especially in the game’s closing minute as the Lions desperately tried to claw themselves back into the contest after chopping a once-solid Trojan lead to four points.

With Petaluma leading, 38-34, and only a minute and a half to play, Cox stepped in front of an El Molino pass, drove downcourt and dished off to teammate Johnny Molinari, who was fouled and dropped in one of two offered free throws. Seconds later, Cox repeated the steal-and-drive performance. This time, he was the one who was fouled. He hit both his free throws and the Petaluma victory was assured.

Petaluma controlled, but never dominated play up until late in the game when the Lions belatedly made a run at their hosts.

Working with a pestering press, Petaluma jumped out to a 15-8 opening-quarter lead, scoring the final five points of the period, aided by Cole Murrin’s 3-point pop. “The press was the key,” Behrs said. “When we press we seem more focused and more energized.”

All was not perfect in the Trojan world. Petaluma continued to have problems finding the net with any frequency from the outside, and both teams scored just six points in the second round, with the halftime finding Petaluma holding a 21-14 advantage.

El Molino got to within two points at 23-21 midway through the third period, but a 9-2 Petaluma run, featuring a Cox 3-pointer, had the Trojans threatening to break the game open.

It never quite happened, although they did manage to maintain a six- to nine-point lead until the Lions’ Lani Gaspar drained a 3-pointer to slice the lead to four (38-34) before Cox became the thief that stole their hopes.

Eight Trojans contributed to the Petaluma scoring with Zach Stromberg, who has also played himself into a starting spot, scoring six, Colin Stremlau five and Ryan Perez four.

Gaspar led El Molino with 12.

Loss to Lobos

Earlier in the week, the Petaluma High School boys basketball offense disappeared in the second period in a 52-41 Sonoma County League loss at Elsie Allen.

Both teams shot well in the opening period, with Elsie Allen reaching the buzzer with an 18-16 lead. However, in the second period, the Trojans managed just four points and trailed at the half, 29-20. A three-point third period sealed the Petaluma fate.

Stremlau led Petaluma with 14 points, with Cox adding 11.

Jalen Busby carried the Elsie Allen offense with 24 points.

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