Mustangs sweep away Calistoga

St. Vincent continued to surge in North Central League II play with a commanding 57-17 win over Calistoga in DeCarli Gym on Friday night.

The Mustangs have rolled up six consecutive victories since opening league play following a 13-point loss to front-running Roseland Prep, and a rematch is around the corner on Friday in Santa Rosa. A contest against last-place Upper Lake earlier in the week is all that stands in the way of a meeting between the top two teams on the Roseland floor.

Calistoga didn’t have enough weapons to compete with the Mustangs as the hosts raced to a 43-5 lead in the first half without using a full-court press.

Liam Galten had his way underneath against the smaller Wildcat defenders, and finished with eight points in the first half. Calistoga had no answer once St. Vincent penetrated the perimeter, and Mustang coach Lance Phillips quickly made mass substitutions as the game moved on.

Phillips acknowledged that St. Vincent still has work to do before the end of league season.

“We played Rincon Valley Christian without their best player earlier in the week, and there are some tough games coming in the second round,” he said. “We still have to get past some of the teams on the Max Preps Division V list to have a chance to make the North Coast Section playoffs.”

The Mustangs are currently rated No. 16 in the NCS, with a full round of league play still ahead. St. Vincent has raised its overall record to 9-9 after a dismal 2-8 start to the season.

Galten, Aaron Sihota, Mike Awad and Reilly Tobin were the top scorers for the Mustangs with eight points apiece. Awad came off the bench to have his most productive game for St. Vincent since returning from injury.

Will Tarrant had nine rebounds to lead St. Vincent.

Sihota, Tobin and sophomore Michael Davis did the bulk of the outside ball handling for the Mustangs, who trailed only once in the game after a free throw by Erik Valencia of Calistoga.

Dan Muntence scored 10 points for Calistoga (2-12).

SV girls roll 47-10

Earlier, the St. Vincent girls ran past Calistoga, 47-10, behind a 17-point performance by junior center Olivia DeGraca.

The Lady Mustangs pressed their way to a commanding 19-0 lead before coach Jim Fagundes called off the pressure. DeGraca battled her way to eight rebounds to lead all players on the glass.

Fagundes felt that the night was productive for his club as some good work was registered by players seven through nine on the roster. Eight of nine players scored for the Mustangs. Claire Galten scored all of her six points in the second half.

“We are getting some nice play from point guard McKenna Wilson-Kay,” noted Fagundes. “She has probably improved the most for us so far this season. I don’t have to tell her more than once about a situation on the floor, and she gets things done.”

Lady Wildcat center Jenna Franquellin worked hard to score nine points.

“We had to leave a couple of players at home who are sick and another got suspended,” she told Fagundes after the game.