SACRAMENTO — The Turlock High boys basketball players came out as if Arco Arena was their court, home to the Sacramento Kings. And it seemed as if they were heading toward the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship game in Thursday night’s slugfest against No. 1 Franklin High of Elk Grove.
No. 4 Turlock dominated the Wildcats by shooting 7-of-10 3-point field goals and 83 percent from the foul line in the first two quarters, while recording only two turnovers. The Bulldogs walked into the locker room with their heads held high along with a galloping stride following them. But that gallop would soon become a walk with a slump and the Wildcats moved onto their second consecutive Section title game after defeating the Bulldogs 70-66.
The second half began with two foul shots by Turlock’s Anthony Hubbard, followed by a turnover and then a 10-3 run motivated by Franklin’s Michael Rosaroso, who only shot 3-of-10 in the first half to net seven points.
“Start playing physical!” Turlock coach Doug Cornfoot roared from the bench.
Yet the roar became just another word when Ashton Richardson picked up his fourth foul at the start of the third quarter.
“I couldn’t be physical,” the junior said. “I wasn’t frustrated. I just had to limit myself because I didn’t want to get called for a small foul. Those open looks weren’t there in the second half.”
Rosaroso brought the Wildcats back into the game by shooting 6-of-10 from the floor, just as teammate Ikenna Iroegbu contributed 12 points, two assists and one steal off the bench.
But the Bulldogs didn’t let up. Hubbard scored seven points with 4 minutes left in the fourth quarter and making 3-of-5 from the foul line. And what had stunned the Wildcats in the first half could not be duplicated in the second, as the Bulldogs shot one of seven from the 3-point line to finish the game.
Elk Grove had 10 turnovers, nine assists in comparison to Turlock’s 13 turnovers and one assist. Turlock only made 14 free throws out of 19 attempts, the same amount the Wildcats made yet they shot 30 for the game.
In the end, it was too much Rosaroso, who finished with 24 points for the Wildcats, 14 of which came in the second half.
Turlock’s Travis Souza ended the night with 15 points, five points shy of his season average.