Justin-Siena’s execution and rebounding advantage leads them past Napa
By Kyle Foster
Twitter: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews
Rebounding is one of the big keys to winning basketball games.
It’s even more important when games are tight.
That was the case on Tuesday night when the Justin-Siena boys basketball team beat Napa 49-47.
The Braves (1-2 overall, 1-2 Vine Valley Athletic League) won the rebounding battle 29-22 on the evening.
“The difference between Justin and Napa was the rebounding,” Napa first-year head coach Joel Garcia explained. “They killed us on the boards. They did a great job of executing their plays.”
It also helped that Justin-Siena executed a little better in this contest.
“I think it was just our execution of the game plan a little bit,” Justin-Siena head coach Dave Granucci said. “Obviously, there were definitely numerous times where we broke down and didn’t do that. But when we did, we had success and we pushed the lead.”
The first half saw both team’s offenses be very stagnant before things picked up in the second half.
Justin-Siena also gained momentum heading into the break thanks to a coast-to-coast by sophomore forward Travis Hightower to give them a 23-19 edge.
Leading the way for the Braves was Hightower. He ended the night with a team-high 15 points and five rebounds. Robbie Sangiacomo added seven points and three rebounds as well.
The Braves were led by Vince Jackson and Jaden Satten who each brought in five rebounds to lead the team rebounding effort. Jackson ended the night with six points. Meanwhile, Satten finished with five points.
Napa (1-2, 1-2 VVAL) was led by Tyler Oda. He had a fantastic night by scoring a game-high 17 points.
“I’m telling him ‘why wait for his senior year, go for his junior year’,” Garcia said of Oda’s performance. “He scored 17. He was doing great on the defensive end and on the offensive end, he was executing plays. He was distributing the ball and he was finally starting to hit shots. He was finally able to get his.”
Brayden Greenlee also added 11 points and five rebounds.
The rebounding leader for the Grizzlies was Spencer Gorman who brought in seven boards. He also pitched in with five points on the night.
Both teams will be back in action on Thursday night at 7 pm. Napa will continue VVAL play when they visit American Canyon. Meanwhile, Justin-Siena will be back at home for non-league action when they host Healdsburg.
In other VVAL action Tuesday night, Vintage beat Petaluma 61-54, and American Canyon beat Casa Grande 72-71. During their league bye, Sonoma Valley beat San Marin 65-60.
