Justin-Siena’s huge advantage rebounding and fast start helps them cruise past Napa
By Kyle Foster
Twitter: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews
If there’s one thing that’s important when playing on the road, it’s staring fast.
That’s what the Justin-Siena boys’ basketball team did when they cruised past Napa High on Thursday night, 67-44.
“We pretty much just kept our composure throughout the entire game,” Justin-Siena sophomore forward Vince Jackson explained. “We ran our plays, we ran our stuff. We made sure we got on the boards and we just stuck to what we did best and just kept doing what we’re good at.”
“I thought our guys executed – they did a great job,” Justin-Siena head coach Dave Granucci explained. “They came out with I think something to prove to themselves and to each other and even to me a little bit I think. I think they played with a chip on their shoulder, played really, really hard. Then, they did it in a very smart way. They were smart, they executed, (and) kind of put it all together.”
The Braves (3-7 overall, 3-4 Vine Valley Athletic League) quickly gained a double-digit advantage in the first half.
In the second half, they had their opponents doubled up at one point.
It also helped that they won the rebounding battle 44-23.
“We had good length on the floor,” Granucci said of winning the rebounding battle. “At one point we had Jaden Washington, Vince Jackson, and Travis Hightower and with DJ Ryan who’s got some good length at the two. So we had some length and Keith Binz is a really good rebounding guard. You’ve got those three big guys who can move their feet without fouling. So it made for difficult shots, I think for them, even if they got to the paint. It allowed us to clean up the glass.”
The Braves ended the night with three scorers in double figures. Vince Jackson led the way with a team-high 11 points and brought in six rebounds.
“For me personally, just hustling and making sure to be an asset to the team,” Jackson explained of his game. “But also to help the team overall.”
Travis Hightower and Asher Cleary also ended the night with 10 points each. Hightower brought in seven rebounds while Cleary grabbed just two.
“It’s always nice because it means you’re sharing the ball. You’re playing unselfish,” Granucci said of having three players with double-digits in points. “You’re doing the right things. (The) guys are in the right spots. All those things. So for us, it’s a big deal. We have a few guys who can make open shots. It’s just a matter of making sure that we have proper spacing and those guys are being found.”
Napa (2-7, 2-7 VVAL) was led by Brayden Greenlee. He ended the night with a game-high 15 points and brought in seven rebounds.
“He played well,” Napa High head coach Joel Garcia said of Greenlee. “He’s one of our go-to guys and he’s always going to try to find buckets and he’s always going to try to find his.”
Both teams will continue the league season next week. Napa will head to Petaluma on Tuesday night at 7 pm. As for Justin-Siena, they visit Casa Grande on Thursday at 7 pm. Justin-Siena’s next game will be Saturday at 2 pm when they host Novato.
In the first meetings, Petaluma beat Napa 73-57 and Casa Grande beat Justin-Siena 48-46.
In other VVAL action Thursday night, Petaluma beat Vintage 65-55
