Grinding it out

It wasn't the prettiest of games, at times it was downright ugly.

It was a contest in which defenses ruled, passes were deflected, shots clanged off the rim with regularity and every rebound became a test of wills in the paint.

However, a win is a win, and coach Bob Wolcott and the East Nicolaus High girls basketball team will take it any way they can get it.

Denise Kendrick dropped in a putback with 16 seconds remaining and the Lady Spartans held on at the end to earn a narrow 31-29 victory over Live Oak in the championship game of the Love of the Game Invitational in East Nicolaus on Saturday night.

It was a low-scoring affair all the way through as both teams had difficulty getting their shots to drop. Live Oak went on to shoot 12 for 58 (20 percent) from the field in the game, while East Nicolaus wasn't much better, shooting 13 for 50 (26 percent).

And while both coaches expected it to be low-scoring, no one could've predicted such a low final tally.

"I wouldn't have thought 31 points would've done it," Wolcott said after the game. "I know it wasn't artistic, we ran our scramble offense, but the kids kept their composure."

East Nicolaus (14-1) received strong play early from Darleen Herrin, who scored all nine of her team's first-quarter points to help the Spartans draw even heading into the second.

The Spartans took a 17-13 lead at halftime, but Live Oak slowly got its offense going thanks to the play of senior Amyah Clark. Clark scored all 10 of her team's points in the third period and the Lions trailed 25-23 heading into the fourth.

But Live Oak (9-4) missed its first nine shots and had six turnovers to start the final period and was unable to gain ground despite some help from East Nicolaus.

The Spartans connected on just 2-of-8 shots from the charity stripe in the final 1:38 to allow Live Oak to hang around, and when Clark knocked down a jumper with 27 seconds remaining, the Lions tied the game at 29-29.

East Nicolaus' Alanna Smith stepped to the free-throw line with 21.5 seconds remaining and missed both shots, but Kendrick outfought three Lions for the ball and banked home the putback for the game-winner.

Herrin finished with 15 points and seven rebounds, Kendrick had 11 points and 11 boards and Katie Michel swiped five steals to lead the way for East Nicolaus, which will play at Colusa on Tuesday before beginning Mid-Valley League play at Esparto on Wednesday.

"It was a two-point game, so it came down to one bounce of the ball," Wolcott said. "I don't think there was any difference between the two teams today."

Clark scored a game-high 19 points, sister Anijah Clark had six points and Paulina Heredia had five steals and eight rebounds for Live Oak.

"We had an off weekend. We had three weeks off at Christmas and it took its toll," Lions coach Erin Walton said. "It was very sloppy. We were fundamentally unsound and when you don't execute, you beat yourselves."

Live Oak begins its Sacramento Valley League slate at Willows on Jan. 17.

"Hopefully we'll get back to where we were before the break," Walton added. "We have Lindhurst on Monday and hopefully that will give us a chance to get our feet under us."