Boys' Basketball: Tigers take third

After opening the weekend with a tough loss to Mountain View High School out of Mesa, Ariz., the Douglas boys' basketball team came back to take third place at the George Maldonado Tournament.

The Tigers had three players in double-figures and outscored the Mira Loma Matadors 16-8 in the second quarter Saturday on their way to a 58-48 win at Galena High School.

Douglas finished the week 3-1 at the tournament after not winning a single game during the same event last year.

Douglas, now 5-3, was led by Jeff Nady, who had a game-high 18 points, Kevin Emm (11) and David Laird (10).

In all, 10 Tigers scored in a well-balanced attack as Douglas readied itself for its Sierra League opener against Wooster Tuesday in Minden at 7 p.m.

"(The Matadors) made a little run, got us off the dribble a couple of times and knocked down a couple of threes (in the fourth quarter), but we responded and finally put it away," Douglas coach Corey Thacker said.

The Tigers held a 32-22 lead at the half, outscored the Matadors 14-9 in the third period and led by as many as 15 points (46-31) before scrappy Mira Loma rallied in the fourth quarter.

Anthony Windley scored a team-high 15 and Ryan Loomis added 14 for the Matadors, who closed the lead to five points two times (51-46 and 53-48), but the Tigers never broke.

"We're still building on some things," Thacker said. "We have to work on some experience, some game situations so they know what to do in certain situations. We have six returners and have to fill a lot of spots. We have to find a way to trust each other. That comes with working together."

Douglas got off on the wrong foot Friday when Laird - who has been averaging 14 points per game - didn't have the proper attire to play against the Toros.

And even though his team was down only five points - 27-22 - at the half, Thacker's Tigers took it on the chin in the third, when Mountain View outscored them 24-9.

Four Toros scored in double figures: Eric Hunt had 15, Brendon Lavender - an Arizona signee - had 13, Nathan Murphy dropped in 12 and Tyson McLelland added 11 to lead Mountain View to the championship game against Galena, where it later pulled out an overtime win over the Grizzlies.

"We were short a guy," Thacker said. "We had to fight through it. We didn't do it.

"Credit to (the Toros). They played hard. In the third quarter, they got after it. Good teams do that and they're a good team."

Nady led the Tigers with 17 points and muscled his way to the foul line often, making 11-of-12 from the charity stripe. Emm added nine points on three 3-pointers and James McLaughlin scored seven.

"Today we had to go with some guys who don't go in (often) to see who could step up," Thacker said. "We have to do that. It's one of those things you have to learn from. How we respond to adversity -- that is where we learn."