Youth was served Wednesday night at Granite Bay High as the Grizzlies’ boys basketball team turned to a pair of sophomores down the stretch
in taking a 59-58 overtime win over Del Oro. The game was played with a backdrop of pink balloons, pink shirts and pink shoelaces as the two squads joined together in a “Hoops for Hope†game, partnered with the Susan G. Komen Foundation to raise awareness and funds in the fight against cancer. Granite Bay coach Jason Sitterud was grateful that Del Oro agreed to participate with the Grizzlies in that part of the night, as his mother is a breast cancer survivor. “With the honoring of those who have battled cancer involved in tonight, and the outcome of the game, we had two wins tonight,†Sitterud said. The game itself certainly did not disappoint, as two talented, playoff-bound teams battled for every loose ball and every rebound in a mad scramble. Del Oro’s playoff fate is largely sealed, though positioning may still change for the Golden Eagles, who are currently ranked No.1 in the Division III power ratings. The contest had huge playoff implications for Granite Bay, currently the No. 14 team in Division II. Granite Bay took control in the second quarter behind the scoring of senior guard Corey Vanderbeek and junior guard Ryan Motsenbocker. The backcourt mates combined to score 12 of the Grizzlies’ 17 points in the stanza as Granite Bay took a 27-21 lead into intermission.
Sophomore Aaron Hendricks answered for the Golden Eagles as the teams returned to the court after the break. The Del Oro sharpshooter drilled a trio of treys in the third as he scored 11 of his 18 points in that period.