he Whitney High boys basketball team has managed to make their CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoff games entertaining, while continuing to win big.

Whitney 73, Merced 60

The No. 8 seed Bears came off a narrow 58-56 victory over Rocklin to open the playoffs and came into Whitney with upset on their minds, but the Wildcats are good at changing minds.

After taking a slim 19-17 lead in the first quarter, Whitney put the Bears in a steel trap and went on a 21-2 run to seemingly bury their visitors. But a slow start in the third quarter allowed Merced to close the 21-point gap to 51-41.

“I don’t like being up 22 and having them coming back,” Whitney head coach Nick French said. “I give them a lot of credit; they beat a really good Rocklin team. They beat a really good Rocklin team and they came up here and they gave us everything.”

Although the ‘Cats were unable to slow the Bears as they did in the second quarter, Jashon Lewis refused to let Merced get any closer. In quarter four, Lewis scored 16 of his 26 total points, knocking down 8-of-8 free throws.

“I’m really proud of our guys. I’m really proud of Jashon and how he finished the game for us at the free-throw line and I thought he got some really big rebounds,” said French. “He got an inbounds play he scored on as well. That was probably the turning point and the big difference in the game.”

The Wildcats now head to the University of Pacific in Stockton to meet No. 12 Del Oro in a semifinal showdown. The Golden Eagles upset both No. 5 Inderkum in overtime and buried No. 4 Grant 75-52 Friday.

Whitney 73, Golden Valley 44

The Cougars never really backed down in the playoff opening round, but then neither did the Wildcats.

Whitney took a 45-21 lead into the halftime break and in the second half French began using everyone on the bench. In the second half, the two club’s played more evenly as far as the score was concerned, but the game was all but over.

“It was good to see all of our guys get in. It was good to see all the players, all 17 guys get in and play and have fun,” French said.

Thirteen Wildcats scored; Lewis led with 16 points.
