Boys Basketball: Pinole Valley's Comeback Falls Short Against De La Salle

De La Salle 48, Pinole Valley 39

The Star: Pinole Valley senior Kairon Moore scored a game-high 18 points, all in the final three quarters after being benched the entire first quarter for missing Monday's practice.

The Turning Point: De La Salle opened the game on a 19-0 run and led 19-1 after the first quarter. Pinole Valley never got closer than six points down the stretch.

The Quote: "The final three quarters went better, but if we could have rebounded better … we probably could have ended up winning that game," Pinole Valley coach Anthony Geddins said.

What's next? Pinole Valley plays its final non-league game this coming Thursday at Ygnacio Valley. Game time is 6 p.m.

Bottom Line: Pinole Valley could never recover after spotting DLS a 19-0 lead to open the game.

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Some lessons are more painful than others.

Kairon Moore, the team's leading scorer and rebounder, was benched for the entire first quarter Thursday night at De La Salle by coach Anthony Geddins for missing practice on Monday.

When Moore entered the game at the start of the second quarter, Pinole Valley trailed 19-1.

"We said if you miss practice, you have to pay the price, knowing what the price was going to be," Geddins said after his team's 48-39 loss to the defending North Coast Section Division I champion. "Actually, if we had fared better in the first quarter he probably would have sat until the second half. But obviously our team feels they really need him … so we had to put him in.

"You (break) the rules, you not only affect you. You affect your whole team."

Once Moore entered the game, he was a dominant presence, scoring 18 points in the final three quarters.

"It seemed like nobody could stop him," DLS guard Benny Battle said. "He was making everything."

The problem for Pinole Valley was that no one stepped up in the first quarter to keep the game close while Moore was on the bench. The team didn't score a point until point guard Patrick Dungo made one of two free throws with 14 seconds left in the half.

"I just think they played nervous for no reason at all," Geddins said. "Maybe Kairon is their pressure release."

Even with Moore on the court, Pinole Valley still trailed by 21 points at halftime (30-9) and by 14 at the end of three quarters (37-23).

But Pinole Valley opened the fourth quarter on a 12-4 run, cutting DLS's lead to 41-35 with 4:27 still left to play. Dungo scored five points during the surge, hitting from the key and making a three-point play.

"We need him to get us into our offense and defense," Geddins said of Dungo. "He's the guy that runs the show. He's been the point guard for us the last three games."

Dungo had a chance to cut the lead to four, but he missed two free throws. When De La Salle's Amadi Udenyi made two free throws and Battle scored a fast break lay-in, its lead was back to 10 points at 45-35 with under two minutes left. Pinole Valley cut the lead to six again, but it ran out of time.

"You have to give them credit," DLS coach Frank Allocco said of Pinole Valley. "There's no quit in those guys."

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De La Salle 48, Pinole Valley 39

Pinole Valley (7-4) 1 8 14 16 – 39

De La Salle (6-0) 19 11 7 11 – 48

INDIVIDUALS

Pinole Valley (fg ftm-fta tp) – Moore 6 6-8 18, Dungo 2 4-11 8, Scott 2 2-2 7, Rubin 1 0-0 2, Cox-Gilmore 1 0-0 2, Evans 1 0-1 2. Totals 13 12-22 39.

De La Salle (fg ftm-fta tp) – Pacos 6 0-0 12, Battle 4 2-4 11, Pitts 4 1-1 10, Udenyi 1 4-4 6, Morgan 2 0-0 4, Mullin 1 0-0 3, Oronos 1 0-0 2, Peera 0 0-1 0. Totals 19 7-9 48.

3-point goals: Pinole Valley 1(Scott). De La Salle 3 (Battle, Mullin, Pitts).

Fouled out: De La Salle -- Pacos

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