CONCORD — With just over four minutes left in fourth quarter, Ygnacio Valley head coach Michael Woolridge was visibly upset.
Campolindo had erased a 10-point second-half deficit after Cougars’ forward Tim Smith made a layup to bring the score to 56-54.
After Smith’s lay-in, Woolridge immediately called a timeout and loudly voiced his frustrations with his team’s play. While he was talking to the entire team, his eyes were locked in on one player: junior point guard Antonio Kellogg Jr.
Ygnacio Valley’s Antonio Kellogg Jr. (5) makes a shot in front of Campolindo’s Landon Fly (3) in the second half of basketball league game at Ygnacio Valley High School in Concord, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
“He was getting on me,” Kellogg said. “He told me I had to step up and that I needed to take over the game. I had to lead my team to the win.”
The pep talk paid off.
Ygnacio Valley went on a 14-5 run to close the game and win 70-59. Kellogg scored six of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, including four made free throws in the final four minutes.
Both teams came into Wednesday’s game tied for first place in the Diablo Athletic League. With the victory, the Wolves are now in sole possession of first place with one game remaining in regular season play.
“When these kids get down, they know how to pick themselves back up,” Woolridge said. “They fight. We always talk about having short-term memory and having to get ready for the next challenge ahead. They’ve been working hard all year and it paid off tonight.”
Ygnacio Valley’s Evan McKnight (50) goes up for basket against Campolindo High in the second half of basketball league game at Ygnacio Valley High School in Concord, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
The Wolves couldn’t have asked for a better start to the first half as they went up 41-32 going into halftime. Ygnacio Valley got a spark from freshman Terrance Murphy Jr. who came off the bench to score six points and steal two passes in the second quarter.
But Campolindo wasn’t going to lay down.
Despite going down as much as 10 points in the third quarter, the Cougars’ offense found life in guard Gavin Rendle.
The 6-foot-3 junior scored five of his team-high 18 points in the second half and found open looks for teammates on drive-and-kick plays.
But after Smith’s layup to bring the Cougars within two in the fourth quarter, Ygnacio Valley’s defense stifled Campolindo. The Wolves went to a full-court press which led to steals and dunks on the other end.
The final dagger came when Kellogg stole a pass near mid court and hurled a lob pass to Loyal Morris. The senior guard threw down a two-handed alley-oop slam that capped off an 8-0 run to extend Ygnacio Valley’s lead to 62-54.
Morris and 6-foot-10 senior Evan McKnight each finished with 14 points.
The Cougars, whose six-game winning streak was snapped, believe the game was lost on the defensive end.
“We take pride in our defense and it’s usually the deciding factor when we win games,” said Campolindo guard Dylan Mansour, who finished the night with 15 points. “We gave up at least 20 points in the first and second quarter alone, so that’s not successful for us to win games.”
Campolindo’s Dylan Mansour (11) makes a shot against Ygnacio Valley’s Evan McKnight (50) in the first half of basketball league game at Ygnacio Valley High School in Concord, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
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For Ygnacio Valley, the win was a big step in the right direction for a team who won just two games a couple of seasons ago. The Wolves can clinch the top seed in the DAL Championship Tournament and the league regular season championship on Friday with a win over Miramonte.
“It’s a big win for Ygnacio Valley,” Woolridge said. “I know Ygnacio Valley hasn’t beaten Campolindo in a long time. It might be a statement win, but it ain’t over for us.”
Ygnacio Valley moved to 19-6, 10-1. Campolindo dropped to 20-5, 9-2.
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