Cal Bears Defense Controls Canes
• The PVBA 6th Grade division’s season, as well as the rest of the PVBA season, came to an end two weekends ago.
In the boys’ 6th Grade championship game, the Cal Bears beat the Miami Hurricanes, 22-16, in a defensive struggle.
Early, the game looked like it would be a blowout, with Miami’s Shaun Leone playing tremendous defense. Miami led, 9-1, but it got exciting from there.
At the end of one quarter, Miami led 9-5. But then D.J. Cicero, a rebound beast, came in. He and Eric Mulkey were able to help keep the game close. At times Cal came within three points, but the Hurricanes finished the first half leading 14-8.
The Bears did not give in. They played tremendous defense. In fact, Miami didn’t score a point in the third quarter; their only two points of the second half came on free throws.
With 20 seconds remaining in the third quarter, the Bears broke away and scored a layup, which gave them a 15-14 lead, their first of the game. They ran away from there. Cal kept making baskets, while Miami just couldn’t.
The score, 22-16, does not do the game justice. Cal dominated the second half. With about three minutes remaining, there was a feeling in the Peninsula gym that Miami would not make a comeback.
The deciding factor in this game: defense.
Miami did not make a field goal in the second half; Cal scored more than half of their points in the second half. It’s not that Miami lacked defense, it’s that Cal played better defense when it needed to.
Cal showed grit and determination on their way to the sixth grade championship.
