With four 3-pointers early in the game from senior guard Jackson Crawford, the Cavs notched their first league victory this season, outlasting the El Dorado Adventist Eagles 54-43 at Country Day on Jan. 29.
Crawford led the Cavs with 19 points, including five 3s.
Country Day last played the Eagles on Jan. 7, when the Cavs lost 51-46. However, this game saw the Cavs lead 50-29 by the end of the third quarter.
The team maintained a lead in all four quarters due to its improved ballhandling and decision-making, according to coach David Ancrum.
Ancrum added he’s happy to see the team’s hard work pay off.
“I’m glad they got a win,” Ancrum said. “After coming to practices at 6 in the morning, they definitely deserve it.”
According to Crawford, the Cavs (1-14 overall, 1-8 Sacramento Metropolitan Athletic League) won by maintaining possession and making the “right plays.”
“We limited our turnovers, and once we broke the press, we strung together the right passes, allowing guys to finish more (layups) today,” Crawford said.
Freshman point guard RJ Vargo agreed.
“Our ball movement was great, and we didn’t have as many turnovers (as in past games),” Vargo said. “However, we did start the fourth quarter up by 21 points and ended up winning by 11, so we lost our momentum in the last quarter.”
Junior forward Max Wu said the team played much better than in its previous game, a 71-44 loss at Faith Christian on Jan. 28.
“Today, every time we had possession, we had a chance to score,” Wu said. “(Against Faith Christian), we were turning the ball over often and letting them score. So the team is improving each game.”
Crawford agreed.
“Hopefully we can carry this momentum to our game against Cristo Rey on Saturday,” Crawford said.
The visiting Cavs fell 45-28 to the Saints on Feb. 1.
The Cavs will host the Buckingham Charter Knights on Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 7:30 p.m.
—By Arijit Trivedi
