The Los Banos Tigers took on their cross-town rival the Pacheco Panthers for the first time this season in the last game of the three day Pacheco tournament. The Tigers have dominated Pacheco for almost 10 years, not losing a game to the Panthers since the 2014-2015 season. The Tigers look to win yet again against the Panthers.
The Tigers are a way smaller team compared to last year’s squad. They will rely on their shooting, speed, and their hustle to win some games. They are coming into the season after a playoff loss to Central Catholic. They look forward to working hard and making it further than last year.
The first quarter was a back and forth battle with the score being 13-11 Pacheco. The Panthers had looked strong on both sides of the ball. Eric Ramos (10) and Jack Goodger (10) both knocked down two three pointers for the Tigers helping them keep it a close game in the first. The Tigers have a very young team this year with a team consisting of four seniors, four juniors, and four sophomores.
In the second quarter, the Panthers came out even stronger and started gaining a lead against the Tigers. They had outscored the Tigers 19-7. Pacheco’s defense was looking strong, and the Tigers needed to find an answer.
Coming into the half, the score was 31-20 with Pacheco having a good lead but not good enough. The point guard and captain of the team Caleb Robertson (12) said, “We feel good, our shots are just not going in. We need to make use of every possession we get and come out with more energy and better defense these next two quarters.”
Robertson finished the game with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists. He was not the leading scorer though as sharpshooter Eric Ramos finished the game with 25 points.
In the 3rd quarter, the Panthers did not let up as they went on to score another quick six points and have a 17 point lead. The Tigers knew they had to start playing better if they had a chance so they did. They slowly began to cut the lead down and hit some shots. They hit four threes in the quarter and at the end it was 42-35 Pacheco.
In the 4th quarter, things started to get really close. The Tigers cut the score all the way down with the help of Ramos hitting four threes himself. He ended up hitting a huge three to give the Tigers a 55-52 lead with 3:40 seconds left on the clock. After some free throws from the Tigers and two made two point field goals from the Panthers the game was at a score of 58-57 Pacheco. Robertson was then fouled which sent him to the free-throw line for two shots. He would end up going 1-2 which tied the game up. With 11.5 seconds remaining, Panthers point guard Emilio Romero (12) grabbed the rebound and quickly dribbled down the court and sank a one legged fadeaway mid-range shot that ended up giving the Panthers their first win against the Tigers in almost 10 years.
These two teams will face off two more times this season in the league. The Tigers have a chance to prove why they are the better team in Los Banos. Their next game will be at Merced High on December 12, 2023 at 7:15 P.M.
