IMPERIAL — The Imperial High boys’ basketball team is just one step away from winning its third consecutive Desert League title after cruising past Holtville High, 80-18, here Tuesday.
The Tigers were very efficient on all sides of the ball, despite playing their starting five for just a few minutes in each of the first three quarters.
The tandem of seniors Dexter Bell and Azael Castro with juniors Chris Carter, Dajon Staton and Royce Freeman is expected to do well if they can put it all together for the C.I.F. playoffs in a couple of weeks.
Their play meant Imperial’s bench had ample time to show their own skills on both sides of the court, with seniors Mike Leyvas and Dejon Wilson, along with junior Dominic Paramo, leading the charge.
“It was good for our guys to get time and play a little bit,” Tigers coach Dave Milan said. “Our starters played hard when they were out there.”
Holtville was led by junior Clay Gudde, who drew the biggest cheers of the night for his plays.
Gudde busted a 3-pointer from way downtown before making consecutive shots in the paint to lead the Vikings with seven points, four steals and eight rebounds.
“It was fun,” the Holtville athlete, who has autism, said. “It was good to make those points.
“I’ve been playing basketball all my life, but this is my first season for real,” Gudde said.
Leyvas had 18 points on the night, all of them from beyond the arc for the Tigers. He has become a go-to shooter for Milan to use during any portion of any game.
“It was an important game,” Leyvas said. “It was a league game and we were all ready to play and get our third championship in a row this year.
“It feels really great to know that coach can trust the bench behind the starters,” he said. “That gives me more confidence to shoot.”
Wilson had nine rebounds and a pair of blocks and steals each, while Paramo notched 10 rebounds and six assists.
“You could tell that Holtville was giving it all of their effort tonight,” Milan said. “It was a good game to run up and down the court and get ready to do our best against Southwest.”
The Tigers (16-7, 5-0 Desert League) go on the road to play Southwest High at 7 p.m. this Friday night, before finishing league play at Calipatria High next Tuesday.
The Vikings (5-14, 0-5 DL) will host Calexico High at 7 p.m. Friday.
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