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Central Valley comeback falls short
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The members of Central Valley High School's varsity boys basketball team retreated to the locker room at halftime down 19 to visiting Weston Ranch.

Determined to avoid further embarrassment in front of their home fans, the Hawks staged a furious comeback to force overtime before falling 76-73 in Valley Oak League action to the Cougars Friday night.

"It really hurts," standout freshman point guard Keymonte Wooten said. "We worked so hard to get back into the game and we lost."

"They did a great job coming back," Central Valley head coach Darryl Dickson said. "They put on a very good show for the crowd. I'm real proud of them."

Wooten and Trevor Mew combined for 46 points and 12 treys for Central Valley, which dropped to 5-9 overall, 0-2 in the VOL standings.

Robert Morgan added 11 points, including back-to-back baskets in the final minute of regulation to send the game into overtime.

Nate Moises poured in a team-high 22 points for the Cougars (7-7, 2-0). Derrick Sykes and Charray Poole each scored 16 points.

The Hawks struggled mightily in the first half thanks in large part to poor transition defense. Central Valley also failed to execute on offense.

Weston Ranch grabbed a 41-22 lead on the strength of 10-0 and 13-0 runs.

"It's definitely frustrating," Trevor said while trying to provide reasons for his team's sluggish start. "There was too much messing around in the locker room before the game. We weren't focused. Part of that's my fault because I'm a captain. I have to make sure they're ready to go and they weren't."

Dickson lit into his team during intermission.

"It was quiet," Wooten said. "Nobody said a word except coach. After that, we came out, heard the fans and were ready to play."

The Hawks responded with an impressive comeback that created a frenzy in Central Valley's gymnasium. Hawk fans were loud and energetic.

"I really challenged them," Dickson said. "It was my goal to make them angry. They stepped up."

Added Mew: "That's how we need to play all the time."

Trevor tallied 21 of his 23 points in the second half, including seven 3-pointers. The senior guard-forward had 12 points on four treys in the third quarter. Mew managed to make just one layup while misfiring on the rest of his attempts in the first half.

"I couldn't get loose," he said. "My shot was off."

Wooten scored 14 of Central Valley's 21 fourth-quarter points. He hit four 3s, including one from NBA range, and put back his own miss. Keymonte totaled a career-high 23 points and five treys during the fast-placed VOL game.

"I had to do something," said Wooten, who's less than a year removed from playing junior-high basketball. "I couldn't just sit there. The coaches believe in me."

"He's just so much more mature than kids his age," Mew said.

Morgan made back-to-back baskets in the final minute of regulation to send the game into overtime.

Weston Ranch outscored Central Valley 9-6 in the extra stanza, including 5-0 in the opening 1:45.