Sonoma tops Piner in SCL opener

Dragons third in Dixon tourney|

The Sonoma Valley High Dragon cagers had three players score in double figures Tuesday as they beat Piner, 55-44, in their opening Sonoma County League game.

“It was a great start to league play. It wasn’t just getting the win, it was how it was achieved,” said Dragon Coach Mike Boles. “Piner is a good team and is well coached. We felt confident and picked up some momentum in the Dixon tournament.”

The Dragons ran off to a 14-7 first quarter lead. The Prospectors cut the lead to five by halftime. But a 17-12 fourth quarter put the game away for the Dragons.

“Our players have had a sense of focus for the last couple of weeks,” Boles said. “We came out with energy, executed our game plan, and the kids competed the entire game.”

Freshman Jay Taylor led the Dragon attack with 16 points, five rebounds and six assists, seniors Luke Severson and Dylan Samaniego each chipped in 14 points while Severson had 10 rebounds and four assists and Samaniego had four assists. Senior Nazir Lyle had eight points and senior Colton Mertens had three as the Dragons shot 46 percent from the field.

“While it’s satisfying to get the win, we all realize it’s only one win and we have to keep getting better,” Boles said.

Last Friday, the Dragons beat Franklin 49-44 to finish third in the Dixon Tournament and Taylor and Severson were named to the all-tournament team.

In the Franklin game, Sonoma started quickly and had a 16-8 lead after the first quarter. The Yellowjackets cut the margin to 23-19 at the half, but the Dragons put the game away with a 20-12 third quarter.

Taylor led the Dragons with 19 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals; Mertens had 17 points; Severson had nine points and seven rebounds; senior Eric Bailey had four points while Lyle pulled down nine rebounds.

The two wins gives the Dragons an 8-6 overall record and a 1-0 SCL mark.

Sonoma was at Elsie Allen Thursday night, results not available at presstime, and will host a non-conference game Saturday when DeAnza visits Pfeiffer Gym. The freshmen will host St. Vincent’s at noon while the JV game against DeAnza is set for 5:30 and the varsity at 7.

The Dragons will be back in action Tuesday, Jan. 10, when they host Petaluma in an SCL tilt.

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