Tough week for hometown hoops teams

Northern Athletic League rival Corning made their way back to the top with Anderson and West Valley in division standings when they beat the Cubs 51-60 on Friday.

Local teams Anderson and West Valley were tied for first place in the NAL, but the Cubs loss to Corning, and a West Valley loss to Central Valley (60-46), put Corning back in it.

The Cubs, Eagles and Cardinals now sit in a three-way tie for the number one spot.

The Cubs knew Corning would jump at any chance they gave them during their game on Friday, and the Cardinals got their chance late in the third quarter.

"They are a good team. They played much better this time than they did last time," Cubs coach Larry Newman said about the Cardinals. "They shot very well, and played with a lot more discipline than we did."

Anderson held on for the majority of the game, with the Cardinals biting at their heels.

The lead went back and forth in the first half. But the Cubs managed to pull ahead at the end of the first and second quarters.

The Cubs slipped late in the third quarter, and a game of catch up in the fourth quarter didn't pan out.

Newman had backup players in to rest his starters, and the Cubs gave up 8 points in the final minutes of the third.

"The last two minutes of the third quarter decided the game," Newman said.

Ty Meyer was the high scorer, with 19 points for the Cubs. Tanner McIntyre scored 16 for the Cardinals.

With the win, Corning upgrades its record to 4-2 in league play and 17-5 on the season. The Cubs are 4-2 in league play, and 11-10 overall.

Anderson will face off against the Eagles in another important bout on Tuesday. Coach Newman had his team get right back to practice on Saturday to prepare for their tie-breaking match against inter-district rival West Valley.

"It will be interesting to see if they have the fortitude to go back to work," Newman said. "We'll see what happens on Tuesday."