Cubs go big in finale, grab No. 2 in league

The Cubs boys basketball team finished the season with a strong win against the Yreka Miners on Friday 66-53, securing themselves second-place in league play and a first round bye in the Division IV playoffs.

The win came just days after Anderson let a co-championship with Corning slip through their grips in Lassen last Tuesday, 53-60.

"It was very disappointing because that we could've ended co-champions but instead we are second place," Cubs coach Larry Newman said.

Nevertheless, Newman is proud of the progress his team has made since he started coaching the Cubs this year. The Anderson boys have been able to shake off a losing season last year (5-23), and poised themselves for a strong playoff showing.

One of Newman's main focuses early in the season was to get the Cubs to think of themselves as a winning team. And it's worked.

"We came out this year with a will to win," Cubs senior Ty Meyer said after the Yreka game. "We are going to go all the way this year."

The Cubs exhibited their abilities in their last league game against the Miners.

The Cubs got in their groove at about the five-minute mark. By the end of the half, the Cubs skyrocketed to 33, leaving the Miners behind with only 15 on the board.

The Cubs continued to leave the Miners in the dust throughout the third quarter. But late in the fourth, Yreka made some ground. The Cubs finished with a stable 66-53 win.

"From the five-minute mark of the first quarter to the five-minute mark of the fourth quarter we were a very good basketball team," Newman said.

"I wasn't satisfied with how we finished off," he said. "They haven't ever learned to play with the kind of discipline we need them to play with in that situation. They need to play differently when they want to put it away."

In spite of the lag at the end, several Cubs players stood out in the game.

"Offensively (Garrett) McCurdy had a very good game," Newman said.

"Ty Meyer had a couple of very nice assists and he shot decently," the coach added.

McCurdy scored 13, including three three-point shots. Ty Meyer took home 11 points. But the games high scorer was senior Zach Guibergia with 20 points. Guibergia went 10-12, managed seven rebounds and blocked two shots.

Guibergia's top-notch play is something his coaches are beginning to expect.

"It's not, 'Oh that was a good game.' It's starting to be, 'Oh that's Zach's' game. That's how he plays," Newman said.

Cubs senior Jordan Taylor was pleased with his teams standings at the end of league play.

"This is definitely a good way to end the season. Of course we wanted to finish it stronger in the fourth quarter," Taylor said.

Coach Newman said teaching his team the discipline to finish the game strong will be important as they forge into the playoffs. He also wants to prepare his team to play against aggressive teams.

"We've got to get our legs fresh and get ready to play against a much more physical defense than in the regular season. In the playoffs people play more aggressively and the officials allow it to get rougher," Newman said.

The Cubs have had trouble maintaining their composure when faced with physical teams.

"Lassen was very physical the other night, and it tends to take us out of what we want to do," Newman said. "We are going to work to get ready for that kind of a game."

The last and most important component the Cubs will practice for the playoffs is strengthening their shooting.

"Whenever you get in a big game, you have to shoot well. And when you shoot well the whole game changes," Newman said.

Anderson (14-11) earned a No. 4 spot in the division IV playoffs. They have a bye for the first round of the playoffs. On Friday they will have home court advantage against the winner of Tuesday's game between No. 5 Willows (16-10) and No. 12 Yreka (6-17).