Turnovers cost RedHawk boys in loss to Portola

Mistakes plagued the Colusa High boys basketball team Friday and Portola handed the RedHawks their first Mid-Valley League loss, 60-50.

The RedHawks (9-10, 3-1 MVL) committed 24 turnovers, sent the Tigers to the free-throw line 32 times and missed too many lay-ups on Friday, setting up a must-win game today in Maxwell against the Panthers.

"Turnovers are a concern for sure, we can't turn the ball over 24 times and expect to beat anybody. We cut those in half and make a couple more lay-ups and we walk away with a win," Colusa coach Marty Remmers said.

Colusa led for most of the first quarter, but Ricky Lowdermilk hit a 3-pointer near the end of the period for an 11-10 Portola lead that they never gave up.

Lowdermilk stretched the Tigers' lead to eight points with a short bucket early in the second quarter, before Colusa's Favian Grageda and R.J. Phillips scored four points each during an 8-2 run in the middle of the quarter. Portola (5-9, 2-2) closed the half with a 6-2 burst of their own and entered the half with a 28-22 lead.

Hayden Bailey cut the lead to one with a 3-pointer early in the third quarter, but Portola refused to give up their lead. With a minute left in the quarter, Eric Barrera hit a 3-pointer to make the score 36-35, but the Tigers scored the final three points of the quarter and opened the fourth with a 9-3 run, putting the game out of reach.

"We were making a run and I think we came down the court five times and weren't able to get it over the hump," Remmers said.

The RedHawks forced 30 turnovers and put constant pressure on Portola's guards, but missed lay-ups and ran into foul trouble.

The Tigers made their first 10 free throws of the fourth quarter and made 14 of 18 in the period. Portola shot 23 for 32 from the free throw line in the game. Colusa went 7 for 18 from the stripe.

Phillips led Colusa with 14 points and opened up lanes inside for Grageda, who finished with 10 points, before fouling out with about two minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Barrera made two 3-pointers and finished with 12 points, and Kevin Buenrostro scored five points.

Flint Fambrough led Portola with 24 points, 10 rebounds and three steals, and Lowdermilk finished with 18 points and eight rebounds.

Colusa plays at 7 p.m. today at Maxwell High against the first-place Panthers (11-5, 4-0) in the first match-up between the teams this season.

CONTACT Kirk Barron at 458-2121 or kbarron@tcnpress.com.