Tigers Fall Short Against Bear River

BY TREVOR HORN
THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz

LD Dhaliwal was red-hot Saturday night.

The junior guard for Inderkum High School made a season-high seven 3-pointers, butwas unable to hit one at the buzzer as the Tigers lost athome to Bear River High School 59-56 Jan.5. 

The Tigers neededplayers to step up in the absence of leading scorer Terrence White, who was limited toabout four minutes of on-court action in the first half due to an ankle injury the night before against Grant High School.

“When you lose your leading scorer and probably our most aggressiveplayer going to the basket, it is always going to hurt,” Inderkumhead coach Rodney Haymer said. “But it is a team sport and we stillshould have found a way to win that game. We didn’t lose that gamebecause we were missing Terrence.”

Dhaliwal and Nef Torres combined for five threes in the first half asthe Tigers (9-7) took a 26-25 lead into halftime.

Bear River (14-3) senior forward Justin Beskeen, who was averaging 23 points a gamecoming in, scored 11 of his 15 points in the second half to hold off the Tigers. 

Samer Dhillon cut the lead to just one point for the Tigers with one minute, 38 seconds to go in the game. But Bear River increased the lead to 58-53 on two free throws by Tyler Hajewski.

Dhaliwal nailed another three, and a one-for-two attempt at theline gave Inderkum an opportunity for a final shot to tie the game. Dhaliwal got the ball on the left wing and had to settle for ashot two-feet behind the three-point line, falling short as the clockexpired.

The Tigers missed two key free–throw opportunities in the finalminutes of the game, including Torres, who missed the first of aone-and-one opportunity Haymer says is rare for aplayer with better than a 90 percent shooting average from the line.

“I guarantee that it is a long time again before Nef Torres misses aone-and-one free throw in a clutch situation,” Haymer said. “He is agreat shooter and a great kid and it happens to the best of us.”

Despite the recent 1-4 run over the holiday break, Haymer still feelslike the Tigers have a shot at two firsts for the school: a Tri-CountyConference title and a 20-win season.

“We still have a shot at 20 wins,” Haymer said. “Inderkum basketball has never had a 20-win season before, and if we get to 20 wins, that obviously means we won league. And Inderkum has never won a title in the TCC. Even though we are on a little bit of a skid right now, we can get to 20 wins and win league.”

Haymer’s confidence comes from the fact the team isstacked with shooters and scorers which he says are as good asthey come in the Sacramento area.

“I would dare to say that if Nef is hot, and Terrence is hot and LD ishot, there isn’t a team in Sacramento that can beat us,” Haymer said.

The Tigers will finish up non-league play on Monday, Jan. 7 at home againstRodriguez and open TCC action Thursday night at Yuba City.

Send story ideas to Trevor Horn at [email protected] and follow onTwitter @trevhorn