Trojans take advantage of icy cold Winters

Spectators in the Orland High School gymnasium were treated to a very competitive and evenly matched first quarter Tuesday with the Warriors from Winters in town. But of course, a basketball contest lasts four quarters.

What the Orland fans witnessed over the next three quarters was a Winters offense that fell ice cold while the Trojans heated it up offensively for a 62-32 meltdown win.

Stephen Batchelder got things going for Orland in the first quarter with a tip-in for the first two of his game-high 16 points to put the Trojans up 2-0, but Winters' Aaron Geerts made two baskets off of Orland turnovers and added a three-pointer to grab the lead for the Warriors, and they held the lead 14-13 at the end of the first period of play.

Bobby Lombardi, silenced for the first quarter, put Orland up by one with a jumper from the free-throw line to begin the second period, and his two free throws would also end the first half and give the Trojans a 26-18 lead.

Then the climate changed for Winters.

Orland began pressuring the Warriors full-court, and the combination of defensive pressure and Winters' ice-cold shooting enabled the Trojans to start the second half on a 21-0 run to blow the game wide open.

Wiliam Govea hit for all nine of his points during the run, including a trey, and Etham Schmeltzer scored seven of his 13, also with one from behind the arc.

In all, nine Trojans cracked the scoring column as Orland was 24-of-57 on the evening for 42 percent, and the Trojans also sank 12-of-18 from the line.

Along with Batchelder's 16, Schmeltzer's 13 and Govea's nine, Antonio Garcia added eight, Lombardi had six points and the same number of steals, and Kellen Miller scored five points and passed out nine assists.

It was Orland's first BVL win to go with three losses, and evened their season mark at 10-10.

The Trojans host Las Plumas (7-7, 3-0) Thursday, and play at Wheatland Feb. 6.