Coming in to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 4 basketball playoffs as the number seven seed, Escalon’s varsity boys got the chance to host a home game. It was against the number 10 seed – and Southern League champion – Orestimba Warriors.

Final in the Wednesday, Feb. 15 playoff game was 50-40 in favor of Orestimba.

“We were excited when the brackets were released to see that we earned our program’s highest playoff seed and first home playoff game since the 2004-2005 section championship season,” said head coach Nate Bartelink. “On the night of the game, the gym was full; the environment was great. It was a nice moment taking it all in during the pre-game.”

Escalon, with an 8-4 record in Trans-Valley League play, finished second in the tough TVL and were 18-10 overall entering the playoffs. Orestimba came in at 21-7 overall and as the undefeated Southern League champion, 12-0, riding a 13-game winning streak.

Unfortunately, the Cougars were unable to get things going offensively.

“We picked a bad night to have our worst shooting game of the season, and second worst scoring output. We shot 22 percent (13-for-58) from the field and 9 percent (2-for-22) from three. There was only one other game this season where we even shot below 30 percent from the field, 27 percent against Sonora,” explained Bartelink. “I thought we got decent looks throughout the game, but they just didn’t fall. We typically shoot really well and score at a higher rate at home. I don’t know if it was nerves or what. I thought we executed our sets well; our shot selection was fine for the most part. Basketball is a make or miss game. There were a few moments throughout the game where a ball didn’t bounce in our favor, or a call went against us, and then Orestimba would make a timely basket to end our run or extend their own.”

Buoyed by the crowd early, however, Escalon did take the lead, going up 13-12 over Orestimba in the first quarter. But a 13-7 Warrior run in the second gave the visitors a 25-20 lead at the half.

“I thought the end of the second quarter was key when we could finish off a couple defensive possessions. We also shot an ice cold 15 percent during the second quarter,” Bartelink pointed out. “Give Orestimba credit for playing more physical than we did. Going into the second half, we had to get out of our trapping zone, which typically allows us to get in transition and get easy buckets, because we were not rebounding well enough.”

However, it didn’t seem to matter what the Cougars tried or how hard they worked; Orestimba gradually pulled away in the final quarter and displayed the confidence of a team on a long winning streak.

The squads traded points, 11-11, in the third but the Warriors had a 14-9 scoring edge over the final eight minutes to seal the double digit win.

“We didn’t make up any ground during the third quarter and were still down five points to start the fourth quarter,” said Bartelink. “We immediately had a couple costly turnovers that allowed Orestimba to extend the lead. I thought we were about to make a couple runs throughout the fourth, but the cold shooting continued. It was a frustrating and disappointing night; one that will sit with me for a long time.”

Pacing the Escalon effort was senior Jack Anderson, putting in 14 points in his high school finale, ending his career with 1,036 varsity points.

Ben Fletcher was also in double figures with 12 points, Ethan Garza contributed five to the team total.

“The locker room after the game was very emotional. No one expected our season to end on this night. But that’s the playoffs. If you don’t play well, you go home,” Bartelink said. “We’re sad to see our six seniors go. They put in a lot of hard work over their four years to help our program take another positive step this season. They are special young men that are going to go on and do great things in life. It was a privilege to be a small part of their journey.”

With the first round loss, Escalon ends its season with an 18-11 record. Orestimba advanced to the quarterfinals but took a loss on Friday night to the number two seed Venture Academy and finished at 22-8.

Bartelink said there were many positives for this team of Cougars, despite the short stay in the postseason.

“After some time passes and the playoff loss sting subsides some, we’ll be able to look back and feel good about what we accomplished this season. I think this team exceeded a lot of people’s expectations for this season. We battled through some key injuries throughout the season, but I am proud of what we did on the court,” he summarized. “More importantly, I’m proud of how everyone in the program represented our school and our community the right way. We’re excited about the future of this program. We’ve made steady progress the last five years. Four of our five starters in the playoff game will be returning next season, along with other juniors that will now have an opportunity to earn a significant role, and a talented group of players coming up from the JV team. We’re looking forward to the offseason.”

It was also a loud, supportive crowd that turned out to cheer on the varsity boys Wednesday night, Feb. 15 and Bartelink said the team never wants to take that for granted.

“I’d like to thank everyone that supported our program in any way over the course of the season. It’s an honor to coach in a community with such great support,” Bartelink said.