Eldorado ekes out victory over Silverado

Jummel Hidrosollo / Special to the Home News

Silverado guard Ali Sabra tries to pass Eldorado’s Mitrell Clark Friday night. Eldorado pulled out a narrow 58-56 victory over the Skyhawks.

By Jared Harmon (contact)

Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009 | 1:10 a.m.

Despite holding a 12-point lead early in the game, the Silverado boys' basketball team was unable to hold back Eldorado, which chipped away at the Skyhawks' lead to eventually win 58-56 on Friday.

Silverado senior shooting guard Wade Collie sat out with a knee injury suffered during a 90-72 win over Coronado last week.

While senior guard James Lata scored a team-high 22 points and senior point guard Ali Sabra added 20 of his own, the rest of the Skyhawks failed to match Collie's normal output resulting in the team's third lowest point total of the year.

"We got away from our game plan and started rushing ourselves," said Silverado assistant coach Jarion White. "We weren't taking the time we needed and we weren't giving ourselves any second or third chances. On defense we just didn't perform and we gave up."

White said losing Collie for the game hit the Skyhawks on offense, defense and in the leadership department.

Although Sabra was able to get hot when the team needed him, his 14 second-half points and Lata's six were the only the Skyhawks scored after the break.

Sabra said despite the non-league loss, the Skyhawks are still at 15-3 for the season and should have their focus back in time for two big Southeast Division match-ups. The team faces Foothill on Tuesday and Liberty on Thursday.

"We tried to give the game away tonight. We just weren't patient," Sabra said. "Normally we have a real good bench but tonight they couldn't get it going and then we all struggled. Next week we'll have all our starters back and we'll have some hard practices and we'll get back to where we need to be."

Sundevils' star Charles White was absent from the first half of the game as punishment for missing a practice on Monday. When he was offered the opportunity to play in the second half he said he knew he had to come up big to redeem himself with his coach and teammates.

The senior guard erupted for 22 points in the half including the Devils' final four points to put them ahead as time ran out.

"Coach sat me out for tough love so I had to show I was ready to go," White said. "I had to show I was ready to play ball and that I could still be a team captain. When I got in I just said, 'I'm here for the team,' and I knew I had to explode."

The Sundevils ate away at Silverado's lead in the third and fourth quarter with a combination of a speedy offense and a stiff defense, Charles White said. He added that the come-from-behind win was indicative of the type of team Eldorado has this year.

"We don't give up," he said. "Nobody can stop us when we play our best, nobody."

Jared Harmon can be reached at 990-8922 or jared.harmon@hbcpub.com.