It didn’t come easy, however.
The Vikings played tight defense for the final 30 seconds, holding off Marin 50-48 in a nonleague contest.
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Pescadero beings play in the Pescadero Hoop Dreams Small School Invitational at 11:30 a.m., Thursday, playing Kirby Prep.
Nothing could replace the feeling the Vikings and their fans felt after the win.
“Pescadero can finally say it’s undefeated in basketball,” said guard Ricardo Cabrera. “Everybody was cheering for us. It’s not that often that we win.”
The Vikings’ most recent previous win was a 51-25 decision over Geyserville in the final day of the Pescadero Hoop Dreams Small School Invitational on Dec. 2, 2006.
The team went 34 games between victories.
“It was very electric in the gym,” said freshman Ben Duarte. “Everyone was screaming.”
It was Duarte who sank two free throws with 30 seconds left in the game to give the Vikings the lead for good.
Pescadero couldn’t celebrate since the Nighthawks had the ball.
“I was worried,” Cabrera said. “We knew we couldn’t foul them. We just wanted to stop the ball. We also had to watch for three-pointers. They had one guy who was just shooting threes.”
The defense was so tight that Marin called three timeouts in the final sequence. Marin turned the ball over and the Vikings ran out the final seconds to get the win.
“It was amazing to pull it off,” Cabrera said.
The Vikings appreciated the victory.
“Losing helps prepare you to win,” said Luis Mendez. “If you win too much, you might get too cocky or disrespect your opponents.”
The senior credits second-year coach Casey Norton with instilling a work ethic.
“He knew we would make mistakes,” Mendez said. “He said it’s all part of the process.”
Girls drop opener
The Pescadero girls’ season opener wasn’t as successful as the boys’ game. The girls fell to St. Lawrence Academy, 42-17.
“We have only been practicing for one week,” Chloe Talbot said. “A lot of us were joining the team after volleyball.”
Hayley Strohm led the Vikings with 10 points.
The Vikings begin their portion of the tournament at 10 a.m. Thursday, playing Kirby.
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