Sierra Canyon boys basketball overwhelms Bishop O’Dowd of Oakland

CHATSWORTH — Relentless ball pressure and defense powered Sierra Canyon boys’ basketball to victory on Saturday.

The Trailblazers ran away with the home win in an intersectional matchup with the Bishop O’Dowd Dragons of Oakland.

Sierra Canyon won the game 82-37 with over a dozen steals, several blocks, along with a full-court press and defensive tenacity that Bishop O’Dowd had no answers for.

The Trailblazers (7-1) set the tone from the jump, with high-press that challenged the Dragons’ (7-1) ball-handlers. Sierra Canyon’s baited outlet passes but were quick to swarm the passing lanes and get out in transition. The Blazers had five steals and three blocks in the first quarter alone, while also holding Bishop O’Dowd to just one shot attempt in the first three minutes of play.

“We’re focusing on the defensive side of the ball much more than the offensive side,” Sierra Canyon coach Andre Chevalier said. “I think we have people that can score naturally, so we have to really work on the defensive side. We got punked and pushed around a bit in DC. So one of our focuses is that we don’t ever get pushed around again. So the physicality for us is where we have to really focus and be good.”

Senior Brandon McCoy did most of the scoring in transition as he led Sierra Canyon with 20 points and four steals. The transfer also added six rebounds, three assists and a block.

North Carolina commit Maximo Adams tallied 10 points, five rebounds and three blocks for the Trailblazers. Sophomore Josh Lowery also added 10 points and six assists in the win.

Sierra Canyon’s starters were mostly subbed out for the third quarter before coming back in the fourth for a few minutes to get the bench players comfortable. However, even the Trailblazers bench kept the pressure and scoring high as Jordan Mize and Stephen Kankole added 13 and 12 points respectively.

Chevalier didn’t expect such a lopsided win against the undefeated Dragons but liked the way his team capitalized on numerous turnovers.

“I didn’t think that that was gonna happen tonight,” Chevalier said. “I think we just played very well. We were much more physical tonight and we executed well.

Bishop O’Dowd couldn’t do much to help itself on offense. The Dragons were a little stagnant and didn’t move the ball well. The road team also struggled from the charity stripe, where it missed eight shots from in just the third quarter.

Naas Griffin led the Dragons with 10 points, five boards and a block.

Sierra Canyon has now won two straight since dropping a tough one on the East Coast to Bishop McNamara.

Although the team showcases numerous transfers in its lineup, including three starters, Chevalier likes where his team’s chemistry is at and where it’s headed.

“They really like each other, which makes it easy,” Chevalier said. “They share the ball, they execute the plays, they’re looking for each other. So I’m excited about where we can go. This has just happened naturally, but if we can continue to work on it and enhance it, I think it’ll be great for us.”

Sierra Canyon was able to get every player some court time in the win but will be at full strength after Christmas when the sitout period ends, clearing the way for JJ Sati-Grier.

“We’re not big down on the front line, but we’re big across the board,” Chevalier said. “Our guards are big, and when JJ comes back in December, after Christmas, we’ll be able to go to another level, just because it’s another ball handler. We can play with pace. We’ll be able to press more, so it’ll be exciting for us.”

The Trailblazers will get a week off before more tough non-league play next Saturday when the team welcomes Crean Lutheran, who is hot off a win over Crespi. Games and wins in games like this will be crucial in getting Sierra Canyon back into the CIF Southern Section’s and State tournament’s Open Division, where the team aims to finish on top, come February.

“Every year, the goal is to win an Open Division state championship,” Chevalier said. “That hasn’t changed and with this group, they’re talented enough to do it. So we have to continue to work, continue to grind, stay disciplined, and it’s one game at a time.”