Injuries continuing to take a toll on NVC men's basketball
Photos: The Napa Valley College men's basketball team is shown in an earlier-season game against Reedley College.
Photos by Marty James
By MARTY JAMES
Coach Steve Ball is hoping that one of these days he will go into a game with his entire team, that everyone will be healthy and ready to go.
"We need the chemistry to get back to where it was. It's hard when, every other game, somebody's missing," said Ball. "It's just frustrating in that way for me, because the best ability is availability.
"Out of necessity, we've been experimenting with lineups because so many guys have been hurt. We've yet to play a game with a full complement of players."
Jayden Russotti and Liam Kilroy returned for Napa Valley College when the Storm resumed Bay Valley Conference men's basketball play on Friday, Jan. 2 at home against Los Medanos College-Pittsburg. But Napa Valley was missing Russell Gibson, who has a sprained ankle.
"(Gibson) definitely helps us. He can shoot the ball really well, and he handles the ball," said Ball.
"It's just a revolving door of who's sitting out."
Eleven players scored for Napa Valley, but the Storm lost to Los Medanos, 102-76, extending their losing streak to three in a row.
"It was nice to see Jayden Russotti out on the floor healthy again and Liam (Kilroy) also healthy, seeing people that are now healthy," said Ball.
Gibson is averaging 9.0 points and 2.2 assists per game for the Storm (4-10 overall, 0-2 Bay Valley Conference).
Russotti went into the game averaging 17.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.
"He got a little tired in the first half, but then in the second half, he caught his wind, and he played a little bit more of an extended period of time. So, we're going to need him. Hopefully he can get back in shape faster than expected," said Ball.
Kenneth Brown scored 18 points, leading three players in double-figure scoring for Napa Valley. Brown had two 3-pointers.
Jayden Robinson scored 16 points, with three 3-pointers, and AJ Loustau had 14 points.
Napa Valley fell behind early in the game, trailing 53-32 at halftime
"(Los Medanos) did exactly what their script is. They beat us down the floor in transition. They got second chances. They shot high percentage. They mixed things up defensively. We turned the ball over. We threw the ball away quite a bit tonight to start the game. We were out of sorts," said Ball.
"Playing hard is a baseline for us. We can't accept anything else."
Russotti and Kieran Mannion each had seven points, and Ryan Rice had five points for the Storm.
"We played the two fastest teams in our conference in the first two games," said Ball. "They push tempo really fast, and we just aren't up for that task right now. We've had so many injuries. We need to be faster, and we need to be able to do it for longer.
"What we're doing right now is not enough. If you've got more to give, then we need it."
Napa Valley cut into Los Medanos' lead, trimming it to a 19-point deficit, 82-63, in the second half. The play of the Storm's defense keyed the comeback.
"Rather than being on our heels in transition, we just attacked the basketball a little bit more," said Ball. "I thought we did a better job with that. And maybe that's the answer – when a team that's pushing the ball, you attack the ball instead of back up from the ball.
"I thought defensively in the second half, we did a better job with point of attack."
Los Medanos (6-9 overall, 1-2 Bay Valley) had five players score in double figures.
Jeremiah Collins scored 25 points, going 5-of-6 at the free-throw line and hitting two 3-pointers.
Kayshaun Hunte scored 18 points, going 7-of-11 at the free-throw line.
Aiden Dunne scored 17 points, with three 3-pointers.
Trevon O'Neal scored 16 points.
Gianni Altman scored 13 points.
Los Medanos had 11 3-pointers and was 17-of-27 from the free-throw line.
Napa Valley had nine 3-pointers and was 15-of-20 from the free-throw line.
Napa Valley has three games on its schedule this week.
The Storm plays at Merritt College-Oakland on Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 7 p.m.
They are at home on Thursday, Jan. 8 for a game against Mendocino College-Ukiah at 7 p.m.
They are also at home on Saturday, Jan. 10 for a game against Solano Community College-Fairfield at 3 p.m.
* Marty James is a freelance writer who makes his home in Napa. He retired on June 4, 2019 after spending 40 years as a sports writer, sports editor and executive sports editor for the Napa Valley Register, a daily newspaper in Napa County. He is a 1979 graduate of Sacramento State and a member of the California Golf Writers & Broadcasters Association. He was inducted into the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Hall of Fame in 2016, the Vintage High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019, and the Napa High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022.