Sourdough Bar Repeats as Champs

by Dave Lieben

Sourdough Bar defended their Men's 'A' Division City League Championship with an 104-97 overtime win over Taquan Air Wednesday. Sourdough came out of the loser's bracket needing two victories over Taquan to claim the title, and both games went down to the wire.

Sourdough, as in their first game, jumped to a quick lead, when a pair of Ryan Davis baskets gave them a 12-5 advantage. Taquan answered with a short run of their own, a Rick Erickson three-pointer put them ahead at 16-14. Taquan started the game without Jerry Scudero, who arrived midway through the first half, his tip-in gave Taquan a 48-38 lead. Sourdough's Scott Effenberger got a tip-in just before the buzzer to close the first half trailing 48-43.

A three-pointer by Scott Smith gave Sourdough a 53-51 lead, but some baskets by Shawn Richardson helped Taquan open a 75-64 lead, their biggest of the game. Sourdough fought back to tie the game at 82 with about four minutes left. Effenberger fouled out of the game with 44 seconds left and his team ahead by one, but Scudero made both free throws to put Taquan up by a point. In what might have been the game's biggest play, Sourdough's Chris Glasser, being guarded by the much larger Scudero, darted around him for an easy layup to put Sourdough ahead. After Taquan missed their shot, Dave Smith was fouled after grabbing a loose ball. He made one of two free throws to give Sourdough a two-point lead. Taquan grabbed the rebound and called time-out with ten seconds left. Smith fouled Norm Skan on a shot attempt with two seconds left. Skan made two of three free throws to send the game into overtime tied at 91, after an off-balance shot by Sourdough's Kyle Wendtle at the buzzer just missed.

Sourdough led for most of overtime, after a Dave Smith three-pointer gave them a 95-93 lead. Some clutch free throw shooting by Scott Smith gave Sourdough their margin of victory.

Effenberger led Sourdough with 28 points, followed by Davis with 19. Dave Smith and Glasser had 16 points each, followed by Wendtle with 15. Scott Smith, Sourdough's leading scorer on Sunday, had 10.

Shawn Richardson led Taquan with 25 points, Erickson added 20, and Skan had 18. Steve McDonald scored 11 points, Bob Hammer had ten points, Scudero notched seven and Dan Patton had six.