Highlights: Athenian boys basketball tops Verdugo Hills for first CIF State crown
SACRAMENTO - The Danville Athenian boys basketball team defeated Verdugo Hills High 67-49 in the CIF State Division 5 final at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento Friday afternoon.
Evan Lucas led Athenian with 20 points and seven assists to earn the Owls their first CIF State title in program history. Surya Devasenpathy added 15 points in the victory.
Verdugo Hills, which lives and dies by the 3-point shot, according to coach Jared Gibson, shot 7 of 34 from downtown.
"That was one of my concerns coming in, was the depth perception of the NBA arena," Gibson said.
"If you saw our gym, you'd understand," he added with a chuckle.
The Dons were led by Jabez Agustin's 15 points (five 3s) and Alexander Martinez' 12 points. Despite turning Athenian over 21 times, the Owls outscored Verdugo Hills 38-16 in the paint.
"We identified what gaps we wanted to attack," Athenian coach Jordan Boreman said. "It was number one on our list to make sure we take it to the basket."
