RANCHO CUCAMONGA — When the Rancho Cucamonga boys basketball team snapped a 22-game losing streak against Etiwanda last month, it was up to the Eagles to respond.
Etiwanda did that Wednesday in a big way.
Etiwanda built a 20-point halftime lead and went on to rout the Cougars 71-45 in a Baseline League contest at Etiwanda High School.
Etiwanda’s Channing Cade #3 and Etiwanda’s Alton Hamilton #34 celebrate after defeating Rancho Cucamonga 71-45 in a Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Etiwanda’s Christian Harris #15 blocks the shot of Rancho Cucamonga guard Shadale Knight #10 on the backboard in the second half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Rancho Cucamonga guard Laron Hall Jr. #20 shoots as Etiwanda player try to block the shot in the second half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Etiwanda’s Christian Harris #15 fights for the rebound against Rancho Cucamonga guard Shadale Knight #10 in the second half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Etiwanda’s Jimmy Baker #5 tried to steal the ball from Rancho Cucamonga guard Aston Edwards #23 in the second half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Rancho Cucamonga guard Shadale Knight #10 drives to the hoop against Etiwanda in the first half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Etiwanda’s Jimmy Baker #5 defends Rancho Cucamonga guard Chuchu Osuji #44 in the second half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Etiwanda’s Carrington Pierce #1 blocks a pass by Rancho Cucamonga guard Laron Hall Jr. #20 in the first half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Etiwanda’s Jimmy Baker #5 reacts after missing a three pointer against Rancho Cucamonga in the second half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Rancho Cucamonga forward Derek Moreland #32 shoots over Etiwanda’s Channing Cade #3 and Etiwanda’s Curtis Williams #10 in the first half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Etiwanda’s Christian Harris #15 makes the shot over Rancho Cucamonga guard Aaron Glass #21 in the first half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Etiwanda’s Channing Cade #3 celebrates a three pointer against Rancho Cucamonga in the second half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Rancho Cucamonga head coach Bill Burke talks with his team in the first half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Rancho Cucamonga forward Jerimiyah Smith #13 drives between Etiwanda’s defenders in the second half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Etiwanda’s Alton Hamilton #34 scores between Rancho Cucamonga defenders in the second half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Etiwanda’s Jimmy Baker #5 falls into Rancho Cucamonga head coach Bill Burke as he loses the ball in the second half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Rancho Cucamonga guard Shadale Knight #10 is defended by Etiwanda’s Amare Campbell #0 in the second half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Etiwanda’s Curtis Williams #10 drives to the hoop against Rancho Cucamonga in the first half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Rancho Cucamonga head coach Bill Burke in the first half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Etiwanda cheerleaders after a three pointer against Rancho Cucamonga in the first half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Etiwanda’s Jimmy Baker #5 goes up for a layup against Rancho Cucamonga in the second half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Rancho Cucamonga guard Aaron Glass #21 fouls out of the game against Etiwanda in the second half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Etiwanda’s Amare Campbell #0 goes up for the layup against Rancho Cucamonga in the second half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Rancho Cucamonga guard Chuchu Osuji #44 crashes to the court against Etiwanda in the second half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Etiwanda’s head coach Dave Kleckner against Rancho Cucamonga in the second half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Rancho Cucamonga guard Shadale Knight #10 makes the layup as Etiwanda’s Amare Campbell #0 defends in the second half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Etiwanda’s Channing Cade #3 shoots over Rancho Cucamonga forward Derek Moreland #32 in the second half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Rancho Cucamonga guard Aaron Glass #21 crashes to the court against Etiwanda in the second half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Etiwanda’s assistant coach Daniel Ryan in the first half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Rancho Cucamonga forward Derek Moreland #32 tries to steal the ball from Etiwanda’s Channing Cade #3 in the second half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Etiwanda’s Christian Harris #15 hits the court diving for a loose ball against Rancho Cucamonga in the second half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
Rancho Cucamonga forward Jerimiyah Smith #13 shoots against Etiwanda in the second half of the Baseline League boys basketball game. in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, January 11, 2023. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
“After that first loss, one of the things we talked about was that we weren’t at that Etiwanda-type defense that teams in the past have been in,” Etiwanda assistant coach Daniel Ryan said. “We knew we had to continue to work. We knew the next time we played them they would come ready to play and we knew we had to step up to the next level.”
When Rancho Cucamonga snapped the losing streak to Etiwanda with a 54-50 victory at home on Dec. 3 in the championship game of the Inland Empire Classic, it seemed like a weight had been lifted off the Cougars’ shoulders.
That did not seem to be the case Wednesday, however.
“We came out scared,” Rancho Cucamonga coach Bill Burke said. “I don’t know what the issue was. Because we didn’t have that issue when we were in the IE (Classic). From the first play that we ran we did not execute it correctly. We were not even on the correct side of the floor. We knew exactly what we were going to run. We didn’t execute it and we didn’t execute it the next three or four times down.”
Unlike the first meeting between the teams this season, Etiwanda (13-4 overall, 2-0 league) took control of the game late in the first quarter and turned it into a rout in the second quarter.
The Eagles turned a 7-6 lead with 2:55 to play in the first quarter into a 28-10 advantage late in the second quarter.
“We felt if we moved the ball, got them shifting defensively, we would be able to get pretty good shots,” Ryan said. “As always, our focus was on playing hard, playing defense, pressuring the ball, getting in the passing lanes and rebounding. They got quite a few offensive rebounds on us last time we played them and we wanted to make sure we eliminated that.”
In the first half, Etiwanda’s Jimmy Baker had 15 of his game-high 19 points, as he outscored the Cougars (16-4, 1-1) by himself in the half. Etiwanda led 33-13 at halftime.
“Jimmy has started to play a lot better lately,” Ryan said. “One of the things we try not to do is put too much pressure on the seniors. We had a conversation with Jimmy and Curtis (Williams) before the game. ‘Hey, you’re our two big seniors. I think it’s time for you to start playing like seniors.’ Jimmy really took that to heart and stepped up. He played with a lot of confidence and he played with a lot of heart. He knew we didn’t want to lose this Rancho game.”
Williams and Christian Harris added 12 points apiece and Channing Cade scored 11.
Rancho Cucamonga had trouble getting off clean shots as the Eagles blocked 11 shots as a team, led by Zion Booker with three.
The players who led Rancho Cucamonga in the first meeting between the teams struggled the second time around.
Star guard Shadale Knight, who scored 21 points in the first matchup between the teams, led the Cougars with 12 this time, but had only two points in the first half. Jeremiah Smith, who had 19 points and 14 rebounds the first time, had just six points Wednesday. Aaron Glass had nine points, but fouled out in the first minute of the fourth quarter.
Etiwanda led by as many as 31 points in the second half.
The teams play again Jan. 25 at Rancho Cucamonga. A share of the league title will possibly be on the line.
Burke hopes his team will be more up to the task in two weeks.
“They’re going to have to learn from this,” Burke said. “When you beat them and you’re all excited about it, you better take it when you lose. We’re going to have to bounce back and get after it before we see them in the second half. That was just a poor effort.”
