PANTHER FROSH BOYS HAND HORNETS A LOSS
By Marc Atwood
marcatwood@aol.com
 
(1/30/08 Chico, CA) The Chico boys' freshman basketball team earned a 53-39 win over Enterprise Wednesday at "The Panther Pit."
 
Jon Virgen scored the Hornets' first basket 32 seconds into the game. The Panthers answered back 18 seconds later when David Leavitt hit a three-pointer. Leavitt made a shot with 3:57 remaining in the first quarter to give Chico a 10-4 lead. A pair of free throws by Zack McMahon with five seconds left in the period brought Enterprise within four points at 12-8.
 
Andrew Acevedo made a bucket 11 seconds into the second quarter as the Panthers extended their advantage to 17-8. A basket and a free throw by Daniel Bonanno with seven minutes left in the period kept the Hornets within nine points at 20-11. Sterling Smith made a hoop with 3:57 remaining in the first half as Chico took a 27-13 lead. A basket by Nathan McFarlane with 1:58 to go in the half cut Enterprise's deficit to 27-19.
 
Smith hit a shot four seconds into the third quarter as the Panthers moved ahead 35-19. McMahon's free throws with 5:02 remaining in the third trimmed the Hornets' deficit to 39-21. Casey Holmes added a three-pointer with 2:57 to go in the period to give Chico a 42-23 lead. McFarlane hit a shot with 1:23 left in the quarter to keep Enterprise within 13 points at 42-29.
 
Bonanno made a pair of free throws with 6:01 remaining in the fourth quarter as the Hornets were down 44-31. A basket by Kurt Kitayama with 5:06 to go in the game raised the Panthers' lead to 46-33. Brian Mestack made a hoop with 3:01 left in the contest as the Hornets trailed 51-35. Leavitt's bucket with 2:08 to go gave Chico a 53-37 advantage.
 
Smith led the Panthers with 16 points. He also collected eight rebounds. Leavitt added 15 points. McFarlane led the Hornets with 10 points, while McMahon scored eight points and grabbed four rebounds.