On a night when the and boys basketball teams went back and forth, making big shot after big shot, the Eagles had the biggest basket when it mattered most.
El Camino senior guard Dallen Eddenfield hit a three-point basket with about five seconds to go to give his team the thrilling 64-63 win on the Eagles' home court before a frenzied crowd.
"I had it in my mind I was going to make it," said Eddenfield, who led El Camino with 16 points. "It felt good when it left my hands."
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Earlier Tuesday afternoon, the Eagles joined The Sacramento Bee's regional rankings at No. 20. Rio Americano was poised for the upset, leading 63-61 on a wide-open layup by Mason Pigman with just under 13 seconds left. That was plenty of time to set the play for Eddenfield.
"These guys just played hard," El Camino coach Tony Phulps said of his team, . "A big factor was us not getting any respect... (my team) played their butts off."
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Rio coaches declined to comment following the game. Senior guard Harrison Ashen led all scorers with 20 points.
The game started and ended close and was physical all night long. El Camino led 20-15 after one quarter and got to rebounds to open up a 35-24 lead at halftime.
Rio came back energized in the third quarter to take the lead back at 42-41. Two three-point baskets by Eddenfield and one trey by Ashen at the end of the third knotted the score at 47 to enter the deciding quarter.
"We let our lead go and were playing sloppy," Eddenfield said. "But we kept our composure and played big when it mattered."
El Camino's (12-9) next game is Friday at No. 4 Antelope. Rio (8-13) is at Cordova on Friday. The Eagles and Raiders next play at Rio on Feb. 17 in the regular season finale and may be playing for playoff seeding.
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EL CAMINO 64, RIO AMERICANO 63
Rio Americano 15 9 23 16 – 63
El Camino 20 15 12 17 – 64
RA–Okoroike 4, Salazar 1, Suarez 9, Nishi 3, Ashen 20, Joaquin 3, Jensen 3, Aka 6, Pigman 10, Margaris 4. EC–Shannon 2, Twist 9, Kuwabara 9, Hale 7, Ball 12, Johnson 9, Eddenfield 16.
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