Las Positas Makes It 12 In A Row

Las Positas freshman Cole Loud didn’t play a lot in a lopsided win over Reedley on Wednesday night.
But Loud made an impact after checking in with four minutes remaining of a 74-47 triumph at The Nest. His electric hustle plays and diving for loose balls epitomized the Hawk way under head coach James Giacomazzi.
“We addressed him specifically,” Giacomazzi said of his postgame talk to the team, “and told all of our guys that this is the mentality you need to have and put value in those minutes that are played, because they’re important.”
The Hawks (12-0), who opened last season with a program-best 20 consecutive wins, are off to their second-best start. So far.
The lopsided final score didn’t fully reflect the Hawks' play. The offense was lackluster at times, bogged down by a lack of ball movement. Mental lapses caused some defensive rebounds that went long to be missed.
Their typical tenacity helped cover up any shortcomings. In a game in which the little things weren’t up to Giacomazzi's high standards, the team’s ability to win 50-50s, while playing intense, pressure defense, allowed them to dominate.
With two games left before the start of conference play, the Hawks understand their physical style won’t always be enough. In Coast Conference North games, with matchups such as City College of San Francisco, the defending state champion, they require more.
“It just takes us not being satisfied,” sophomore guard Jaden Woodard said of the upcoming conference schedule. “Just coming into practice, working every day, not being satisfied for what we did already.”
Woodard acts as the engine for the Hawks' offense. With the team struggling early to generate points, he took it upon himself to get them going. He constantly made physical drives into the paint, forcing the opposition to deal with his strength. He finished through contact multiple times, on the way to 14 first-half points and 17 overall.
From there, sophomore wing Kodey Weary took over. He got hot from three, making a season-high four from deep. His previous high was two. He added his usual dominant interior presence, grabbing multiple loose balls and converting physical putback efforts. He led them with a season-high 26 points.
“It’s huge,” Giacomazzi said, “I think it’s more of the threes that we take versus the person that’s taking them. I think we’re all capable shooters, but I think we were shooting tough threes in the beginning, and I think now, when we get the penetrate, kick, one more or whatever, now it’s in rhythm.”
The cornerstone of the offense remained the team’s ability to win extra possessions. The catalysts are Weary and 6-foot-9 big man Ted Bigg-Wither. The two provide the backbone to the team’s approach on the glass. As a team, their mentality is set on limiting their opponents to one-shot possessions, while earning as many second-chance points themselves.
Weary and Bigg-Wither also showcased their impact defensively. Their size, along with their ability to reject shots, forces any opposition to work outside the paint. The guards surrounding them have the luxury of hounding the perimeter, aggressively closing out while attempting to force turnovers. The result is a fast-paced style of play, helping their offense get transition opportunities.
The Hawks’ relentless defense saw them hold Reedley to the second-lowest point total they’ve given up all season. It’s the seventh game they held an opponent to under 60.
In their only two close contests of the season – a 78-77 win over Cosumnes River and a 65-62 win over No. 6-ranked West Valley – the Hawks proved capable of beating a quality opponent when they execute, along with having a physical presence. They are built for the low-scoring, closely contested games. To win consistently throughout conference play, the Hawks will need to buy into the hustle mentality. That point was made Loud and clear Wednesday night.
The Hawks travel to Folsom Lake on Friday, Dec. 19 before hosting San Jose City College on Jan. 3. They open conference play at Cañada on Jan. 7.