ANAHEIM – On a night in which its top scorer, Michael Enis, struggled at times offensively, Savanna patched together enough contributions from other players to get past Katella, 63-47, on Wednesday in an Orange League boys basketball game at Katella High.
The contributions came from everywhere. Seven Rebels got on the score sheet in the first quarter. Abraham Mansaray set the tone for Savanna by grabbing six rebounds in the period. He finished with 13.
Anthony Avalos had nine points, three rebounds and three steals off the bench, and Adam Gomez scored 11 points to go with four rebounds.
“I thought Adam Gomez stepped up and had a huge game from the weak side,” Savanna coach John Konrad said. “It’s a tribute to our role players to step in when our studs aren’t getting it done, to step up and have those quality minutes.”
The Rebels (15-7, 3-0) made the effort plays to find success. A full-court trap helped Savanna produce 10 steals, and the Rebels opened a double-digit lead early as a result.
“It just jumps on the other team and surprises them,” said Rebels guard Kyle Davis of the defensive press. “We’re more athletic than they think. We just do what we have to do early so that we can coast throughout the game.”
Davis finished with a game-high 19 points. Enis added 15.
With the win, Savanna moved into sole-possession of first place in the Orange League.
After falling behind, 30-15, at the half, Katella (8-9, 2-1) made a run. The Knights increased their intensity on the defensive end, slowing the Rebels down and forcing them into isolation sets. Savanna managed just nine points in the third quarter, while Katella briefly cut the deficit to eight.
Katella coach Jeff Clement said matching the Rebels’ energy will be the key to competing with them in the teams’ next meeting.
“(The Rebels) show up each day with so much energy and intensity,” he said. “We weren’t ready for that in the first quarter. Hopefully next time, we will be able to match their energy.”
Darryl Strong led the Knights in scoring with 11 points. Angel Lopez-Apodaca added nine points and seven rebounds, and Kevin Solorio and Ali Al-Jazazi each had seven points.
