Tustin’s T.J. Shorts gets buckets. George Wilson can get a few himself.
Those two often overshadow the three teammates they share the court with, but there was no way to miss the contributions made by 6-foot-4 Myles Garvin on Friday night.
Garvin made two baskets to close the first half, and Tustin blitzed Cypress after the break. The visiting Tillers captured their second consecutive Empire League victory, defeating Cypress, 62-44.
“Myles is unselfish to a fault,” Tustin coach Ringo Bosenmeyer said. “We’ve been telling him all year that we need him to be more aggressive, more assertive. When he’s aggressive, we’re a tough team to beat.”
Wilson led all scorers with 21 points, and Shorts added 14, but it was Garvin’s 16 points that kept Cypress (12-10, 1-1) at bay in key moments.
Tustin (16-2, 2-0) held a 22-15 lead midway through the second quarter, thanks in large part to the stellar play of Shorts and Wilson. It then squandered seven consecutive possessions, a drought Garvin ended with a midrange jumper. He scored again two trips later, and Tustin regained breathing room.
“T.J. and George, they’re strong for us,” Garvin said. “Defenses know that, and it frees up shots for everyone else. I love doing the little things. That’s my role, and as long as I’m helping my team win, I love doing it.”
Tustin dominated the third quarter, using sideline-to-sideline pressure to outscore the Centurions, 17-5.
Tustin’s Aramie Faletoi made Centurions standout Brad Belshe work hard for his 16 points.
“It’s a big responsibility playing defense against a team’s best player,” Faletoi said. “Coach trusts me to do that, so I have to step up.”
Cypress Quinten Pounds and Trent Rothman were held to a combined five points.
Contact the writer: bwhitehead@ocregister.com
