The Dos Pueblos boys basketball team escaped Buena with a 47-46 squeaker of a Channel League win on Wednesday night in Ventura, coming out on the right side of a close league game after two consecutive tough league losses.
The Chargers never trailed in the fourth quarter, but needed a big Evan Munoz 3-pointer with just over a minute remaining and some clutch free throws down the stretch to hold on.
Munoz recorded a team-high 13 points and Robert Vickers added a dozen with seven rebounds. Malik Heptot scored eight points, but was most effective on the defensive end where he picked up a career-high 10 blocks.
The Chargers benefited from a dismal free-throw shooting night from the Bulldogs, who only made 4-of-16 from the line. Still, with a second left on the clock, DP was whistled for a foul that sent the Bulldogs to the charity stripe.
After making the first to make it a two-point game, everyone expected Buena to intentionally miss the second free throw in order to try for a rebound and putback for a tie.
Ironically, after all their struggles from the line, the Bulldogs made the free throw and didn’t get the ball back.
“It was a good game for us to be in,” said DP head coach Joe Zamora, whose Chargers improve to 2-4 in league (11-12 overall) with two league games to play.
First, Dos Pueblos is competing in Friday’s Nike Extravaganza down south and will play JSerra at 9 p.m. before returning on Saturday for a rivalry game at home versus San Marcos.
DOS PUEBLOS 47, BUENA 46
Dos Pueblos – Miranda 5, Munoz 13, Hamilton 2, Heller 7, Heotot 8, Vickers 12. Totals 16-37, 11-19
Buena – Whitcomb 5, Watson 3, Wilson 9, Munoz 3, Turner 9, Payan 4, Perry 13. Totals – 4-16
DP – 15 12 8 14
Buena 14 9 6 17
3 -pointers – DP 4 (Munoz 3, Heptot), B 4 (Whitcomb, Watson, Turner, Wilson) Totals Fouls DP 13, B 17. Foul Outs – DP Heptot.
