With standout Matt McClenathen busy as a finalist at the Goleta Teen of the Year banquet, the Dos Pueblos basketball team was going to need someone to step up in a big way to take down Agoura at the Oak Park Tournament.
Jay Larinan did just that, exploding for 29 points and grabbing 11 rebounds as Dos Pueblos pulled off a 55-54 victory in a battle between two teams which share the same nickname.
It was a monkey off of the back of DP coach Joe Zamora, who had never beaten Agoura since taking the helm in 2005.
“Jay just came to play. He was ready to go,” said a very content Zamora. “I challenged all the guys on the offensive end and they really responded.”
He added that Larinan, a junior, had at least four big blocks of open lay-ups in the game. Pablo Miranda added 11 points, and Zamora highlighted Robbie Mestas’ contributions in the post as well as Daniel Prichard’s guard play.
Agoura made a 3-pointer in the final moments to cut the lead to one, but Zamora said his team “really executed in the last couple of possessions.”
Dos Pueblos (4-2) plays Oak Park at 8:30 p.m. Friday as tournament play continues.