Dos Pueblos’ Zachary Shugart protects the rim for Dos Pueblos. Here he goes for a rebound with San Marcos’ Kevin Hempy.
Dos Pueblos’ Zachary Shugart was a menace inside and out in Friday night’s Channel League game at San Marcos.
The senior forward blocked six shots and scored 14 points to help the Chargers take the first of three league games between the two teams 52-45.
“Our guys are really excited. It’s been a while since we’ve won here,” said Chargers head coach Joe Zamora.
A packed Thunderhut had a substantial number of Charger fans to buoy the road team.
Shugart was active around the rim on the defensive side of the court for Dos Pueblos. On top of six blocked shots, the explosive leaper was whistled twice for goal-tending and seemed to be everywhere.
“I thought they out-hustled us in a lot of respects. Killed us on the boards,” said Royals head coach Dave Odell. “They got so many second shots they didn’t have to shoot good.”
But shooting well is exactly what got the Chargers back in the game after the Royals took a 19-13 lead part way into the second quarter.
It was a jolt of offense from Shugart that got the Chargers going. Scoring 12 of his 14 points in the period, his three-point barrage swung the Chargers into the lead for good.
All three of his 3-pointers – and another from Cruz Mertens – came in a quick two-minute-plus span. The game turned from a 19-13 San Marcos lead to a 25-19 Dos Pueblos advantage in less than three minutes.
“All this week I’ve been working on my shot. Last week, I didn’t really shoot very well so I wanted to come out and just shoot a lot better.
Unfazed, the Royals scored on a driving layup by Ian Douglas and a putback by Kevin Hempy to cut the lead to three at halftime.
Zamora thought his team moved the ball better on offense in the second quarter.
“In the first quarter we weren’t on the same page,” Zamora said.
Mertens led the Chargers with 16 points. His quarter was the third when he scored 11 points to lift DP to a 10-point lead entering the final period.
Uriel Hurtado led San Marcos with 11 points. Kevin Hempy and Bryce Ridenour, who battled foul trouble, added 10 points each.
The Chargers (5-3) improve to 2-0 in league play after last week’s victory over Buena.
San Marcos (9-5) falls to 0-1. The Royals’ next game is a league game on January 2 against Ventura.
DOS PUEBLOS 52, SAN MARCOS 45
Dos Pueblos – Mertens 16, Rodriguez 2, Perez 11, Williams 4, Gardiner 2, Rey 3, Shugart 14.
San Marcos – Zajic 2, Ridgway 2, Hempy 10, Hurtado 11, Ridenour 10, Widmer 3, Douglas 4, Wheelock 3.
DP 10 17 15 10 – 52
SM 13 11 8 13 – 453-pointers – DP 5 (Shugart 3, Mertens 2) SM 1 (Wheelock)
