Los Gatos sophomore forward Chris McMorrow, going up for a rebound in an early season clash with Leigh, helped the Wildcats to a third-place finish at the Soquel Winter Classic.

Gingery returns for Wildcats

Los Gatos nails third at Soquel Classic

By Dick Sparrer

Jim Marino has been waiting most of the preseason to get returning all-leaguer Matt Gingery healthy and back on the floor for the Los Gatos boys basketball team. Well, Marino is waiting no more ... Gingery is back.

And the 6-foot-6 senior returned to the court in impressive fashion last week, pumping in 45 points in three games to lead the Wildcats to a third-place finish at the Soquel Winter Classic.

Gingery, who was hobbled with an ankle sprain through the first few weeks of the season, came back in style with a 21-point showing in Los Gatos' 57-43 win over Watsonville to open the Soquel tourney.

The comeback all-leaguer tossed in 10 points in a tough 57-39 loss to powerful Santa Cruz a game later, then ripped the nets for 14 in a 59-55 win over Pioneer in the third-place game.

The tournament marked the first time this season that the Wildcats had actually played at full strength. Gingery and junior center Matt Swanson both suffered ankle sprains in late November, and returning all-leaguer Beau Knight, though slowed for a few days with the flu, had to carry most of the scoring load.

He did it again at Soquel. Knight actually led all Gatos scorers with 51 points in the three games, but with Gingery adding his 45 points and Swanson hitting 20, the Cats had enough firepower to claim third place overall.

Knight buried three three-point buckets on his way to a 21-point night to lead all scorers in the 59-55 win over Pioneer. Gingery supported with 14 points, including a three.

Trent Edwards and Ben Kane tossed in eight points apiece, Swanson hit six and Chris McMorrow had two to support for the Cats. Edwards also hit a three.

Gingery had the hot hand in the tourney opener for Los Gatos. The senior pitched in 21 points, including four threes, to drive the Cats to the 14-point win over Watsonville.

Knight was close behind with 20 points, including a three, and Kane had a three among his seven points. Swanson hit three points, Edwards and Alex Holcomb two apiece and McMorrow one.

Swanson led Los Gatos with 11 points, but the Wildcats lost 57-39 to Santa Cruz. Knight and Gingery dropped 10 points apiece, Kane had four, and Holcomb and Brandon Fong hit two each. Knight canned a pair of threes, and Gingery and Kane had one each.

The Wildcats, 4-10 in the preseason, will now open league play this week in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League. The Cats will visit Los Altos on Jan. 5, 7 p.m., before playing their league home opener on Jan. 11, 7 p.m., against Wilcox.

Leigh is seventh

The Leigh boys won two of four games to finish seventh last week at the rugged Santa Barbara Classic.

The Longhorns pulled out a 69-66 win over Fremont of Los Angeles in the seventh-place game, thanks to a 35-point effort by senior sensation Antwon Guidry.

The 6-foot-0 junior guard, who poured in 78 points in the four games, was named to the all-tournament team after his superb showing in the seventh-place game.

Guidry had four three-pointers among his 14 field goals and he added three points at the free-throw line on his way to 35 points in the win over Fremont.

Marcus Anderson chipped in with nine points in the win, Keith Miyakusu hit seven, and Bryon Taplin, Kevin Rawson and Keith Varghese had four each.

The Longhorns, 9-5 for the year, opened the tournament with a 64-49 win over San Marcos. Guidry had 15 points to lead the Longhorns. Taplin added nine points, Mark Perry eight, Derek Marquardt five, and Miyakusu, James Murdock, Varghese, Rawson and Mark Phillips hit four each. Darren Fujikawa hit three points, and Kevin Cardenas and Anderson added two apiece.

Miyakusu popped 26 points, including a pair of threes, Fujikawa added 15, including a three, but Leigh lost 72-63 to Desert Mountain. Guidry joined the two in double digits with 10 points, Rawson hit six, Taplin four and Perry two.

Guidry hit 18 points, and Miyakusu had 10, but Leigh lost 57-48 to Santa Monica. Fujikawa and Taplin added eight points apiece, and Anderson hit four. Guidry, Miyakusu and Fujikawa had two threes each.

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