Soaring Hawks host Sequoias in Sweet 16 Wednesday night
If you're going to be called the Hawks, it helps if you can fly.
Las Positas guards Cameron Moses and Keith Hunter will attest to the Hawks' fly-by mentality in transition, which complements a well-schooled defense.
The No. 4 seeded Hawks (19-9) will host No. 5 College of the Sequoias (19-11) at 7 Wednesday night in Round 3 (the Sweet 16) of the CCCAA North Regional playoffs.
"We're mainly quicker than any other team that we play because we're really small, so we just run, quick," Hunter said.
In the Hawks' 66-57 win over West Hills-Coalinga Saturday night in Round 2, Moses, a sophomore out of Dublin High, had 12 assists. Hunter, a freshman from Oakland, had 10 rebounds, five more than his season average, to go with a game-high 22 points.
The undersized Hawks can turn on a dime off an opponent's missed shot. Their speed causes fits for bigger foes.
"I wish we didn't do that all the time," first-year coach James Giacomazzi said with a chuckle. "I like that in our back pocket, but I wish we were a little bit more consistent for 40 minutes defensively in terms of intensity and attention to detail."
Sequoias, which beat Cabrillo 76-70 in overtime in Round 2 behind Dida Pereira's 26 points, is aptly named the Giants, as far as Giacomazzi is concerned.
"Big. They can shoot it," he said of Sequoias. "Their center was co-MVP of the (Central Valley) Conference. They finished third, and (West Hills) finished second. These teams are good, so we've got our work cut out for us, but we're up for the challenge."
The Hawks beat Sequoias 63-61 in a cliffhanger on Dec. 3 in the Diablo Valley College tournament.
"It was a heck of a game. So it's gonna be another great game on Wednesday, no doubt," Giacomazzi said.
LPC players see similarities between Sequoias and West Hills.
"Real big down low," Hunter said. "So we're just gonna pack it in, box out, limit them to one possession only, and then we're gonna run."
Moses had eight assists in the first half against West Hills, setting the tone for the final push.
"He's like the primary creator. He picks them apart," Hunter said of Moses. "His first option is to shoot, but he's a willing passer. All night he'd drive and he'd draw the 'big' up and dump it off to Brandon (Eboigbodin) for the layup. It was money every time."
Moses said the Hawks were trying to "push the ball" against West Hills – a style that suits his game well.
"When I drive I attract a lot of attention," Moses said. "So whenever they step up, it was a pocket pass just for my teammate. We're real good at finishing around the rim, so once I get it to my teammates they take it from there."
Moses had a very positive experience at Dublin High, helping the Gaels' to a 27-7 overall mark and a Diablo Foothill Athletic League title in the 2012-13 season. Moses played for Tom Costello, the younger brother of former LPC coach Tony Costello who died of pancreatic cancer in 2013.
The popular Tony Costello was Las Positas' first coach after the school introduced a men's basketball program. His teams went 100-77 in their first six years, reaching the playoffs in the 2007-08, 2010-11, and 2011-12 seasons. The Hawks advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2012.
The current team is building off Tony Costello's success.
"Tony Costello did a very good job of putting us where we need to be now, so we're just trying to take it from here and just build on it as much as we can," Moses said.