Mustangs whiteout Brahmas for fourth straight year
December 22, 2017
In the same year that saw the Walnut Mustangs end the Branding Iron streak, a different streak was maintained, as the Diamond Bar High School Brahmas lost 55-50 in the annual basketball Whiteout game for the fourth consecutive year.
Down by double digits for the majority of the fourth quarter, the Brahmas made a valiant effort in the final three minutes. Led by senior sharpshooter Ryan Hahn’s 17 points and a clutch three by junior guard Myles Corey, the Brahmas made it a one possession game, 53-50, before the Mustangs pulled the game away on free throws by senior Agassi Goantara.
For the better half of the first quarter, both teams were dead even, with the Brahmas only up 3-2. A runaway dunk by junior C.J. Fisher electrified the DB home crowd, but the team was down 13-5 at the end of the first quarter.
In the beginning of the second quarter, the rivals traded baskets. Down 22-12, back-to-back threes by Hahns cut the deficit to four, but an and-one foul on Mustangs junior Eli Ramos and another layup broke up the Brahmas’ momentum. By the end the quarter, a three by Fisher cut the lead to 27-21.
Coming out of halftime, the Mustangs scored a layup, but junior center Mike Gao knocked down a three-pointer for the Brahmas. Though DB stayed aggressive for much of the quarter, the team would find themselves down 42-31 after only scoring on seven free throws. To deepen the hole, Ramos drove a buzzer beating and-one, extending the lead to 14.
Out of the gate, the Brahmas came out shooting as Hahn hit a three and Fisher scored on a putback. Though the Mustangs scored after the putback, they would not score for nearly four minutes. During that time, Corey hit two free throws, Hahn made a pair of technical free throws and Ko scored on a layup, cutting the lead to 47-42.
The Mustangs would finally score on a pair of free throws by sophomore Caleb Santos, but DB responded with a three by Hahn and a layup by Corey, making it a two-point game. However, the Mustangs pulled away on four free throws as the Brahmas were unable to complete the comeback.
DB will have a chance to come back from the loss as they take on the Whittier Cardinals in the Hacienda Tournament on Dec. 26.
