Tigers use warmups to heat up, beat Nevada Union - Roseville Press Tribune

In basketball, as in many athletic contests, a hot start can propel a team through an entire game or match.

That was the case Thursday night for the Roseville High School boys basketball team, as it breezed past Nevada Union 67-56 in a Sierra Foothill League opener in front of a spirited throng at Moeller Gym. The twist, though, was that lady momentum joined the Tigers well before the opening tip.

"It started for us in warmups," Roseville senior guard Latrelle Swayne said. "We came out with a solid warmup and maintained that focus throughout."

Swayne set the tone offensively early with two close-range shots and later drilled a three-pointer. He didn't miss a shot in the first quarter. Swayne led all players with 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting.

The rest of the Tigers followed his lead, as they shot 8 of 16 in the first quarter, matching their 50-percent shooting for the game.

"When it's just Xs and Os that I'm concerned with, not effort, that's what every coach likes," Roseville coach Greg Granucci said.

Roseville held a cozy seven-point lead from the midway point of the first quarter well into the second, but a hand check foul with just over three minutes left in the first half sent senior center Andrew Schmidt to the bench with his second foul. As Schmidt could only sit and watch, the Miners (10-7, 0-1 SFL), led by junior guard Ian Davis with 15 points, more effectively drove the lane for high-percentage shots and closed the gap to 30-27 at halftime.

"It's tough to have to sit and watch while all you want to do is help your teammates," said Schmidt, who scored 12 points.

Schmidt would get the chance to do just that, as he scored the Tigers' first five points of the third quarter and provided stout defense down low that enabled Roseville to build a 10-point advantage it wouldn't relinquish.

"(Schmidt) anchors our defense," Swayne said. "Without him, we don't have a dominant force in the paint."

Junior forward Marcus Garcia scored 15 points for Roseville (10-8, 1-0) which, after a 1-5 start, now has won nine of 12, including three in a row.

"I feel like we've been practicing better lately," Granucci said, "and I felt like we would play better."

With the win, the Tigers already have equaled their SFL win total from the past four seasons combined and start league on the right path in hopes of finishing higher than fifth for the first time since 2006.

JV - The Tigers downed Nevada Union 53-39. Matt Tawlks led all players with 20 points.