Clovis West Sweeps TRAC Basketball Doubleheader on the Road

Clovis West sophomore Issac Martinez (#10 in black) drives baseline on Clovis North senior AK Okereke during Wednesday’s boys’ basketball game. (Gabe Camarillo/Clovis Roundup)

For the second straight season, Clovis North hosted Clovis West in a boys and girls’ basketball doubleheader to open TRAC play.

Just like last season, it ended in a sweep for the Golden Eagles.

UCSB-bound senior Cole Anderson scored 34 points to power the boys’ side to a 95-80 win, followed by the Clovis West girls riding a big second quarter to a 71-32 victory.

Clovis West resumed its recent dominance in the TRAC on Wednesday. The boys’ team has won three straight league titles, while the girls’ team has won 15 straight.

“The TRAC, for the last two years at least on the girls’ side, has been the top league in the state,” said Clovis West girls’ basketball head coach Craig Campbell.

“Even compared with some of the private schools, top to bottom, it’s the top.”

Facing its first TRAC opponent in over a year, Clovis West struggled to get its offense moving early on. The girls were tied at 16 after the first quarter.

“When you get to league play, everybody knows everybody,” Campbell said. “The game is going to be closer because of the familiarity and preparation.”

Yet 16-16 was as close Clovis North got for the rest of the game. Clovis West went on a 30-0 scoring run to take a commanding 51-19 halftime lead.

Sophomore Etoyah Montgomery scored 11 of her 15 total points in the second quarter. Another underclassman ruled the third quarter as freshman Athena Tomlinson scored eight points in the quarter.

Tomlinson led Clovis West for the game with 16 points.

The Clovis West girls’ team (7-0) follows its TRAC-opening win with a trip to Central on Friday.

“We’ve been fortunate to win 15 straight league titles,” Campbell said. “Of course, we want to pursue a 16th, but it’s one game. It’s a great opener, but we got a lot of work to do.”

The Clovis West boys’ team began its campaign for a fourth straight TRAC title about 90 minutes before the girls played.

Anderson built upon his record-breaking 51-point performance from Saturday with a 14-point first quarter that included four 3-pointers.

“The game on Saturday was definitely something to remember, but it’s still early in the season and we just want to keep getting the next win,” Anderson said. “I have great teammates that find me on the fast break so I’m thankful for that.”

Clovis West carried a 40-38 lead into halftime, with Clovis North keeping the game close due in part to AK Okereke’s 14 points in the first half.

Okereke scored only six more points for the rest of the game, playing into Clovis West’s game plan to limit the Broncos’ senior forward.

“You’re not going to stop [Okereke],” said Clovis West boys’ basketball head coach Vance Walberg. “Our plan was trying just to limit him. I thought if we kept him in the low 20’s scoring, we’d have a chance.”

Clovis North cut Clovis West’s lead to 64-60 entering the fourth quarter after Niko Jones sank a 50-foot heave at the buzzer.

But Clovis West pulled away behind Issac Martinez’s 12 points in the fourth quarter. Martinez finished with 18 points total in the game.

“Even though Issac is a sophomore, he’s got a lot of confidence and he does a lot of good things for us,” Walberg said.

The Clovis West boys’ team (8-3) hosts Central on Friday.

Clovis North faces Clovis East at home for both the boys and girls’ game Friday as well.

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Gabriel Camarillo has written for the Clovis Roundup since August 2019 and follows high school athletics, Fresno State football and former Clovis Unified student-athletes. Gabe also writes for The Collegian as a staff sports writer and works at One Putt Broadcasting as a board op for 940 ESPN radio.