Pittman, Pacheco Guide Clovis East to Comeback over Paso Robles 

Clovis East’s senior guard Jermal Pittman (#23) drives towards the hoop – on his way to 23 total points in a 77-64 win over Paso Robles January 7, 2020

Tyler Pacheco and Jermal Pittman have been in Adrian Wiggins’ Clovis East boys basketball program for four years, and now they’re ready for one last chance to win the TRAC basketball crown. 

They showed just how ready they were to lead this team together Tuesday night. 

Pittman and Pacheco combined for 52 points, as the dynamic duo fueled the Timberwolves’ comeback win over Paso Robles, 77-64. 

Clovis East opened the game hot from beyond the arc, connecting on four treys in the first quarter. 

Whatever advantage the Timberwolves had in shooting was lost in size, as a more physical Paso Robles squad kept pace with the inside game. 

With offensive rebounds and second chance points, the Bearcats kept the contest close in the first half.

Clovis East got cold shooting in the second quarter and trailed at halftime, 36-34. 

“I thought Paso Robles did a good job changing their defense between man-to-man and zone in the first half,” Wiggins said. “It made our offense stagnant, and I don’t think we were well prepared for that.”

The Timberwolves would not be stagnant in the second half, as Pittman and Pacheco stepped up their scoring. 

The duo known as the “Killer P’s” combined for all of Clovis East’s 17 points in the third quarter. 

The Timberwolves held on to a 51-49 lead heading into the final quarter. From there, the Timberwolves opened the floodgates. 

Or – more accurately –  Pacheco did.

The 5-11 shooting guard knocked down 14 of his game-high 29 points in the fourth quarter alone. 

Pacheco played both ends of the floor well, forcing turnovers and hurried shots from Paso Robles in the closing minutes of Clovis East’s double-digit victory.

He talked after the game about being the team’s vocal leader. 

“Coach Wiggins asks me and the rest of the seniors to step up and lead by example,” Pacheco said. “We don’t try to cut any corners. We try to give everything.”

One thing is certain about this year’s Clovis East boys team: It will take everything from Pacheco and Pittman to lead the Timberwolves to Selland glory this year.

“We have really big goals as a program, and we won’t get there if [Pacheco and Pittman] don’t help lead the way,” Wiggins said.

Clovis East (12-3) begins TRAC play at Buchanan Friday.

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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.