Until league play started this hasn’t been the kind of season that the fans are used to seeing around here.  That is because the Analy Tigers haven’t been the Analy Tigers that we are used to seeing.
In the pre-league part of the schedule, they lost five of their first six.  They spend both the Brent Callen Memorial Tournament and the Windsor Tournament in the loser part of the bracket.
Heck they weren’t even in the top ten in the first two YSN365.com rankings.
Well folks, league has started and Analy is back in the YSN365.com rankings and don’t look now, but they are the only undefeated team left in the SCL Boys race.

That was after Analy rallied for a home 59-57 win over Piner on Monday Night.  Besides the familiar position of being in first place in the SCL race, Analy after the slow start is at .500 for the first time this season at 7-7.
For Piner it is the feeling like, what does it take to win at Analy.  It was a game similar to last year with the Prospectors getting out to an early lead, only to lose a game that went to the final seconds.
Piner jumped out to an 11 point lead in the first quarter and they still led it by ten point’s midway through the second. An 11-3 Analy run at the end of the first half got Analy in the game and it was a dogfight the rest of the way. The game wasn’t decided until Piner missed a three point shot as time ran out.
Malcolm Jenkins and Chance Ortega each scored 16 to lead Analy. Ortega also pulled down twelve rebounds for his eight double-double of the season. Analy sophomore Jack Newman, who scored four points in the pre-league part of the season, added ten points.
Keith Adams scored a game high 22 for Piner.
This is turning into quite a rivalry.  Last season as Analy was winning its fifth league title in six seasons, the two teams split their two league games.  Both defended their home court, Analy winning 49-47 and Piner taking a 52-51 win.
The rematch at Piner this season is on February 2nd,but there is a lot of basketball between now and then.
Listed below is the Monday Night recap along with the complete schedule for the week.
BOYS
SONOMA COUNTY LEAGUE
MONDAY RESULTS
No. 8 Analy 59 No. 3 Piner 57
Sonoma Valley 48 Petaluma 39
Healdsburg 48 El Molino 34
NON LEAGUE
Elsie Allen 68 Emery 35
WEDNESDAY
Petaluma (0-1) at No. 3 Piner (2-0)
No. 4 Elsie Allen (1-1) at El Molino (0-2)
Sonoma Valley (1-1) at Petaluma (0-1)
No. 8 Analy BYE
FRIDAY
No. 3 Piner at Sonoma Valley
No. 4 Elsie Allen at No. 8 Analy
Healdsburg at Petaluma
El Molino BYE
SATURDAY
NON LEAGUE
Mission (SF) at No. 8 Analy
Cyle Caseli scored the first six points of the third quarter to give Sonoma Valley the lead against Petaluma.  Ryan Wilibanks scored 16 to lead the Dragons. Wilibanks’ season high is 17, which he had in the league opening win over El Molino.
Healdsburg 6’ 6” sophomore Landon Courtman scored a game high 15 points to lead Healdsburg over El Molino.  The Hounds jumped out to a 19-9 first quarter lead and didn’t look back. Courtman is averaging a double-double a game, 15 points and 11 rebounds.  He just missed a double-double in this one, pulling down eight rebounds.
In the non-league game, Jalen Busby and Nicholas Hercules combined for 33 points to lead Elsie Allen over Emery. Elsie Allen took a 12 point lead in the first quarter and slowly pulled away before starting a late run in the third quarter to blow things open.  Elsie Allen is 11-5 on the season.
Monday was start of the three league week for the SCL Boys. On Friday, Elsie Allen gets to take its big shot, when it goes to Analy.
NORTH BAY LEAGUE
WEDNESDAY
No. 1 Cardinal Newman (2-0) at No. 7 Windsor (2-0)
No. 2 Montgomery (1-1) at Maria Carrillo (1-1)
No. 6 Casa Grande (2-0) at Rancho Cotate (0-2)
Santa Rosa (0-2) at No. 9 Ukiah (0-2)
FRIDAY
No. 9 Ukiah at No. 1 Cardinal Newman
Rancho Cotate at No. 2 Montgomery
No. 7 Windsor at No. 6 Casa Grande
Maria Carrillo at Santa Rosa
There are three teams in the NBL at 2-0. Windsor is one of them and this week they meet the other two.
NCL I
TUESDAY
No. 5 Cloverdale (2-0) at Lower Lake (2-0)
Fort Bragg (0-2)at No. 10 Willits (1-1)
Kelseyville (1-1) at Middletown (1-1)
St. Helena (1-1) at Clear Lake (0-2)
FRIDAY
No. 5 Cloverdale at Middletown
Lower Lake at No. 10 Lower Lake
St. Helena at Fort Bragg
Kelseyville at Clear Lake
Two big road games for Cloverdale as they go to the only other 2-0 team in the NCL I race on Tuesday, at Lower Lake. Then on Friday, they go to Middletown, who was figured to be 2-0, before losing to Lower Lake last week.
GIRLS
NORTH BAY LEAGUE
TUESDAY
No. 1 Cardinal Newman (2-0) at No. 5 Windsor (2-1)
No. 2 Santa Rosa (2-0) at No. 10 Ukiah (0-2)
No. 6 Casa Grande (1-1) at Rancho Cotate (0-2)
Montgomery (1-2) at Maria Carrillo (1-1)
THURSDAY
No. 10 Ukiah at No. 1 Cardinal Newman
Maria Carrillo at No. 2 Santa Rosa
No. 5 Windsor at No. 6 Casa Grande
Rancho Cotate at Montgomery
SATURDAY
No. 1 Cardinal Newman at Maria Carrillo
No. 2 Santa Rosa at Rancho Cotate
No. 6 Casa Grande at No. 10 Ukiah
It’s a big week for Windsor, as they meet two ranked teams.
Cardinal Newman also meets two ranked teams.
If they get through this week the undefeated showdown, between Cardinal Newman and Santa Rosa will be set on January 21st at Santa Rosa.
Ukiah has three games against ranked teams including No. 1 Cardinal Newman and No. 2 Santa Rosa.
SONOMA COUNTY LEAGUE
TUESDAY
No. 4 Petaluma (2-0) at No. 3 Sonoma Valley (2-0)
No. 8 Analy (0-1) at Piner (1-1)
El Molino (0-1) at Healdsburg (1-1)
NON LEAGUE
WEDNESDAY
Pt. Arena at Elsie Allen
THURSDAY
El Molino at No. 3 Sonoma Valley
No. 8 Analy at No. 4 Petaluma
Elsie Allen at Piner
NON LEAGUE
Healdsburg at Rio Lindo Adventist
SATURDAY
NON LEAGUE
St. Helena at Healdsburg
The week starts out with the most important game of the week with Petaluma at Sonoma Valley.
Petaluma then hosts the only other ranked team, Analy, on Thursday.
NCL I
TUESDAY
No. 7 Middletown (2-0) at Kelseyville (1-1)
Lower Lake (1-1) at Cloverdale (2-0)
Willits (1-1) at Fort Bragg (0-2)
Clear Lake (1-1) at St. Helena (0-2)
FRIDAY
No. 7 Middletown at Cloverdale
Willits at Lower Lake
Kelseyville at Clear Lake
Fort Bragg at St. Helena
If they both win on Tuesday, Middletown and Cloverdale a showdown for first place on Friday.
SRJC MEN(8-8, 1-1)
SRJC WOMEN (7-9, 1-1)
TUESDAY at Sierra
FRIDAY host Sacramento
The Sierra Men are 2-0 in league play and tied for first with American River. They are also ranked No. 17 in the state.
On the Women side both Sierra and Sacramento has started league play 0-2.
SSU MEN (8-4, 5-3)
SSU WOMEN (6-6, 4-4)
The two teams host Cal State LA and Cal State Dominquez Hills on Friday and Saturday.
The Sonoma State Men are in a three way tie for third, one game behind two teams tied for first place.
Both teams on the schedule are behind the SSU Men.
The Cal State Dominquez Women are 12-4 overall and 7-1 in league play.
The Sonoma State and Cal State LA Women are two of three teams that are 4-4 in league play.
My email address is jacpasquini@comcast.net