The Marysville High boys basketball team opened up the second annual Coach Corn Classic Wednesday against defending state champion Elk Grove Wednesday night at Yuba College’s Marysville campus.
While Marysville coach Stan Easter said it wasn’t exactly the same Elk Grove team that finished 28-6 and won the Division II state title over Foothill of Santa Ana, it was still a championship-level squad with a dynamite coaching staff.
Marysville took it to Elk Grove early, building a 24-8 first-quarter lead behind seven combined 3-pointers from senior guard Joshua Brown Jr. and Amrin Mann, en route to a 67-56 win over the Thundering Herd in the first of three games over three days at Yuba College.
Marysville went to 10-3 on the year, while Elk Grove fell to 6-7.
“It’s probably our biggest win to date with everything that Elk Grove did last year and they are having a pretty decent year this year,” Easter said. “For us it’s a Division II (school), we are Division IV – that’s our biggest win thus far, but whatever game we are playing that day, that’s the biggest game on our schedule.”
Marysville continued the classic Thursday night, while wrapping up the six-team round robin tournament Friday at 8 p.m. against El Camino.
For Marysville, its first 13 games have largely been dominated offensively by two players: Brown and Mann, both of whom combined for 50 of the Indians’ 67 points against Elk Grove. Mann swished four first-quarter 3s en route to 25 for the game, while Brown drilled two of his five from beyond the perimeter to also finish with 25 and get Marysville off to the fast double-digit start Wednesday night.
Brown, the team’s point guard, had help in the form of a few of the unsung heroes on the roster. Shawn Smith, one of the team’s dirty work players on the glass, kept a first-quarter possession alive with an offensive rebound attempt that eventually found its way to Brown for an open layup to ignite the early advantage.
“Our guards are playing well, but it’s not sustainable for them to have over 70 percent of our points,” Easter said. “We need other guys to step up, but these other guys are so great at knowing their role and being a superstar in their role.”
Smith finished with a team-high eight rebounds, while Nicqwan Mills and Josiah Arrington combined for seven rebounds, with Mills adding three blocks to help stabilize Marysville at the defensive end.
“Between Mills, Arrington and Smith they rebound the (heck) out of the ball, set good screens and do all the dirty work so our guards can do their thing,” Easter said.
Easter said it will take each player on Marysville’s roster to continue the fast start that it is on this season.
Marysville returns home Jan. 4 where it will open Pioneer Valley League play against Sutter beginning at 7 p.m.
