Preps: Bullard routs Central for HIT hoops title

BOYS BASKETBALL

Calvin Young had back-to-back blocks and a breakaway slam that electrified a packed gym as Bullard’s Central Section top-ranked boys basketball team burst to an 18-4 lead en route to a 70-54 victory over No. 2 Central at the 54th annual Holiday Invitational Tournament.

Corey Silverstrom scored a game-high 15 points, while Adam Armstead had 11 of his 13 in a first half that saw the Knights take a 46-22 halftime lead at Hoover’s Event Center. Bullard won its fifth HIT title in its 48th appearance at the event. A rematch comes in a Jan. 5 nonleague game at Fresno City College.

Clovis’ Connor Myers, capping a four-game run in which he averaged 24.3 points, scored 19 as the Cougars won the consolation championship by beating Roosevelt 69-46. Clovis’ lone tourney loss was a 75-61 opening defeat to San Pedro in which Myers’ scored 32.

Other highlights

MVP Eli Garver hit 4 of 5 free throws in the fourth quarter, finished with 14 points and Exeter held on to beat Dinuba 44-43 for the championship in a matchup of Central Sequoia League teams at the Dinuba Holiday Classic.

Keonta Vernon capped his MVP weekend with the only basket of overtime, finished with 27 points and Tulare beat Mt. Whitney 58-55 in the championship game of the Kiwanis Tulare Holiday Classic. Jalen Love, who scored 10 points, also made the all-tourney team. Bailey Shaw‘s free throw with 24 seconds left was the only other OT point.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Madison Barnes scored 20 points as No. 2 Hanford beat Modesto Christian 72-45 at the Holiday Classic at Saint Mary’s College.

Third-ranked Clovis West, with Emily Anderson scoring 26 points, beat Dantzler-Los Angeles 92-16 in the seventh-place game of the John Anderson Division at the Tournament of Champions in Phoenix.

BOYS SOCCER

Matt Ball scored in the 45th minute, knocking home the game’s lone goal into the lower right corner as Clovis beat Selma 1-0 at the 16-team Cougar Classic. Nick Nordyke was named MVP, allowing two goals in six games. He had six saves against Selma.

TO REPORT SCORES

Coaches: Report scores, highlights and fall sports all-league teams at (559) 441-6379 or sports@fresnobee.com.