Rocklin does the hustle, overwhelms Roseville

Those familiar with the local high school basketball scene know Rocklin High School is synonymous with one word: Hustle. Hustle has been the mantra of Steve Taylor's teams during his Rocklin tenure, so much so they even wear socks that say the word. Tuesday night, the Thunder displayed their hustle, grit and tenacity in front of their home crowd as they rolled Roseville 75-34 in a nonleague game. "When we can play hard like we did tonight, it sets the tone and it immediately disrupts whatever the game plan of the other team was offensively," Taylor said. "It also just creates a kind of mentality that hopefully will carry you through the entire game, and we've been emphasizing it in games. We want to come out and be disruptive from the tip." Rocklin did and built a double-digit lead midway through the first quarter as it thwarted any hopes Roseville had of pulling an upset on the road early. "I was really proud of the energy and the effort early on," Taylor said. "It took Roseville out of what they were trying to do on offense." "We need to do a better job of taking care of the ball. That was what hurt us the most," Roseville coach Bobby Ritter said. "I think that's something we'll continue to improve on. We're missing some guys who can help us with ball handling as well." Ritter said he knew it would be a tall order for the Tigers to take on Rocklin in their first game, especially since the Thunder were already in game four. He still wants the team to keep a positive mentality moving forward. "I think that my biggest thing is that we need to walk away from this not feeling defeated," Ritter said. "I thought our body language could have improved on the court at times and we need to learn that we can fight back and be more resilient. … I don't think there are many teams in our league that are going to be any better than this Rocklin team. I think they're going to be one of the better teams in the area this year." Rocklin was led by its dynamic backcourt duo of Josiah Andrews and Kanyon Rice. Andrews, a sophomore, led the way with 21 points while the senior captain Rice scored 15. "They both have been through some battles over the last couple of years and they've learned a lot during that time," Taylor said of the duo. "They both can handle the ball, they both can facilitate and they both can score from three, at the rim and at the foul line." Taylor said the defensive play of the guards stands out to him most, noting that oftentimes, their defense generates a large chunk of the Thunder offense. "They play so well together and they're both really unselfish players," Taylor said. "They have really created a chemistry out on the court with each other, and it's something you rarely see at the high school level." The Thunder dominated in the post as well with big men Mark Lavrenov and Isaiah Elston, who stand a daunting 6-foot-8 and 6-6. Lavrenov scored 14 points, and both bigs controlled the glass. Roseville was led by Brandon Newton and Clark Nielson, each with eight points. Rocklin (3-0) will hit the road Saturday to clash with former Sierra Foothill League foe Natomas before returning home Nov. 28 to take on Christian Brothers. The Tigers will host Mira Loma on Saturday night in their home opener. Asked what he wants to see from his team moving forward, Ritter said, "This is one of those rare games where I'm not even wanting to watch much tape. The next message is that Saturday is a brand new game, Friday is a brand new practice and we're gonna redefine ourselves."