Twelve Bridges rallies late to escape upset bid

Survive and advance. That is the mantra of playoff basketball. Twelve Bridges High School spent most of its Sac-Joaquin Section Division III basketball playoff opener chasing upset-minded No. 14 Will C. Wood before digging deep for a 56-55 victory Wednesday night. The Raging Rhinos trailed by 10 in the second half and by six entering the fourth quarter, but opened the final frame on a decisive 13-2 run. The Rhinos took the lead late on a 3-point shot by senior Safi Abdela and never relinquished it, though the Wildcats remained within striking distance. Twelve Bridges was forced to defend one final shot at the buzzer, but the potential game-winner fell short. Twelve Bridges coach Robert Ash was relieved to advance but far from satisfied with the performance. "We kind of woke up late there," Ash said. "With no school this week, it felt like a Christmas break game. You could see it in the way we started. We did not look like it was a do-or-die game, and they punched us in the mouth." Micah Boman scored 28 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, while Abdela added 25 as the duo combined for 53 of Twelve Bridges' 56. Will C. Wood did not resemble a No. 14 seed from the opening tip. The Wildcats attacked the paint, crashed the glass and knocked down tough shots, including two contested 3-pointers in the first half, while consistently beating the Rhinos to loose balls. "They got every loose ball," Ash said. "They deserved to win that game. That's how upsets happen." Twelve Bridges trailed by double digits midway through the third quarter and appeared out of sync offensively. "I thought we probably played, execution-wise, our worst game of the season," Ash said. Still, the Rhinos never allowed the deficit to spiral. Boman kept them within reach before Abdela's fourth-quarter triple shifted momentum for good. After noticing his defender sagging off, Abdela rose confidently from the wing. "When it left my hands, I had a feeling it was good," Abdela said. "After that stop and layup, it felt like the tides were turning." Even then, the Wildcats refused to fade. Wood answered with key baskets down the stretch and earned one final opportunity in the closing seconds, but Twelve Bridges' defense held firm. For Abdela and the senior class, the close call reinforced the stakes of the postseason. "Going into the fourth quarter was a big wake-up call," Abdela said. "You realize these could be our last games together. You're just trying to extend it as long as possible." Seeing Wood's seniors react after the final buzzer drove the message home. "It just hits you that it's win or go home," Abdela said. Twelve Bridges advances to face No. 6 Manteca-East Union on Friday night, carrying momentum and a lesson learned. "It doesn't have to be pretty," Ash said. "You survive and move on. But we've got to be better."