money How Venture Academy basketball topped Orestimba for 20th win in SJS quarterfinals
Keeping up a winning streak during the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 4 boys basketball playoffs is no easy feat.
But Venture Academy made it look easy.
The Mustangs coasted to an 87-42 win over Orestimba notching their 20th win in a row and advancing to the semifinals on Friday. Here are key takeaways from their dominating quarterfinals victory.
Sophomore ‘big man’ shines
Typically Venture Academy’s offense runs through its “Big Three” in juniors Mario Williams Jr., Cameron Lowe, and Marcos Rosales. The juniors controlled the tempo of the game combining for 50 points. Who stole the show, though, was sophomore forward Jayden Fakhouri.
“Jayden really stepped up to me tonight and you can tell his confidence is through the roof,” King said after the game. “I think he’s going to be special. He’s a sophomore. He’s 6-foot-5 and there’s just so much potential there.”
Fakhouri is the Mustangs' tallest forward and is also their biggest deep ball three.
“I wasn’t always a big man, from my freshman to my sophomore year I had a huge growth spurt from 5-foot-7 to 6-foot-5,” Fakhouri said. “I used to shoot all the time, though. Every day I would shoot 200 shots a day.”
The sophomore hit three after three and the Warriors had no answer for him. He finished with 14 points, 12 of them coming from beyond the arc, and six rebounds.
At the rate he’s going, aside from the Big Three, Fakhouri is a big offensive weapon for Venture Academy as playoffs continue.
“After they leave, that's when it's time for me and some other guys to shine,” Fakhouri said. “Right now I’m just playing my role, doing my thing and letting them shine.”
Head coach Eric King wins his 100th game
Venture Academy’s 45-point win was even sweeter for head coach Eric King. After five years at the helm of the Mustangs, King earned his 100th career win.
“I give a lot of the credit to my junior college coaches from Delta College,” King said. “They’ve basically been grooming me and I look to them for advice and I know being a young guy, I just don’t want to miss anything.”
At the conclusion of the game, King was presented with a frame filled with pictures of him coaching.
King’s eyes are fixed on getting his team back to the CIF Division IV State Boys Basketball Championships. Last season, Venture Academy lost in the first round to Carlmont. Since then, King and the Mustangs have been playing with an unwavering desire to win.
“I’ve been thinking about it the whole summer and I guess I’m paranoid for the right reasons,” he said. “I think that translates to the players and so they play with grit, some people say swag whatever you want to call it. They’re having fun and they want to win.”
What’s next?
The Mustangs will take on the No. 3 seeded Marysville at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at a neutral location. The last time these two teams played was last year during the regular season. Venture Academy beat the Indians 64-52.
Record reporter Shannon Belt covers sports. She can be reached at sbelt@recordnet.com or on Twitter @ShannonBelt3. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Venture Academy hoops tops Orestimba: Sac-Joaquin Section quarterfinals
