ROHNERT PARK, CALIF.- The Seawolves faced their toughest test with the nationally ranked Coyotes of San Bernardino making the trip to the Wolves Den. It was a defensive battle with both teams having to play with physicality and through contact to earn each bucket. While the Seawolves came up just short, they proved they can go toe to toe against some of the best competition the country has to offer.
The duo of Aaron Ragen and Donovan Sevilla more than earned their stripes against the Coyotes. Both players have been key pieces of Rich Shayewitz's rotation so far this season but with starting shooting guard James Nobles not suiting up, both players were called upon to step up. Sevilla earned the starting nod and was relentless on the defensive side of the ball. He constantly found himself guarding along the perimeter, holding his own in the post and pulled down two huge offensive rebounds. Sevilla was also able to add some scoring punch with six points and handed out two assists as well. Ragen had his best outing as a Seawolf to date and was the spark the team needed off the bench. He came into the game and wasted no time making his presence felt. He drilled three shots from deep, knocked down a pair of free throws and also grabbed two rebounds. His energy was infectious with the junior guard diving on the floor for loose balls and defending larger opponents all game long.
Alongside the Seawolves guards, Julian Bryant continues to be a steady, veteran presence on the court. Bryant did a little bit of everything for his team including scoring nine points, handing out two assists and grabbing a game high 10 rebounds. Bryant has now grabbed 19 rebounds over his last two games and has seen his scoring average climb to just under nine points a night.
It was a competitive outing for Sonoma as they went on to win the rebounding battle and pulled down an impressive 15 offensive rebounds. They also forced 12 turnovers and held the Coyotes to only 2-20 shooting from behind the arc. While the final result was not what fans were hoping for, there are still positives to be had and the boys competitiveness should not go unnoticed despite taking on a high quality opponent short handed.
