Tesoro was 2-12 last boys basketball season.
The Titans are 13-2 after a 57-41 win over Tustin on Monday in the first round of the Tustin Classic tournament at Tustin High.
Carson Brown scored 31 points for the Titans. Brown, a 6-3 junior guard, scored 11 of the Tesoro’s 13 second-quarter points. Junior forward Jake Bennett scored 10 points with 13 rebounds, junior forward Kyle Gleason added eight points and four rebounds and junior guard Blake Manning had seven assists for Tesoro, the No. 13 team in the Orange County top 25.
Tustin junior guard Eli Nyeazi scored 12 points for the Tillers (12-3), who are No. 21 in the county rankings. Senior forward Pablo Magallanes scored 10 points for the Tillers.
It took a few minutes for Tesoro to get its motor running in the 9 a.m. tournament-opening game. Tustin had a 5-4 lead before Tesoro scored the first quarter’s final eight points to take a 12-5 advantage into the second quarter.
“We came out kind of slow,” Brown said. “But I feel we really stepped it up after the first few minutes when we realized we had an edge over their team.”
The game was played at a rugged pace. Tustin’s defense was intense, which always is a Tustin trait. The Tillers will be among the better teams in the Empire League when league play begins in early January. Tesoro matched that defensive intensity Monday, and had more offense, too.
Brown was 13 for 21 from the floor on all shots. He made three 3-pointers but his strongest skill is scoring from 15 feet and closer. Brown has hang-time ability, can pump fake while in mid air, and shoots around defenders’ shot-block attempts by knowing the backboard is his ally.
And what Tesoro coach Steve Garrett sees when watching Brown …
“I see a guy who is so under control,” Garrett said. “He’s not panicking, he’s running the offense and he’s letting the game come to him. This is a kid who really dedicated himself to his offseason work.”
Carson Brown scored 31 points for Tesoro in a 57-41 win over Tustin in the first round of the Tustin Classic today @ocvarsityguy @Tesoro_Hoops pic.twitter.com/KF1tcC4M5i
— Steve Fryer (@SteveFryer) December 28, 2021
Brown apparently was not alone among the junior-heavy Titans when it came to preparing for this season.
The kids were there at 8 all dressed and all stting here ready to go before I got here
“Last year had a huge impact on them,” Garrett said. “They saw where they needed to be and they worked their tails off, and here we are.”
That was evident during the early game, and well before it.
“The kids were here (at Tustin High) at 8 o’clock and they were all sitting here ready to go before I got here,” Garrett said. “I love coaching these kids.”
At The Classic At Damien:
No. 12 Canyon 64, Rancho Verde 42: Freshman Brandon Benjamin scored 20 for the Comanches (12-2).
No. 2 Crean Lutheran 65, Oak Park 49: Vyctorious Miller’s 23 points and six assists led the Saints (8-0).