After a shaky 7-5 start in preseason and tournament play, the Giants kicked off league play with a convincing 75-47 victory on the road against San Rafael on Friday night.
Senior forward Elliot Dean fueled Redwood’s impressive first quarter, helping the Giants jump out to an early 11-0 lead by dominating the paint and creating turnovers. Dean finished with a game-high 18 points.
“We had an up-and-down preseason, and that inspired us to get ready for MCALs and come out strong,” Dean said. “We were really pumped for this game.”
But perhaps the most promising performances came from underclassmen Charlie Reis and Jordan Jackson, who scored 14 and 10 points respectively while holding the reigns of the second unit. When reliable scorers Will Breck and Mike Sullivan left due to injuries, sophomores Reis and Jackson filled their roles with poise and control, contributing tenacious defense and efficient shooting in the winning effort.
San Rafael guard Andrew Szot racked up 14 points for the Bulldogs, who were without starting center Nick Baker due to illness and struggled against the Giants’ full court press.
Redwood (1-0) saw four scorers reach double figures, and will try to replicate their success on Tuesday at Justin Siena.
