Photo: Gwen Lizarraga High School boys basketball team
by William Ysaguirre
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, Thurs. Oct. 10, 2024
The Gwen Lizarraga High School basketball boys won the Silver medal at the XXI CODICADER (Commission of Central American Integration for Sports and Recreation) Under-17 Scholastic Games, losing the final to Panama, 77-83, at the INDES Jose Adolfo Pineda National Gymnasium in San Salvador on Thursday afternoon, October 10.
Jason Orosco struck thrice from outside the arc, as he led Gwen Liz with a monster 42 pts! Thomas Garcia put up 14 pts, snagging 11 boards, and Kyle Goff posted 10 pts, grabbing 12 boards. Raymond Gentle, Jr. scored 6 pts, Augustine Pitterson shot 3 pts, and Jauvann Morgan tossed in a bucket.
The Gwen Liz boys qualified to the semifinals as 2nd in their group with 2 wins and one loss. They enjoyed their 3rd win, 86-79, over the EXSAL Technical Institute (ITEXSAL) on Wednesday evening, led by Jason Orosco who struck 5 times from outside the circle for 32 pts to lead 24-19 in the 1st quarter. Diego Minera’s 22 pts led the hosts comeback to regain the lead 38-36 at the half. Gwen Liz went on a run, as Thomas Garcia drove to the rim for 23 pts, and Augustine Pitterson struck from outside the arc, as he and Kyle Goff scored 11 pts apiece to lead 59-49 at the end of the 3rd quarter. The hosts outscored Gwen Liz, 37-30, in the home stretch, but Jauvann Morgan’s 9 pts secured the win for Gwen Liz.
The Gwen Liz boys posted their 2nd victory, 79-62, over Nicaragua’s Santa Teresita Del Niño Jesus College on Tuesday. Jason Orosco struck twice from outside the circle for 30 pts, while team captain Augustine Pitterson followed suit from outside the arc for 15 pts. Thomas Garcia shot 14 pts, and Kyle Goff, Jauvann Morgan and Michael Martinez netted 6 pts each. Raymond Gentle, Jr. threw in a bucket.
They scored a 78-60 victory over Costa Rica’s Centro Educativo Naranjo Bilingue on Monday, October 7. They had not done so well in an 83-98 loss to Panama’s Gaston Faraudo P. Technical College in their debut match on Sunday.
The 2-time NSSSA champions, the King’s College girls have yet to win a game, losing, 36-75, to Honduras’ Great Commission School in their debut on Sunday. They rested on Monday, but suffered their 2nd loss, 27-98, to El Salvador’s ITEXSAL on Tuesday; and gave their best performance in Wednesday’s semifinals in their 60-80 loss to Costa Rica’s Centro Educativo Naranjo Bilingue.