Stone-cold finish: Rashod Cotton Jr.’s go-ahead 3-pointer lifts Dougherty Valley past Amador Valley
PLEASANTON — Rashod Cotton Jr. bent the game to his will.
From a first-quarter eruption that stunned a packed Amador Valley gym to a cold-blooded go-ahead 3-pointer to win the game, Cotton authored every important chapter as Dougherty Valley slipped past Amador Valley 59-56 in a marquee East Bay Athletic League showdown.
Cotton finished Friday’s game with 26 points, setting the tone early by pouring in 16 by himself in the opening quarter as Dougherty Valley built a lead that it carried most of the night. That cushion vanished during a furious fourth-quarter run from Amador Valley on the Dons’ senior night.
But as the moment grew louder, so did Cotton’s confidence. After his decisive long ball splashed through the net, Cotton was mobbed by his teammates and the Wildcats’ student section as the San Ramon school quieted a raucous home crowd.
It was a fitting night for Cotton, whose opening act created the lead and his final shot secured the win.
“He’s a killer. He’s an absolute stone-cold killer,” Dougherty Valley coach Mike Hansen said.
Dougherty Valley’s Alonzo Walker III finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds while junior Rylan Sevilla added nine points and five rebounds.
“It was Cotton’s night,” Amador Valley coach Willis Gardner said. “I told him it was only right that he hit the game winner. I thought he controlled the whole game.”
Paced by Cotton’s early run, Dougherty Valley was in control for all of the first three quarters. The Wildcats’ five-guard attack gave the Dons fits as drives to the rim allowed for open 3-pointers and layups.
Dougherty Valley led by as much as 13 in the second half and took an 11-point lead in the final eight minutes.
But after struggling to get into any rhythm, the Dons found something in the fourth quarter.
Senior guard Dante Ventura opened the quarter with seven straight points. The Dons turned up the heat, using a full-court trap that led to multiple steals and turnovers for the Wildcats.
A 12-6 run in the middle of the period, capped off by a steal-and-score from guard Amador Valley guard Elijah Stanley, tied the game with just over 30 seconds to play.
But what had worked so well to spark the comeback was ultimately dismantled by the Wildcats.
With the game tied, Amador Valley went back to its trap defense to try and get another turnover. The Wildcats played into the aggressiveness perfectly.
Sevilla found Cotton open near the left corner. With two Amador Valley defenders rushing to close out on him, Cotton elevated and fired with 20 seconds left.
Swish.
“I was a little in my head when I caught it because my hands weren’t on the seams,” Cotton said. “But me and my stepdad work on that shot all the time and it was wide open so it felt like practice. So to be able to be in the gym earlier today and work on that shot and two hours later, it’s the shot that sends them home, it was a great feeling.”
Amador Valley had one final chance to try to send the game to overtime, but the Wildcats played it smartly. With fouls to give, Dougherty Valley fouled Amador Valley until there was little time on the clock.
Having to rush up a shot, the Dons couldn’t get a clean look and the ball clanked off the rim as Dougherty Valley escaped with a solid league win.
Junior guard Jaylen Smith ended with 19 points, Ventura had 14 and Stanley had 11.
Friday’s win had major league and North Coast Section playoff implications.
The NCS playoffs bases its playoffs on the MaxPreps computer rankings, with the Open Division taking the section’s six best teams regardless of base division. Amador Valley entered Friday as the sixth-ranked team with Dougherty Valley at No. 11. The Wildcats now hold a one-game lead over Amador Valley for second in the EBAL standings.
“Watch out for this team in February,” Hansen said. “Everybody wants to talk about who is going to win this league. But shoot, these fools might mess around and play themselves into the Open Division.”