Clovis West couldn’t do much to stop Memorial’s Jalen Green. Yet the Eagles prevail

Clovis West High sophomore Cole Anderson had December marked on his calendar from the beginning of the summer.

That’s because Anderson knew there was a good chance the Golden Eagles would play San Joaquin Memorial and potential NBA player Jalen Green.

And that’s what happened Friday night in a packed Clovis West gymnasium.

Withstanding a 36-point performance from Green, Clovis West overcame a slow start but held onto a 79-75 win in the semifinals of the Nike Invitational.

Grayson Cooper made a pair of key free throws in the fourth quarter and Alex Villi drained a big basket from the top of the key down the stretch to preserve the win. Villi finished with 24 points.

“This was by far our most pumped up game of the year,” said Anderson, whose Golden Eagles (12-0) next face Modesto Christian for the tournament title at 8 p.m. Saturday. “From the last time we played them, we wanted to keep playing them.”

A year ago, Clovis West topped Memorial and Green 79-73 in the same tournament.

This will be the lone meeting between Memorial and Clovis West, with no shot of meeting in the Central Section championship because the Golden Eagles play in Division I and the Panthers in Division II.

Golden Eagles coach Vance Walberg, who was an NBA assistant for several seasons, projects big things from Green. He’s glad his Eagles rose to the occasion.

“Jalen is a special player,” Walberg said. “He’s going to be in the NBA in a couple years. He’s good as they come. It’s a treat to play against him like that.

“When I was here the first time when we played against DeShawn Stevenson, it was kind of the same thing. It’s a neat feeling.”

This story was originally published December 15, 2018 at 12:19 AM.