Babacar Pouye scored 14 of his game-high 27 points in the fourth quarter, powering Cate to a 62-53 Tri-Valley League boys basketball win at Thacher in Ojai on Wednesday night.
Pouye sealed the victory with a breakaway dunk.
“He really took over in the fourth and made sure we left that gym with a win,” said Cate coach Andy Gil of Pouye’s performance.
Marcus Scudder played a key role in the fourth quarter for Cate, holding Thacher’s hot-shooting Rob Carney to three points. Carney made seven of Thacher’s 10 three-pointers in the game and finished with 25 points.
Scudder also sank all four of his free throws in the final eight minutes and finished with 14 points. Jengus Ercil also scored 14 points for the Rams (8-6 overall, 3-2 in the TVL).
“We played well in spurts, but in rivalry games like today just getting a solid league win will always be a good thing,” said Gil.
Cate’s next game is Monday at home against Highway 192 rival Carpinteria.