Typically, Friday night varsity hoops is at 7:00pm, but because of a dance before winter break, Pomona moved their game to 5:00pm against Wheat Ridge.  I have shot two other times in this gym before, once for volleyball and once for boys hoops.

I got to the gym early to mount my strobes.  Because I used my battery pack the night before, I knew I was going to need it again tonight, but it was not charged fully, so I finished charging it while I was setting everything up.  Previously, I mounted the strobes so I could bounce them, but this time I set them to direct strobe.

Honestly, this was a horrible night shooting.  No one seemed to realize I was trying to take pictures and would consistently stand right in front of me during action in the game.  It got so bad I had to yell at a group of JV players who blew a break away photo for me.  I was very close to just packing up my gear after the first quarter and going home.  It was frustrating to say the least.

The first game I shot with Pomona, they were not really ready for basketball.  Coming off a heartbreak loss to Ralston Valley in football and the team was not 100% ready yet for basketball with the football players just joining the team.

So a little over a week later, I was expecting to see a little better basketball from the Panthers in this game against Wheat Ridge.  Pomona has 6 seniors on their varsity squad, but they were not ready for Wheat Ridge.  The Farmers had a tough press to break, and their defense forced a lot of Pomona turnovers.

In the first quarter, the tough Wheat Ridge Farmer’s defense held Pomona to only 4 points.  The Farmer’s started the second quarter with a 18-4 lead.  Pomona started to play a bit better in the 2nd quarter, holding Wheat Ridge to 11 points and scoring 11 of their own, but going into halftime, Wheat Ridge had a 29-15 lead.

When the second half started, Pomona was outmatched by the Farmers, but the Panthers held Wheat Ridge to just 11 points.  Starting the 4th quarter, Wheat Ridge held a commanding 18 point lead.   The Farmers held the Panthers down, holding them to 12 points in the final period and would go on to win 54 to 34.

I have two Pomona games next week, one at Pomona and one against Arvada West at Arvada West High.  I hope Pomona finds their groove, as it could be a long season for the Panthers if things continue this way.

To view and purchase photos from this game, please visit MaxPreps.