Auvin Cole (5) of Tam drives past Travis Flick (3) of Novato during a MCAL boys basketball game at Novato High School in Novato, Calif. on Jan. 28, 2023. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Connor Mulvaney (2) of Novato holds off Henry Dehan (0) of Tam during a MCAL boys basketball game at Novato High School in Novato, Calif. on Jan. 28, 2023. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Logan Raven (1) of Tam dribbles up the court against Connor Mulvaney (2) of Novato during a MCAL boys basketball game at Novato High School in Novato, Calif. on Jan. 28, 2023. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Travis Flick (3) of Novato dribbles against Tam during a MCAL boys basketball game at Novato High School in Novato, Calif. on Jan. 28, 2023. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Travis Flick (3) of Novato and Auvin Cole (5) of Tam reach for a loose ball during a MCAL boys basketball game at Novato High School in Novato, Calif. on Jan. 28, 2023. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Travis Flick (3) of Novato drives past Thomas Boyle (20) of Tam during a MCAL boys basketball game at Novato High School in Novato, Calif. on Jan. 28, 2023. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Tam head coach Lorenzo Bynum argues a call with a referee during a game against Novato during a MCAL boys basketball game at Novato High School in Novato, Calif. on Jan. 28, 2023. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Travis Flick (3) of Novato goes up for a shot against Auvin Cole (5) of Tam during a MCAL boys basketball game at Novato High School in Novato, Calif. on Jan. 28, 2023. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Quinton Manuel (30) of Novato attempts to get past Quinn Schaeffer (22) of Tam during a MCAL boys basketball game at Novato High School in Novato, Calif. on Jan. 28, 2023. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Joaquin Zamora (13) of Novato drives past Zane Yarnold (4) of Tam during a MCAL boys basketball game at Novato High School in Novato, Calif. on Jan. 28, 2023. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Auvin Cole (5) of Tam drives past Travis Flick (3) of Novato during a MCAL boys basketball game at Novato High School in Novato, Calif. on Jan. 28, 2023. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Nabhi Abushi (3) of Tam defends Travis Flick (3) of Novato during a MCAL boys basketball game at Novato High School in Novato, Calif. on Jan. 28, 2023. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Connor Mulvaney (2) of Novato drives past Zane Yarnold (4) of Tam during a MCAL boys basketball game at Novato High School in Novato, Calif. on Jan. 28, 2023. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Auvin Cole (5) of Tam dribbles against Novato during a MCAL boys basketball game at Novato High School in Novato, Calif. on Jan. 28, 2023. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Bennett Moffat (0) of Novato goes for a layup while defended by Quinn Schaefer (22) of Tam during a MCAL boys basketball game at Novato High School in Novato, Calif. on Jan. 28, 2023. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Andy Gates (10) of Novato goes up for a shot against Quinn Schaefer (22) and Thomas Boyle (20) of Tam during a MCAL boys basketball game at Novato High School in Novato, Calif. on Jan. 28, 2023. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Henry Dehan (0) of Tam goes up for a shot against Andy Gates (10) of Novato during a MCAL boys basketball game at Novato High School in Novato, Calif. on Jan. 28, 2023. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Bennett Moffat (0) of Novato drives past Henry Dehan (0) of Tam during a MCAL boys basketball game at Novato High School in Novato, Calif. on Jan. 28, 2023. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Auvin Cole (5) of Tam goes in for a layup against Novato during a MCAL boys basketball game at Novato High School in Novato, Calif. on Jan. 28, 2023. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Auvin Cole (5) of Tam drives against Andy Gates (10) of Novato during a MCAL boys basketball game at Novato High School in Novato, Calif. on Jan. 28, 2023. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
Thomas Boyle (20) of Tam goes up for a shot against Dominic Scafani (15) of Novato during a MCAL boys basketball game at Novato High School in Novato, Calif. on Jan. 28, 2023. (Douglas Zimmerman/Special to the Marin Independent Journal)
The action was heating up, the drama was tense and the game was on the line throughout the fourth quarter — a familiar situation for the Tam High boys basketball team. The difference Saturday night was the Red-tailed Hawks found a way to hang on for victory.
Despite being outscored in the fourth quarter — and losing their head coach to an ejection — the Hawks pulled out a 70-66 win over host Novato.
“We want to finish the season strong, to finish on a good note,” said Tam’s Auvin Cole, who finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
Seventh-place Tam (10-14, 5-9 MCAL) is scheduled to finish out the season against MCAL leader Branson and third-place San Marin. Last-place Novato (3-19, 3-10) has games against eighth-place San Rafael, second-place Redwood, and fifth-place Terra Linda remaining on its schedule.
Tam has been in plenty of close games this season, but have lost six contests by three or fewer points.
Tam held an eight-point lead entering the final quarter, but Novato struck quickly to cut into the difference. Zane Yarnold and Thomas Boyle fueled a Tam surge that pushed the Hawks’ lead to 13 points, but then things got entertaining.
Novato’s Bennett Moffat hit a 3-pointer to show the Hornets were not giving up. After Tam coach Lorenzo Bynum was given two quick technical fouls and ejected for arguing a call, the Hornets were awarded six free throws. Joshua DeVore made four shots from the line. Travis Flick drained a 3-pointer and all of a sudden a double-digit divide was sliced to just three points with seconds on the clock.
In a game as eventful as this one, anything could happen … but layups by Henry Dehan and Quinn Schaeffer locked down the win for Tam.
“We knew we’d be in for a dogfight,” Schaeffer said. “Novato’s a tough team. But everyone stayed positive and played hard.”
“The energy was intense,” Cole said. “The guys on our team stayed focused, even through everything.”
Schaeffer led the Hawks with 19 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Yarnold added 11 points and six rebounds, while Boyle and Dehan each finished with 10 points.
Flick was credited with 21 points, five rebounds and five assists for Novato, while Moffat had 11 points and DeVore finished with 10 points.
Flick and DeVore gave Novato a quick lead early in the game, but Schaeffer and Cole fired back as the Hawks carved out a five-point lead through the first half. The pressure in The Hive was already heating up, on the court and off. A Novato fan was ejected for unsportsmanlike behavior — apparently yelling at the officials.
Tam started quickly in the second half, but Novato traded the 3-pointer for more high-percentage shots and, with Moffat and Flick setting the pace, cut the Hawks’ 13-point lead to just eight points by the end of the third quarter.
“We wanted to come out in the second half strong,” said Cole, whose high-energy attack and ball distribution helped key the Hawks’ offense. “We did that and it was a good game for us.”
