YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) - The Yuba City Honkers Boys Basketball dropped to an 0-2 start in the Capital Valley Conference after they lost to the Antelope Titans 77-59 on Wednesday, January 11.

This was Yuba City’s first home game in over a month since they hosted their annual Mel Good Tournament from December 8-10.

The Honkers also play in the competitive Capital Valley Conference where Yuba City (10-6, 0-2 CVC) went winless last season against fierce competition like powerhouse Inderkum, Antelope and Woodcreek.

Honkers head coach Terry Evans in his first season has changed the culture of the basketball program already in the first half of the season.

“We are supporting each other, everyone is involved throughout the entire game,” Evans told the Dispatch.

Yuba City was undersized against Antelope, but the Honkers scrappy defense approach gave the Titans trouble throughout the game.

Yuba City was down 18-10 after the first but had eight turnovers in the first that gave them limited opportunities on the offensive end.

Senior point guard Ryan Grace expressed to the Dispatch the defensive pressure and communication on the floor kept them in the game throughout the first half. Grace had eight points, eight rebounds and three assists.

Evans and senior shooting guard Davis Warren added the way junior guard Anthony Medina flustered Antelope by being able to take charges sparked the bench and the momentum on the floor for the Honkers. Warren added 12 points, five rebounds and two blocks in the game.

One of the new ways Evans has changed the culture of this squad is after every charge taken by a Yuba City player, you’ll hear the Honkers bench yell “Gatorade”.

Evans exclaimed that for every charge taken by one of his players, he’ll reward them with a Gatorade post game. Medina earned three or four for his efforts last Wednesday.

One strength Yuba City did phenomenally against the Titans, was getting to the free throw line. The Honkers were eight for nine from the charity stripe in the first half along with limiting the turnovers with two in the second quarter. Yuba City trailed Antelope 32-23 at the half.

One of the struggles the Honkers had against the Titans was shooting from beyond the arc. Yuba City was one of nine in the first half but made an improvement in the second half and ended up five of 19 throughout the game.

In the third quarter, senior forward Luis Dumaran took over offensively for the Honkers as he lit up the scoreboard with 10 of his 15 team-high points. Dumaran also had six rebounds and four steals.

Dumaran, Grace and Davis expressed to the Dispatch the energy of Evans has rubbed off on the team and is infectious.

Yuba City closed out the third quarter when junior forward Dhiraj Atwal hit a crazy buzzer beating three-pointer to dwindle the Antelope lead to six.

The Honkers crowd and bench erupted after the shot and Evans jumped out of his seat like a rocket shooting into outer space, running up and down the bench giving monster high fives to his players.

The Titans pulled away in the fourth quarter after Dumaran took a nasty fall on his knee with a little more than six minutes to go in the fourth and didn’t return to the game. Dumaran and Evans told the Dispatch he will be fine.

Evans mentioned to the Dispatch one of the biggest priorities when he took the head coaching position was for the kids to have fun.

“From day one in practice, as long as they play hard and getting better with one another, we’re going to have fun,” Evans said. “That’s the whole point of basketball, you have the crowd and the bench behind you, what more do you want.”

The Honkers hosted Roseville on Tuesday and will travel to Bella Vista on Thursday night.