Losing has been rare for the Pitman High varsity basketball team at the start of their 2024-25 campaign.

Despite an “off” night, as some players described it, the Pride improved to 10-1 on Tuesday night after a 53-34 throttling of Patterson in non-conference action. It’s the program’s best start since they went 8-2 in 2008.

The Pride were a tad out of sync Tuesday, as they had spent most of last week at the Clovis West Nike Invitational, and returned home Sunday to tirelessly prepare for finals week. They missed six of their first eight field goal attempts and turned the ball over 13 times over the course of the game.

Regardless, the trio of Abhiraj Cheema, Avery Sanchez and Cole Martin (who are all returning starters) poured in a combined 54 points to pull away from a Patterson team that had come out of the gates struggling, losing six of their first seven games.

Cheema posted his best game as a high schooler, leading all scorers with 21 points, aided by five three-pointers. Coming into the year, the junior wasn’t known to catch fire like he did Tuesday, as he made three straight buckets from beyond the arc in the third quarter. But he feels as if this year could be his breakout.

“I was waiting for a night like this,” he said. “I knew the opportunities would come because last year I felt I was the fourth (scoring option), and this year, I came in knowing I was the third. It’s all about us teammates trusting each other.”

It’s been well documented how efficient scorers Sanchez and Martin are. Sanchez is the school’s all-time leading scorer and Martin, in his third year at the varsity level, is coming off a sophomore season in which he was second in points. And with the graduation of forward Justin Anderson this summer, head coach Harvey Marable was hoping for someone like Cheema to step up as the Pride look to defend their Central California Athletic League title and make a deep playoff run come early spring.

“He’s another weapon for us. It’s better to have more than one and it’s better to have more than two,” Marable said. 

Sanchez, a senior, is without a question their top scoring option. But with a resume like his as the school scoring and three-point king, the double teams are bound to come. It impacted him early as he 2-for-8 from the field in the first half. It was only a matter of time until the Pride’s movement would tire out the Tigers, He took advantage, heating up in the second half to finish with 17 points.

“It’s awesome to have them step up in key moments,” Sanchez said. “I think we have a lot of guys that can be the key factor for us on any given night. And it's not just scoring, but it’s the stuff that doesn’t show up in the stat sheets, boxing out, playing defense, guys getting on the floor. That’s all stuff that makes my li easy. It’s a really fun group to play with.

“I think it’s just the little bit more experience we have that’s taking us over the hump in some key moments. That’s the difference now this time of year compared to the last few.”

Martin was the exception in the early struggles, as he scored 11 of his 16 total points in the first half. The 6-foot-1 guard has not only grown physically, but the third-year varsity player has accepted the role as a leader, never letting a bad sequence discourage his aggressiveness on the court while constantly encouraging teammates as they play through bad shooting stretches.

“Every night, I’m just letting the game come to me, because I know the system that coach puts in with my teammates, and I know that if I just trust and let the game come to me, it'll be a good night,” Martin said.

“I was going through my struggles in the first half, too,” Cheema added. “And Cole is just giving words of encouragement in the locker room, and he’s getting the ball to me and setting me up, never losing confidence in me. That’s just the makeup of our team right now.”

After being on the road for six of their last eight games, the Pride will continue to enjoy the confines of their home gymnasium when their preseason homestand continues Saturday at 4 p.m. against Sonora and on Monday at 7:30 p.m. against Cosumnes Oaks.

“We’re just a hard working team, day in and day out,” Marable said. “We just have to execute the small things for our success. We have the guys that are willing to do that and put in the time that’s necessary. And I appreciate it. We’re looking forward to the rest of the season.”