Bella Vista Falls to Antelope in Semifinals

In the end, Ahmad Smith alone wasn't enough for the Bella Vista Broncos boys’ basketball team to defeat the mighty Antelope Titans.

With perhaps the best game of his career, Smith, a junior guard, scored 27 points as the Broncos fell 55-49 in a CIF Sac-Joaquin Section semifinal game at Power Balance Pavilion.

That Bella Vista, which is now an impressive 25-5 on the season, made the 29-1 Titans sweat until the end is a testament to Smith's performance, which included five three-point baskets. Cristian Salhani added seven points and 11 rebounds for BV.

What hurt the Broncos, however, was an off night from key players and 2-for-12 shooting from the free throw line.

"In the second half, we played much better but you can't go 2 for 12 from the line and expect to win," said Bella Vista coach Dave Gonzalez. "Ahmad was great... but we haven't seen athleticism like (Antelope) this season and we were still right there."

But the Broncos' season is not over yet. They still qualify for the Nor Cal tournament and will rest today before finding out Sunday which opponent they'll face on the road next week.

"We can learn from this (Antelope) game," Gonzalez said. "We need to keep our heads up and this team is very capable of winning a couple of games to keep going."