Five games in a six-day period can leave a team out of breath and looking for a well deserved break.

Scott Thom isn’t going there, and he’s not about to use that as an excuse for the way Vintage High School played in a 71-57 non-league boys basketball loss Monday night to Skyline-Oakland. It was the Crushers’ home opener.

“They were pumped up. They were really ready to get going,” said Thom, Vintage’s first-year head coach. “You ask any of these guys, they were ready to play and get it going. They came ready to play.”

Vintage (5-4 overall), coming off a third-place finish in the Wine Valley Tournament, started off well, bolting out to an early 6-0 lead on the strength of a basket and two free throws by Darrell Miller and a shot by Will Temple.

But the Crushers ran into trouble rebounding, managing just 18 boards the whole night, and they had their problems at the free-throw line, going 8-of-19 in the first half and 12-of-27 for the game.

“Our biggest problem right now is not rebounding,” said Thom. “We’re not in a good defensive position to help and things like that, so then we’re reaching. We’re not moving our feet. That’s probably the biggest problem right now, because when you’re out of position you can’t rebound. When you’re out of position you just reach and you foul, and we get in foul trouble early.”

Skyline (6-4), which plays in the Oakland Athletic League, used its size and quickness to out-rebound Vintage and get second- and third- and sometimes fourth-shot opportunities on the offensive end. The Titans were ahead 16-15 after one quarter, then outscored Vintage 20-12 in the second quarter and were in front by 16 points (54-38) going into the fourth period.

Vintage went on a 6-0 run to start the final period and trimmed Skyline’s lead to 10 points (54-44). But Miller, who finished with seven points, fouled out at the 4:16 mark and Vintage couldn’t sustain its comeback attempt.

A.J. Eisiminger had 14 points and made three 3-point baskets, Temple had 14 points, Jordan Long had five and Garrett Collins four for Vintage, which returns Dec. 27 when it opens the Elsie Allen Lobo Shootout in Santa Rosa as a tune-up for the Monticello Empire League season.

“We shot horrible from the free-throw line,” said Thom. “They were a lot bigger than us. A.J. boxed out well — it was one of his better nights boxing out. Garrett did well boxing out. Will Temple had a good night and knocked down some big shots. We’ve been waiting for that. We’ve just got to get the whole team boxing out. We got after it. But we just didn’t maintain it.

“They would get 2- or 3-shot opportunities and then maybe even on the third shot we’d pick up a stupid foul and then they’d go to the free-throw line. You’re just putting a foot in the grave when you don’t rebound against a team like that.”

Kwame Vaughn had 22 points and was 7-for-10 from the free-throw line for Skyline. Nefi Perdono had 10 points, Deion Ashley and Raheem Owens each had nine, Akil Danjuma had eight and Dennario Tatman added six for the Titans, who were 10-of-18 from the foul line in the first half and 21-of-39 for the game.

Thom said he’s looking forward to finally getting back in the gym for practices and to work on areas that he considers weaknesses.

“They’re getting better and they’re getting after it,” he said. “There were times when we really got after it defensively and were in good position. There were times where we really got after it boxing out. But it’s just got to be consistency, and that’s where practice comes into play.”

JV Boys Basketball

• Skyline 51, Vintage 41

Mason Feudner had 11 points, Phil Holbrook had eight points, Brad Lloyd had six and Ben Molinari five for Vintage in Monday night’s non-league loss.