Led by Colleen Garrett, top-seeded Carlmont will look to defend
last year’s CCS championship
It’s not all about one player, but stopping Carlmont’s Colleen Garrett can only help San Benito on Friday night.
One year removed from an 8-15 season, the San Benito girls basketball team continues to turn heads and make history. After shutting down Piedmont Hills on Wednesday to the tune of an easy 58-42 semifinal victory, the Lady ‘Balers continue to prolong their already storybook season.
But with history now firmly in hand, the No. 2 Lady ‘Balers will battle the top-seeded Scots in the Central Coast Section Division I championship tonight at San Jose State University for not just CCS bragging rights, but also a likely home game in next week’s NorCal Championships.
With that said, the Lady ‘Balers are gaining a reputation for taking opposing teams out of their comfort zone – as seen on Wednesday when they dictated the tempo against the Pirates – and stopping Carlmont’s Garrett will likely make San Benito’s to-do list come tonight.
“Carlmont has probably the best player in the tournament,” San Benito coach David Kaplansky said of Garrett. “Her perimeter game is effective. Her post-up game is strong and solid … and she’s good under pressure.”
Garrett dropped a game-high 26 points Wednesday and led the Scots to a 58-56 overtime triumph over San Benito’s league rival and 4-seed North Salinas.
The 5-foot-11 post player also hit a pair of free throws in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter Wednesday that eventually sent the game to overtime.
Carlmont, which has been in the CCS final before after they defeated Milpitas 50-39 for the CCS championship last year, is not simply a one-man team, however.
Kaplansky said the Scots also house a decent back court. Said the coach, “They do a great job in the open court. That’s how they got back in the game (against North Salinas) – in transition.”
Kaplansky said the team has a swagger or confidence about them, but that will usually come when you’re the defending champs.
“They play like they’ve won the CCS before,” Kaplansky said. “They finish strong, and that’s a sign of an experienced and confident team.”
San Benito will play Carlmont at San Jose State University tonight, Friday, at 6:30 p.m.
