No. 1 Menlo-Atherton too much for San Benito to handle; Lady
‘Balers wrap season with 61-44 defeat
It didn’t take long for the San Benito girls basketball team to learn just how difficult playing No. 1 Menlo-Atherton would be.
Overwhelmed by the Bears’ size and athleticism, the ‘Balers surrendered twelve unanswered points in the first quarter, a deficit that proved too much to overcome as No. 9 San Benito saw its season end with the 61-44 loss on Saturday.
After taking a 2-0 lead when guard Vanessa Farias found forward Ashley Patton for a turnaround jumper, the ‘Balers saw Menlo-Atherton go on a 12-0 blitz to take a double-digit lead less than five minutes into their Central Coast Section Division I quarterfinal contest at Milpitas High.
The Bears (21-6) dictated the action to San Benito at both ends of the floor in the early stages, using a combination of their superior size and strong shooting to get field goals from five different players in the team’s first six baskets, and taking advantage of the ‘Balers’ angst to force seven turnovers in the run.
“They came out on fire,” said San Benito head coach Al Rowe of the Bears. “They look and play like they’ve played together a couple of years. That’s the No. 1 team. You can tell that’s the No. 1 team.”
Two free throws by senior Ari Romero and a lay-up by Farias made the score respectable at 14-6 by the end of the opening quarter, but then Menlo-Atherton sent another dizzying wave at San Benito to start the second. Three consecutive lay-ups spurred a 10-0 run that left the ‘Balers down 24-6 and wondering what hit them.
“They did it quick,” said San Benito senior Jamie Huston of the Bears’ fast start. “Their motions were really fast. It was hard to get around them. They were way bigger than us and stronger.”
Once they settled down, the ‘Balers (13-15) began to find a rhythm and started to climb back in the game. After Romero converted three foul shots, Patton used a strong up-and-under move to score near the end of the half. And then, when Romero found her senior frontcourt mate for a lay-up, San Benito completed a 7-0 run that brought the team within 31-19 at halftime.
“Coming out, we knew it was going to be a tough one,” said Patton, who finished with 10 points and a team-high four steals. “After the initial knock, we started getting back into it.”
But in the end, Menlo-Atherton had far too many weapons for the ‘Balers to compete with.
“Their defense, for one,” said Rowe, when asked what made the Bears so tough. “They were hustling back. They knew where the passes were going to be. [Bears head coach Pamela Wimberly] had a minimum of two speedsters out there all the time and they hustled back on ‘D.’ I told them after the game [that] if they go all the way, it makes us look good.”
Freshman reserve Marike Wolters, a 6-foot center, led the Bears with 10 points, with most coming as she had her way with San Benito’s post players in the second half, but Menlo-Atherton persevered mainly because of its depth. Seven different Bears registered at least six points, and the Bears’ reserves outscored San Benito’s bench, 27-4.
Menlo-Atherton advanced to play No. 5 North Salinas, a 51-45 victor over No. 4 Piedmont Hills, in the semifinals.
‘Balers guard Elena Fata scored a game-high 12 points and shot a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. Romero and Farias both finished with 10 points, and sophomore Jayme Telles contributed four points with her quickness off the bench.
Huston, a first-year varsity player as a senior, enjoyed her best performance in the team’s biggest game. The forward battled to the end with Menlo-Atherton’s skilled post players, emerging with a team-high five rebounds and two assists.
“I started her. I had a feeling today,” said Rowe of Huston. “She had a great game. What a good finish for a senior.”
Rowe also commended his players for their outstanding free-throw shooting. With Romero (5-of-6) and Farias (3-of-4) joining Fata as hitting the ‘freebies’ at a good clip, Rowe joked, “85 percent from the free-throw line?! Where was that all year? Save the best for last, huh?”
The loss brought an end to San Benito’s season, but not before the ‘Balers accomplished considerably more than was expected of a team that returned just two varsity players.
“Nobody expected us to make CCS,” noted Patton.
And San Benito did one better than that, beating No. 8 Alisal on the road in an overtime thriller last Wednesday to advance to the quarterfinals.
Asked what she thought the highlights of the season were, Romero listed the ‘Balers’ triumph over longtime Tri-County Athletic League powerhouse Notre Dame, “and winning in overtime, making the quarterfinals.”
With a dynamic group of freshmen and sophomores set to return next year, Rowe knows that his program is on the rise.
“It’s going to be tough come tryouts next year,” said San Benito’s coach. “To be a building year and make the quarterfinals? What [more] can a coach ask for? We’re going to get stronger and stronger.”
