Despite losing three players to foul trouble and two to previous injuries, the San Benito girls basketball team escaped Tuesday with a thrilling come-from-behind 66-65 victory over Salinas in double overtime.
Coming off the bench, Katherine Angeles won the game for San Benito on a last-second 3-pointer as time expired. Angeles, who hit two buzzer beaters on the junior varsity team a year ago, finished with 14 points for San Benito in the victory.
“It was unbelievable,” SBHS head coach Mitch Burley said. “It was such a close game and calls went both ways. One team had to lose, but it was just amazing and unbelievable.”
After trailing 23-20 at halftime, San Benito’s offense picked up in the final 16 minutes. Led by Taylor Fabing, who hit five 3-pointers on her way to 19 points, San Benito held a five point lead with less than two minutes in the game. But the Balers quickly got into foul trouble. Starting senior Ellie Burley fouled out with less than two minutes left on the clock, and Salinas started to cause issues for the Balers’ offense.
Eventually Salinas tied the game in the final seconds at 45 after getting a putback on a missed free throw. In the first overtime, Salinas jumped to an early lead.
The Cowboys held a four point lead with 45 seconds left in the contest. San Benito’s Anjelica Collins, though, scored the overtime’s final four points to tie the contest on a left-handed running jumper at the buzzer.
“It was a pretty amazing shot that sent us to double overtime,” Burley said.
In the second overtime, a Fabing 3-point shot gave the Balers an early lead, but the Cowboys took a 2-point lead with less than 10 seconds left in the game.
Playing without Fabing, who fouled out, San Benito setting up Angeles with the game winning shot and the Balers second league win.
“It was a great feeling but we are starting to see the effects of the equity league,” Burley said. “There are no throw away games, it’s tough right off. We have five of our first six games at homes, so we need to play well here. We’ve started well.”
The Balers hosted Christopher on Thursday. Look online for an update.
