The past four weeks have been difficult for the Hollister High
girls basketball team.
The past four weeks have been difficult for the Hollister High girls basketball team.
The Balers (16-10) lost five games in Tri-County Athletic League play by a total of 19 points. Two other defeats were by wide margins.
Senior Naomi Ruiz claims that the 10th seeded Balers, who venture to 7th-seed Watsonville (16-11) this Wednesday for a first round Central Coast Section Division I game with a 7 p.m. tipoff, are ready to begin the beguine, so to speak, as they go to the CCS dance.
“It has been unfortunate,” said Ruiz. “We’ve played the best we could. There seemed to be a lid on the basket at times.”
The Balers met the Wildcats to start the season and lost at home 39-29.
“We didn’t have Sarah Groman or Jaime Hall then,” said Ruiz. “We weren’t together then. We’ve improved since then.”
“I’m sure Watsonville has improved, too,” said head coach Richard Silva. “The key for us is rebounding – offensively and defensively. And they have good man pressure, not as potent as Notre Dame’s. We had 29 turnovers the first time we played Watsonville. We have to settle down and run our offense and take the ball to the basket. We have to be strong inside with the rebound. It should be a good game.”
Should the Balers win, they advance to the quarterfinals against No. 2 Piedmont Hills (18-6) at Leland High on Saturday. The Balers easily defeated the PIrates in a second round game last year 59-32. That, alone, gives the Balers hope of trekking through what looks to be the weaker side of the bracket. The Pirates do have a star in Pamela Tambini, headed to the University of Hawaii. Tambini is a strong candidate for First Team All-CCS.
“They don’t have much besides her,” said Ruiz. “If you shut her down, you can beat them.”
If the Balers can win the next three games, they will no doubt meet Archbishop Mitty, the No. 1 seed, in the DI championship game, which would guarantee them a NorCal game.
But, assistant coach Clay Lee gave his team a major warning.
“Play them one game at a time,” said Lee before Monday’s practice.
A fine warning, indeed.
