SAN JOSE — A year after going one-and-done in the Central Coast Section playoffs, the San Benito High boys’ basketball team wasn’t about to let it happen again.
“Not a chance,” forward Robbie Skinner said after the Haybalers’ 51-35 win over Fremont-Sunnyvale in a Division I playoff quarterfinal on Saturday at Piedmont Hills High. “Coach (David Kaplansky) wasn’t going to let us lose, and the players didn’t want to go one-and-done again.”
Especially Skinner, who scored a game-high 17 points, including buzzer-beating shots to end both the first and second quarters. It was a dominating performance from the top-seed Balers, who advance to a 7:30 p.m. Wednesday semifinal against No. 4 seed Bellarmine (10-16) at Independence High-San Jose.
Don’t be fooled by Bellarmine’s record. The Bells play in the vaunted West Catholic League, arguably the best league in the state. Bellarmine’s size will definitely pose some issues for San Benito, which has no true center.
However, if the Balers stay active on the glass like they did against Fremont — they literally out-hustled the Firebirds on the boards, finishing with a 11-3 advantage in offensive rebounds — they’ll have more than a decent shot to knock off a program that has won 10 — count ’em, 10 — CCS championships.
“Bellarmine has been there and done that, and we’re just trying to win our first (CCS title),” Kaplansky said. “I’m just so happy with the way we played today. I was a little nervous because we had so much time off, but I think it really helped us in this game. Our guys were fresh, the ball-pressure was phenomenal and the defense was fantastic. I really liked the game plan we came in with, and the kids executed it to perfection.”
San Benito wanted to score 50 or more points and contain Fremont’s top player, Mo Abdulrasul, who entered the contest averaging 21.6 points per game. Check, check. The Balers were never seriously threatened, and guard R.J. Collins did a nice job of contesting every Abdulrasul shot, holding the Fremont sharpshooter to 13 points.
“To contain No. 5 (Abdulrasul) is not easy,” Kaplansky said. “R.J. was phenomenal on defense.”
Collins also had six points and three steals, including a couple of early thefts that led to easy scores, setting the tone for the game. Hyram Miskin had nine points and nine rebounds, including five offensive, and Shraee Harrison added eight points.
But it was Skinner who proved to be the difference-maker, as he finished an ultra-efficient 7 of 11 from the field. The Firebirds had no answer for the 6-foot-3, 165-pound Skinner, who had little trouble with any of the defenders Fremont had on him.
Often isolated at the top of the key, the Firebirds didn’t want Skinner to beat them off the dribble, hoping Skinner would miss from the outside. It didn’t happen, as Skinner repeatedly buried pull-up jumpers from all areas of the court.
“I was just taking advantage of what the defense was giving me,” Skinner said. “I saw the openings and just did what I usually do.”
Kaplansky loved the fact that the Balers were able to close each quarter strong, something the team practices religiously. Skinner’s shots to close each of the first two quarters were a dagger to a Fremont team that could never mount a serious charge.
“Those shots to close the quarter are big shots, momentum-changing shots,” said Kaplansky, who admitted afterward it took an entire year to get over last year’s loss to Carlmont in the Division I quarterfinals. “Correct, I just got over it (with this victory). But now it’s time to move on, and we’ll be well prepared for Wednesday. The dream will be to get to the final.”
