Team has high hopes for CCS spot
Although they still have one difficult game remaining on the
schedule before the Central Coast Section playoffs get under way,
the San Benito High girls’ basketball team is expected to lay claim
to the title of league champion by the time this paper gets tossed
in your driveway
– a feat that hasn’t happened since 2000.
Team has high hopes for CCS spot
Although they still have one difficult game remaining on the schedule before the Central Coast Section playoffs get under way, the San Benito High girls’ basketball team is expected to lay claim to the title of league champion by the time this paper gets tossed in your driveway – a feat that hasn’t happened since 2000.
“Our biggest asset this year has been our defense,” said first-year coach David Kaplansky, who took a 7-15 girls team of a year ago and turned the team into an undefeated giant in league play. “Our defense opens up our transition game and gives us a lot of confidence and enthusiasm. When we create steals it also opens up our perimeter game.”
This season the Balers have been led by the solid play on the court of Vanessa Farias and Elena Fata. In the Balers hard-fought win over Gilroy High on Saturday, Farias had 14 points and Fata accounted for 10.
After allowing a season-high 18 points to the Mustangs in the third quarter, while scoring only three points themselves, the Balers trailed by seven points heading into the final quarter before going on a 15-2 run to shore up the victory.
“We held them to zero field goals in the fourth quarter,” Kaplansky said.
The never-say-die attitude combined with the hot hand of Farias, who is leading the league in scoring, and Fata proved to be the difference in the game. Heading into the home stretch what’s also impressive is that the Balers have six players that are averaging more than five points a contest.
“We’re really balanced this year. If our perimeter shooter is on and our big players are able to make the lay-ins, we should get to the mid 40s or 50s (in total points),” Kaplansky said. “And if we do that, we are tough to beat.”
The Balers will make the league championship official in the season finale on Thursday night at North Salinas whether they win or lose. But Kaplansky knows that beating the second-place Vikings on the road won’t be an easy task.
“North Salinas is a very physical team,” he said. “They can put four six-footers on the court at one time. They try and rattle you and get under your skin. They do a good job at trying to get you out of your set.”
Although the Balers easily handled the Vikings 54-36 at home just two weeks ago, San Benito High did lose to North Salinas early in the year in the Seaside Sweet 16 tournament by a 36-27 margin.
“The second time we played them a bit more physical and we didn’t back down in our intensity the whole game,” Kaplansky said. “It was a hard game. One girl was called for a flagrant foul and another was ejected from the game. This time, it’s at their place. We’ll need to be composed. It’s their last game – emotions will be high.”
Win, lose or tie with the Vikings, the following week the Balers are expected to be a high seed in the CCS playoffs.
“We feel pretty good about our chances this year,” Baler senior guard Elena Fata said. “Everyone is pretty much on the same page. We’ve got to stay strong and composed, and run our system, and we’ll be alright.”
