Men’s basketball team bests tough Salinas for win
By JAWARA HARRISON
Pinnacle Staff Writer
The Hollister men’s basketball team is serving notice to the
rest of the Tri County Athletic League.
The Hollister men’s basketball team is serving notice to the rest of the Tri County Athletic League.
The San Benito Haybalers rallied from a five-point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat the Alisal Trojans 53-50 for the Bob Steinbach Classic at North Salinas High School last weekend.
It was the Haybalers’ second comeback in as many games. On Friday the Haybalers defeated the talented Salinas Cowboys after falling into a 10-point hole late in the third quarter.
Kyle Sharp paced the Haybalers win with a 15-point effort in the championship game and was also named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Sharp averaged 20 points over the course of the three-day tournament and was helped immensely in each of the wins.
San Benito opened the Bob Steinbach with a convincing 66-48 win over the Aptos Mariners. In the first quarter of that game the Haybalers held the Mariners to a measly five points in the first quarter and never looked back.
The win propelled the Haybalers into last Friday’s game against Salinas, who had come into the game on an eight-game winning streak. The Cowboys had no answer for Sharp, who scored a game high 28 points in the 85-76 win.
After stunning the Cowboys, the Haybalers beat Alisal and waltzed out of Salinas with its second tournament trophy of the year.
Now armed with a 12-2 record, the Haybalers’ confidence is rising and head coach Dave Kaplansky’s premonition came true.
His team is rounding into shape just as he said after recently placing second to Live Oak in the Bob Hagan Tournament in Gilroy.
