It was one of those basketball games that had spectators going
from
”
Why did I show up?
”
to standing up and proclaiming,
”
That’s what I’m talkin’ about!
”
SAN JOSE – It was one of those basketball games that had spectators going from “Why did I show up?” to standing up and proclaiming, “That’s what I’m talkin’ about!”
Hollister High, with three starters on the bench at game’s end, somehow managed to outlast Los Gatos 66-63 in double overtime in the quarterfinals of the Oak Grove Classic Wednesday night.
That’s the good news for the Balers (8-2), who get a day to recuperate. The bad news is that up next is El Camino of Sacramento in Friday’s semifinals with a tipoff of 6:30 p.m. The Eagles (8-1), with blowout wins over North County and Mt. Pleasant, are the consensus class of the tournament. And if the Balers play the “Everyone runs the floor to perfection including the athletic big girls” Eagles as flat as they did against the Wildcats (4-6) in the first half, it will not be a pretty sight for fans of the Balers.
Los Gatos came out with ball pressure and first pass deny out on the perimeter and the Balers treated it like it was the first day of practice. Hollister scored just 12 points in the first 16 minutes. Their top interior scorers – forward Naomi Ruiz and center Sarah Groman – totaled just four points in the first half as the entry pass to the post was non-existent.
Making matters worse, Groman turned her ankle with 6:58 left in the second period and had to be helped off the floor by Baler head coach Richard Silva and Gene Stamps, who heads the Oak Grove girls program. Groman did not return.
Fortunately for the Balers, the Wildcats scored just 20 points in the first half, 11 from sophomore center Alexa Anderson. Anderson was just getting warmed up. She ended with a game-high 29 points as the Balers, minus the 6-foot-1 Groman for the the final 31 minutes of the game, couldn’t push Anderson out of the low block position, nor find her in the middle of the key in the latter part of the contest.
Baler guard Gina Caianiello, who had eight of the Balers’ 12 first half points, started feeling it in the third period to spur the Baler comeback. A three-pointer from top of the key by Caianiello and the Balers were suddenly down just 26-25.
Hollister’s transition game began to take its toll on the Lady ‘Cats. Backup center Kaylie Kortsen, who played some crunchtime minutes in lieu of Groman, gave Ruiz a long lead pass for a hoop. Caianiello knocked down another trey and the Balers had their first lead of the game at 30-28. Ruiz pushed it ahead to sophomore guard Trisha Lee for a late-quarter basket and the Balers had outscored Los Gatos 20-8 in the third frame to go up by four.
Lee, who was scoreless in the first half, stayed hot for the rest of the game. She finished with a career-high 25 points. That’s a reverse 50-point pace.
“Caianiello and Lee are good players,” said Los Gatos coach Dedrick Brooks. “We held Caianiello down, but let her get loose in that third quarter. But we gave up four uncontested layups. That’s the bottom line. We did not get back on defense.”
Caianiello rested the final minute of the third period and sat on the bench at the start of the fourth, fighting off dehydration. She re-entered the game at the 6:35 mark of the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, fouls started to mount up on the Balers. Caianiello picked up her fourth with 4:20 left in regulation. Ruiz notched her fourth, as did Lee.
In a subplot, Baler forward Jennifer Tremblay seemed to keep being in the middle of crucial sequences. She gathered in seven defensive boards in a reserve role and eight total.
Tremblay’s inside bucket with 43 seconds left in regulation put the Balers up 45-43. Andrewson drained two free throws with 15 seconds left to tie the score. She also somehow ended up with the last attempt to win it and it was a six-footer from the baseline, which refused to go in.
Desina Gonzalez scored her only bucket of the game to put the Balers up by to start the first OT. Caianiello, who went scoreless in the fourth quarter and surprisingly didn’t look to score, fouled out with 3:03 left in the overtime. Lee, though, hit a huge trey for 53-47 and the Lady ‘Cats called a “We’re in trouble!” timeout with 1:57 left in the first OT.
The Balers couldn’t stand prosperity and turned the ball over twice which led to Los Gatos buckets. Up two and seconds away from a Hollister win, Rebecca Mason forced the second OT when she made her only basket of the lengthy evening, an eight-footer.
The Balers outscored the ‘Cats 10-7 in the second overtime. Lee kept getting fouled and went 5-of-8 from the line. She was 9-of-16 for the game. Erika Rodriguez, just a sophomore, had the three biggest points of her varsity career, while Kortsen had a huge follow shot.
“We played frustrated in the beginning,” said Silva. “We were trying to force it instead of finesse it. Then in the second half we got our fast break going.”
“Our bench really came in and stepped up,” said Lee, who hit some clutch shots. “These are the kind of games which help us to play Notre Dame and North Salinas in league. That’s why we’re here.”
What about El Camino, which pushes the ball up the floor constantly and goes to their spots as well as any team in the state?
“If we lose, it’s no big deal,” said Lee. “We’re only going to get better by playing them.”
Fasten your seat belt and don’t miss, Balers.
Tourney notes: In other losers bracket games, North County eliminated Santa Clara 51-38 while Santa Teresa ousted Fremont 48-26. Tonight’s games are Castilleja-Del Mar, Notre Dame-SJ vs. Overfelt, Andrew Hill-Wilcox and Oak Grove-King’s Academy. – El Camino is a late replacement team for Westmoor (Daly City). The Rams bowed out at the last minute, thank you Rams. – El Camino’s only loss was to Vacaville, one of the better teams in Northern California. – Assistant coach for the Lady ‘Cats is Julia Allender, who starred at Santa Clara High a few years back. – Approximately 70 fans watched the Hollister-Los Gatos game. – Should the Balers lose Friday, they play Saturday at 2:30 p.m. for third place. If they win, they play in Saturday’s championship game at 4 p.m. – This was the first double-overtime for Silva in four years as head coach at Hollister.
Hollister 6 6 20 13 11 10 – 66
Los Gatos 7 13 8 17 11 7 – 63
H – Caianiello 7 2-4 18, Groman 2 0-0 4, Ruiz 2 1-2 5, Lee 7 9-16 25, Rodriguez 1 1-2 3, Gonzalez 1 0-0 2, Tremblay 2 3-5 7, Kortsen 1 0-0 2. Totals 23 16-28 66.
LG – Norvelle 0 2-2 2, Nunn 3 1-1 7, Anderson, Al. 12 5-12 29, McClenathan 3 1-2 7, Carr 0 0-2 0, Fritch 3 4-5 11, Mason 1 0-0 2, Green 2 0-0 5. Totals 24 13-24 63.
3-point goals: Caianiello 2, Lee 2 (H). Fritch, Green (LG).
