Marty Bueno returns to team, drains game-winning 3-pointer
Hollister – Marty Bueno made a triumphant return to the San Benito boys basketball team Wednesday and the Haybalers opened their Tri-County Athletic League season with a dramatic 54-52 win over Salinas.
Bueno, who left the team for personal reasons nearly a month ago and was seeing his first action since Dec. 7, scored all nine of his points in the fourth quarter and hit a 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded to give San Benito the win.
“It felt good,” Bueno said. “I saw the time, looked up real quick, saw I had just enough time for one more shot and took the shot.”
While Bueno provided the heroics, it was equally a strong team effort in the fourth quarter that helped the ‘Balers to the victory.
“It was the team who played well,” San Benito coach John Becerra said. “People will remember that Marty made the last shot but other people made big shots to get us to that point.”
Midway through the final period, Salinas went on a 6-0 run to open a 46-38 advantage.
Two free-throws by Kevin Burley, who was 7-of-9 from the line on the night and 6-of-7 in the quarter, ended that spurt.
The ‘Balers pulled to with four points when Burley scored inside and was fouled and converted the three-point play to make it 50-46 with 2:49 remaining.
A pair of free-throws by Kevin Medeiros made it 52-49 with 1:14 left and on the Cowboys’ following possession, Burley intercepted a pass to get the ball back to San Benito. Bueno made it a one-point game when he hit a jumper with 45 seconds remaining.
With Salinas trying to run the clock down, it threw the ball away to give San Benito one final possession with 11.8 seconds left.
Bueno took the inbound and dribbled down the court. He passed to Todd Janisch, who led the ‘Balers with 13 points, and Janisch dribbled to the right before firing back to a wide open Bueno on the left wing for the game-winner.
“It’s great, it really is,” Becerra said of the win. “The kids just played hard, played aggressive.”
After falling 70-55 to the same Salinas squad in the Condor Christmas Classic on Friday, Becerra said he adjusted the gameplan around applying more defensive pressure.
“Last game we came out in a zone and it was very lethargic,” Becerra said. “Once we picked up man-to-man it made a difference so this game we started off man-to-man.”
Janisch added nine rebounds to go along with his 13 points, 12 of which came in the first half. Burley had 11 points, including nine in the fourth quarter.
Joey Vasher paced Salinas with 16 points before fouling out and R.J. Pua added 13.
Salinas 10 14 14 14 – 52
San Benito 14 12 8 20 – 54
Sal – Pua 4 4-6 13, McKenzie 0 1-2 1, Vasher 7 1-2 16, Gubser 1 0-0 2, Ostrander 1 0-0 3, Cerncy 2 2-2 6, Toney 1 1-4 4, Bradley 2 3-3 7. Totals 18 12-19 52.
SB – Bryant 3 0-2 6, Bueno 4 0-0 9, Burley 2 7-9 11, Janisch 6 1-4 13, Medeiros 1 2-2 4, Medina 1 1-2 3, Silva 1 0-0 2, Wilson 2 2-4 6. Totals 20 13-23 54.
Three-point goals – Pua, Vasher, Ostrander, Toney, Bueno. Fouled out – Vasher, Toney.
