San Benito High had one of its best finishing quarters in recent memory, turning what was an offensively stagnate night into a dramatic, 13-point, come-from-behind 45-32 win over host Christopher on Jan. 5.
The Haybalers, who improved to 2-0 in Monterey Bay League Gabilan Division play, trailed 27-24 going into the fourth quarter after enduring an 11-point first half when they connected on just two field goals. But behind 10 points from Jessica Curto, the Balers scored 21 points in the fourth as the Cougars struggled to find a rhythm and composure.
“Jessica is a girl on the team with her size and skill, she can do pretty much everything,” Balers coach Mitch Burley said. “She can play a guard or she can be a post. The thing that’s really been good the last couple of games has been her rebounding. She’s banging in there really well and really going after it.”
With San Benito leading by three, the officials called a jump ball with the possession arrow going to Christopher.
As the Cougars were bringing the ball up the floor, they were hit with a technical foul for saying something to the official. Christopher was quickly hit with a second technical against the bench, leading to four free throws for the Balers, who made three of them for a six-point lead.
From there the Cougars weren’t the same offensively as the Balers simply grew the lead from there. Christopher was held to five points in the final frame on one field goal and 3 of 4 shooting from the line.
Christopher coach Robert Otis said his team’s defense didn’t live up to where it was in the first three quarters, missing switches on designed plays and then on the other end, getting stale with ball movement.
Curto got things rolling with a 3-pointer at the start of the third quarter to tie the game. After Makenzie Barnes hit a free throw to give Christopher back the lead, Berenice Martinez converted a three-point play after getting fouled on a layup, giving San Benito the lead for good.
From there the 3-point shooting of Curto and Kianna Garcia—along with the steady play of Alyssa Ito—helped put the game away. Curto finished with 17 points, going 8 for 10 from the free throw line and draining a trio of 3s.
Garcia had 10 points and Martinez finished with nine. For Christopher, Jillian Foster had 13 points and 11 rebounds with Julia Rodriguez scoring eight points. Foster got the Cougars rolling initially with four points in the first quarter as they took a 6-4 lead going into the second.
Oddly enough, Burley wasn’t happy with the first two possessions that resulted in missed free throws, as it was free throws that saved the Balers in the first half.
He said in the league opener against Salinas, it was 12-all at the half and against Christopher they were down one despite having made only two field goals. Burley said he challenged his girls to get the offense rolling after the missed opportunities for points to start the game.
“I kind of had it that we would bring it around, but you’re never quite sure,” he said. “As a coach you kind of think is this one of those nights we’re not going to make a shot?”
The Balers missed their first four attempts from the charity stripe, but subsequently went 7 of 8 for the rest of the period. Christopher, meanwhile, missed its free throws in the first two quarters, but still put up 12 points for a one-point lead at the break.
“I told the girls after the game we played great defense for three quarters, but we just have to close out the game,” Otis said.
Both teams doubled their first half totals in the third quarter, with the Cougars outscoring San Benito, 15-13. The Balers initially tied the game in the beginning of the period, but Christopher rallied to bump the lead up to six before settling for a three-point margin going into the final frame.
The Balers play at Monte Vista Christian on Thursday in Watsonville.
