A 22-15 third quarter allows Carmel to beat Anzar 51-47
San Juan Bautista
A tight man defense kept the Anzar boys basketball team in the game against Carmel Wednesday, but the visiting Padres had a strong third quarter and ended up narrowly defeating the Hawks 51-47.
Erik Olson led Anzar with 19 points and 14 rebounds for a double-double performance, and added seven blocks as well. Steven Mockabee also contributed strong numbers, as he provided the Hawks with 15 points and eight rebounds.
Anzar took an 11-7 lead after one quarter and an 18-15 lead to the half, but Carmel, which are currently in third place in the Mission Trail Athletic League, put together a 22-15 third quarter and managed to hold the lead until the end.
“That was our downfall,” coach Ed Cecena said of the third quarter. “But overall, I’m really happy with the effort. We definitely gained their respect.”
Cecena said Anzar’s man-to-man defense in the first half kept the Hawks out in front early in the contest.
“But their offense hit some tough shots,” the coach added. “I thought our defense played an excellent game.”
Last Friday, Anzar beat King City 51-42 behind a season-high 18 points from Jason Merz. Said Cecena, “Jason Merz came through for us. He stepped it up and had the game of his life.”
Olson had 11 points against King City.
The Hawks, which are 3-8 in the MTAL, 8-17 overall, have three games remaining on their schedule, and Cecena is hoping to finish strong.
On Friday, Anzar will play at Soledad. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.
Team 1 2 3 4 F
ANZ 11 7 15 14 47
CRM 7 8 22 14 51
ANZ (47) – Mockabee 2 2 5 15, Waller 2 0 2 6, Staley 1 0 2 4, Olson 5 1 6 19, Merz 1 0 1 3.
