While a Baler defense kept the deficit to single digits all
game, a lack of rhythm offensively prevented San Benito from
getting on any sort of roll Wednesday, as Westmont managed to stay
afloat late and eventually escaped Hollister’s Mattson Gym with a
36-27 non-league victory
— San Benito’s lowest point total of the season.
HOLLISTER
An unforgiving rim? An occasional hand in the face? Or was it simply just an off night from the field?
After a dismal shooting performance on Wednesday night against visiting Westmont, the San Benito girls basketball team was left wondering what happened offensively.
“We need consistency on our shots and we need a rhythm to do that,” guard Cyrena Salinas said afterward.
But while a Baler defense kept the deficit to single digits all game, a lack of rhythm offensively prevented San Benito from getting on any sort of roll Wednesday, as Westmont managed to stay afloat late and eventually escaped Hollister’s Mattson Gym with a 36-27 non-league victory — San Benito’s lowest point total of the season.
The offensive woes by both teams were evident early on, though, as San Benito controlled just a 2-1 lead after more than four minutes into regulation. While it appeared the two teams might have been developing a feel for each other in the early quarters, the lackluster shooting performances continued throughout the game — it was only 24-21 entering the final stanza.
But, at least offensively, a pair of 3-pointers and an 8 of 14 clip from the free-throw line proved to be the difference for Westmont, which still managed to snap a two-game losing streak to improve to 4-2 on the season, despite shooting just 23 percent (13 of 56) from the field on Wednesday.
San Benito (6-3) only went to the stripe twice, shooting just of 1 of 3 from the line. And its long-range prowess — it connected on eight 3-pointers in its previous game — was held in check; the Balers were without a basket from behind the arc in Wednesday’s game, while also shooting just 26 percent (13 of 50) from the field.
“We just never really got in a rhythm,” said senior post Nicole Rianda, who, along with Salinas and Kelsey Robledo, dropped a team-high six points on Wednesday. “No one really took it upon themselves to bear down and get it in there.
“It was just one of those nights. No shots would go in.”
Despite playing a bigger opponent in Westmont, the Balers still managed to find open looks against the Warriors, either from long range or inside the paint. But whether it was set plays or on transition attacks, few shots were falling, with just about every basket that was made coming from the painted area.
“The team was real lethargic offensively and they had a hard time scoring,” San Benito head coach David Kaplansky said. “We’re getting in transition and getting in 2-on-1 breaks, but we weren’t taking advantage of those opportunities.
“We were not getting to the rim. We were settling for jump shots and the centers were not drawing contact.”
The Balers still managed to take an early lead on Westmont. Salinas and Rianda dropped early, close-range baskets to give the Balers an 8-3 lead on the Warriors, but San Benito went quiet from there, limited to just seven points over the next 13-plus minutes.
Led by Elle Koshiyama, who had eight of Westmont’s 11 points in the second quarter, the Warriors took a slim lead late in the half and never looked back.
Baskets by Salinas, Rianda and Robledo late in the third quarter did knot the game at 21-all, but a three-point play by Valerie Evans in the final seconds supplied the Warriors with a narrow lead entering the fourth.
Until the final 23 seconds of the game, though, Westmont never led by more than six points. San Benito was more or less its usual self on defense, clogging the passing lanes down low while also tightly defending the point of attack up top, leading to 18 Westmont turnovers.
The only struggles came on the offensive boards, which Westmont took control of, as well as the back-door offense to Evans, who scored a game-high 13 points Wednesday.
Otherwise, the Balers were sound on one end, but simply couldn’t match the output on the other.
“We could have beaten them. I just think everyone was frustrated,” Rianda said. “I’m kind of speechless right now.”
Robledo provided an offensive boost in the fourth quarter, breaking through triple-team defenses and banking in a pair of baskets on consecutive possessions, and managed to cut Westmont’s lead to 27-25 with 5:24 remaining.
But whether it was one missed shot, one turnover or another offensive rebound by Westmont, San Benito could not find the right amount of momentum to build upon, despite averaging nearly 50 points per game this season.
“There were 50 (shot) opportunities out there, and it’s not like they were forced,” Kaplansky said. “I wish I had an idea why they’re not falling.”
San Benito still has time to remedy the situation before league play begins on Jan. 4. Although it is off for the holidays, it will return next week to open the Del Mar Dons Club Holiday Tournament. The Balers are scheduled to play Silver Creek on Monday at 1 p.m.
TEAM 1 2 3 4 F
WEST 7 11 6 12 36
SANB 10 3 8 6 27
Westmont (36): V. Evans 5-11 3-5 13, M. Ortiz 1-13 0-0 3, M. Santo 0-2 0-0 0, E. Koshiyama 3-15 4-5 11, S. Araujo 3-7 0-0 6, C. Talley 1-7 1-4 3, B. Bolden 0-1 0-0 0.
Three-point goals: M Ortiz 1, E. Koshiyama 1.
San Benito (27): E. Burley 2-4 1-2 5, E. Glasspool 1-13 0-0 2, S. Puentes 1-2 0-0 2, N. Rianda 3-12 0-0 6, K. Robledo 3-5 0-0 6, C. Salinas 3-11 0-0 6, M. Vallejo 0-3 0-1 0.
Three-point goals: None.
JV Note:
Trailing by one point, Baler Sierra Puentes drained two free throws with nine-tenths of a second remaining to lift the San Benito junior varsity team to a come-from-behind 50-49 victory over visiting Westmont on Wednesday night at Hollister’s Mattson Gym.
The Balers were trailing by as many as 17 points in the game — at 27-10 — when they began to mount a comeback.
They were trailing again, at 49-48, in the final seconds of regulation before Puentes got to the charity stripe and knocked down a pair of free throws to lift the Balers to a one-point win.
