Despite carrying a 23-21 lead into halftime, the San Benito
Haybalers were outscored by a 16-5 margin in the third quarter
against Alisal on Wednesday night in Salinas, where the host
Trojans cruised to a 55-45 victory in Tri-County Athletic League
play as a result.
SALINAS
Despite carrying a 23-21 lead into halftime, the San Benito Haybalers were outscored by a 16-5 margin in the third quarter against Alisal on Wednesday night in Salinas, where the host Trojans cruised to a 55-45 victory in Tri-County Athletic League play as a result.
The loss is San Benito’s third straight. The Balers are now 5-6 in the TCAL and 13-10 overall.
Both Kyle Vallejo and Cooper Sepulveda deposited 12 points apiece to lead the Balers, while Alisal’s Gus Angulo contributed a game-high 17 points for the Trojans.
Jonathan Sosa had 15 points for Alisal and teammate Alex Guzman had 11.
San Benito started the game off slow, trailing 15-9 after one quarter. However, the Balers battled back with a 14-6 second stanza to grab a two-point lead at the break.
“We didn’t match their effort level,” San Benito head coach Tracy Carpenter said of the opening period. “But we got back in it. We picked up our intensity and we were playing well, but we just couldn’t make an outside shot.”
Alisal switched to a zone defense in the second half, and although the two teams exchanged baskets in the fourth quarter, the 16-5 third period in favor of the Trojans proved to be the difference.
“They went to a zone and we did poorly,” Carpenter said.
The Balers were 1 of 15 from 3-point range on Wednesday.
“And that was our undoing,” the head coach added.
San Benito will wrap up its regular season on Friday when it will host Salinas at 7 p.m. Both teams are currently 5-6 in the TCAL, and the winner of Friday’s game will finish in fourth place in league.
TEAM 1 2 3 4 F
SANB 9 14 5 18 45
ALIS 15 6 16 18 55
San Benito (45): K. Vallejo 6 0 0-0 12, J. Brooks 1 0 0-0 2, B. Mendoza 2 0 0-0 4, E. Olbring 1 0 0-0 2, T. Rickard 3 0 2-2 8, C. Sepulveda 2 2 2-2 12, J. Belton 1 0 1-2 3, D. Wingo 2 0 0-0 4.
Alisal (55): J. Sosa 6 0 3-5 15, A. Guzman 3 0 5-6 11, R. Camacho 2 0 0-0 4, G. Angulo 6 1 2-4 17, D. Wamungu 1 0 0-0 2, J. Madzingira 1 0 0-0 2, U. Saldana 2 0 0-0 4.
