Despite losing two players to foul trouble, the San Benito girls basketball team cut through a 15-point second half deficit to Piedmont Hills but couldn’t pull off the complete comeback. Instead, the Balers lost its season-opening game 57-52 to the Pirates on Tuesday.
The Balers fought through foul trouble throughout the night, giving the Pirates 14 opportunities from the line. But behind a strong offensive game from senior Ellie Burley, who scored 18 points, San Benito pulled closer in the second half, climbing to within three points. Burley, though, fouled out of the game in the final minute of play, eliminating the Balers top scorer.
Despite the loss, the game was a good barometer for the Balers.
“We scheduled this team for a reason,” SBHS head coach Mitch Burley said. “I knew it was going to be a good game. It was trail by fire.”
With only five returning players the Balers responded to the tough task, Burley said. Seven Balers, including sophomore Denise Martinez, contributed points in the loss. In her first varsity game, Martinez scored nine points to keep San Benito close. But the sophomore missed the end of the game after becoming the first Baler to foul out.
“She played on the freshman team last year and now she is on varsity,” Mitch Burley said. “She played really well.”
Taylor Fabing and Kim Sparrer each added seven points in the loss. Cassandra Barraza scored six points.
“We have a lot new faces and I think it showed a little bit,” Mitch Burley said. “I told the girls that we are going to use this as a learning thing. Next week we will be a little better. And then the next week we will be even better.”
The girls basketball team returns to the court during the Watsonville Invitational on Dec. 6.
