Keeping host Salinas to single digit point totals in each of the
four quarters, as well as holding the Cowboys to just five field
goals in the game, the Lady Balers allowed their defense to set up
their offense en route to a convincing 44-17 victory on Thursday,
and they will now await their Division I seeding for next week’s
playoffs.
SALINAS
After struggling to put away visiting Alisal early on Tuesday night, the San Benito Lady Balers returned to the floor on Thursday for their Tri-County Athletic League finale, and returned to their roots as well.
Keeping host Salinas to single digit point totals in each of the four quarters, as well as holding the Cowboys to just five field goals in the game, the Lady Balers allowed their defense to set up their offense en route to a convincing 44-17 victory on Thursday, and they will now await their Division I seeding for next week’s playoffs.
At third place in the TCAL with a 9-3 mark, 20-4 overall, the Lady Balers could very well earn the No. 4 seed in the postseason, head coach David Kaplansky said.
The Central Coast Section seedings will be announced on Sunday.
Thursday’s matchup with Salinas, meanwhile, allowed San Benito to get back into its transition offense — causing deflections, clogging the passing lanes and forcing turnovers en route to easy layups.
“We really focused on continuing with the pressure, but really anticipating where the ball was going and getting a feel of the game so we can get some easy baskets,” Kaplansky said. “We had a lot more steals, a lot more deflections, and those allowed us to get out and get some layups, more than we’ve had in the last couple of games.
“I saw that sense of urgency back in the kids.”
A sense of urgency was absent on Tuesday against Alisal, in which the Trojans led 17-16 at halftime before San Benito pulled away in the second half. Thursday’s win for the Lady Balers, though, their 20th of the season, snapped a three-game winning streak for Salinas.
And despite the Cowboys celebrating Senior Night prior to the contest, San Benito pulled out ahead by a 10-6 margin after the first quarter and 24-10 at halftime.
The Lady Balers led 39-12 through three quarters.
“The two big games against North Salinas and Gilroy, we didn’t get any transition layups … just being able to rotate off and anticipate the pass, finding ways to get some easy baskets,” Kaplansky said. “We kind of lost some of that anticipation.
“But (tonight) our defense really took them out of the game.”
Victoria Aguilera led all scorers with 16 points, while teammate Erin Glasspool deposited 14 points behind four 3-pointers. Salinas’ Ashley Hlavecek led the Cowboys with six points.
Although the CCS seedings won’t be announced until Sunday, a top-four seed for the Lady Balers would reward them with two byes and a quarterfinal game on Saturday. Any seed between six and eight would mean a first-round bye and a second-round game on Thursday.
TEAM 1 2 3 4 F
SANB 10 14 15 5 44
SALN 6 4 2 5 17
San Benito (44): M. LePore 1 0 0-0 2, C. Salinas 1 0 0-0 2, M. Vallejo 1 0 0-0 2, E. Glasspool 1 4 0-0 14, M. Cortez 1 0 0-1 2, G. Magee 1 0 0-0 2, V. Casalegno 1 0 1-2 3, V. Aguilera 7 0 2-3 16, E. Burley 0 0 1-2 1.
JV Note:
The San Benito Lady Balers lost their season finale to host Salinas 32-29 in a closely contested game on Thursday night in Tri-County Athletic League action.
Leading 16-14 at halftime and 21-20 entering the fourth quarter, San Benito was outscored in the final period by a 12-8 margin.
The Lady Balers wrap up their season with a 13-8 overall record, 5-7 in the TCAL.
“Although it isn’t the best season we could have had, we found a way to come together in the end and communicate with each other and execute,” San Benito head coach Karen Fortino said. “The girls played a good game tonight. They matched up with Salinas very well.”
The Lady Balers struggled from the free-throw line, however. The team shot just 7 of 19 from the charity stripe.
“It was the difference in the game,” Fortino said. “But I applaud the girls who gave it right to the end.”
Carrie Gutierrez led San Benito with 11 points, while Tawne Haynish added seven.
TEAM 1 2 3 4 F
SANB 6 10 5 8 29
SALN 7 7 6 12 32
