San Benito scores No. 1 seed, first time in SBHS history; to
play Saturday against either Salinas or Monta Vista
SAN JOSE
There’s a first for everything, and the San Benito girls basketball team is proving that to be so.
Last year’s Lady ‘Balers were the first girls basketball team at San Benito High to qualify for and win the Central Coast Section Division I championship, which allowed them to set a few more firsts at the Nor-Cal playoffs later that same season.
But this year’s group is already earning postseason firsts for San Benito High, and they haven’t even played a playoff game yet.
After compiling a 21-4 record and earning a second straight Tri-County Athletic League title, the San Benito Lady ‘Balers were awarded the No. 1 seed in this week’s Central Coast Section Division I playoffs, becoming the first girls basketball team at San Benito to earn the postseason’s top billing.
And head coach David Kaplansky felt it was a big win during the preseason that supplied San Benito with an edge towards their top-seeded standing.
“I felt like that championship game in the Del Mar tournament over Evergreen Valley allowed us to get the No. 1,” Kaplansky said, “by beating another top seed in our division.”
Evergreen Valley (21-5) earned the No. 3 seed, but San Benito delivered a convincing 66-37 defeat to the Cougars at the Dons Club Holiday Tournament on New Year’s Eve, nonetheless.
“That helped us with the high seed,” Kaplansky said, “that head-to-head matchup.”
The Lady ‘Balers are scheduled to play on Saturday, Feb. 28 at Milpitas High against the winner of No. 8 Salinas (16-11) and No. 9 Monta Vista (16-9). Those two teams will meet in Salinas on Thursday night.
But you can count on San Benito being there as well.
“It allows us, with the bye, to see our opponent and watch our opponent and be prepared for whichever team we play,” Kaplansky said. “Salinas is a good team and Monta Vista has had a good season.”
Although they haven’t seen Monta Vista this season, a battle with Salinas on Saturday would come just eight days after San Benito defeated the Cowboys 38-27 in the regular-season finale last Friday.
Forcing 35 turnovers, 11 in the first quarter alone, San Benito prevented the Cowboys from ever finding a rhythm as defense won the game and assured the Lady ‘Balers (11-1 TCAL) a share of their second straight TCAL title with North Salinas (11-1 TCAL, 21-3).
“The defense was awesome. We gave 100 percent,” said post player Victoria Aguilera, who had eight points in the win. “We stopped their best player, (Rochelle) Welsh. Kelsey Russell kept her to [three] points, and I’ve got to point out the great defense by her.”
Great defense will certainly be necessary if San Benito – just three wins away from successfully defending last year’s CCS championship – winds up in the title game, because not only does No. 8 Salinas (16-11) have a chance of playing the Lady ‘Balers a third time this season, but so does No. 5 Gilroy (16-10).
“It’s a tough bracket because we are in the same bracket as our league opponents,” Kaplansky said. “It’s showed that it lowers the score and it plays into the defensive game when you play a common opponent.
“Closer games, tougher defense, tougher to score. Those things happen the more amount of times you play somebody.”
No. 2 Carlmont (15-9), No. 4 Piedmont Hills (19-9), No. 6 Santa Teresa (15-9), No. 7 Oak Grove (17-5), No. 10 Silver Creek (11-13), No. 11 Independence (19-8) and No. 12 Homestead (15-11) round out the D-1 bracket.
The finals are scheduled for Saturday, March 7 at Santa Clara University at 6 p.m.
