In a showdown game between two teams regardless of sport, the outcome often comes down to whichever squad has superior poise and execution, especially in the fourth quarter.
The San Benito High boys basketball team knows it was lacking on both those fronts in a 68-56 loss to visiting Alvarez High on Jan. 27. With the victory, Alvarez swept the regular-season series from the Haybalers and is a virtual lock to win the Pacific Coast League’s Mission Division championship.
Meanwhile, San Benito fell to 3-2 in division play and will try to cement its current second-place mark in the standings with five league contests remaining. Balers coach Bo Buller knows his team must improve in crunch time.
“We gave a championship level effort, but it’s championship level execution that has to happen in the fourth quarter,” he said. “And credit to Alvarez for doing that.”
The game was deadlocked at 54-54 with just under five minutes left when the Eagles went on a game-ending 14-2 run to take all the drama out of a contest that had plenty leading up to the final couple of minutes. There were six ties and 11 lead changes in all, but Alvarez played cleaner basketball down the stretch to win going away.
Jayden Freidt scored 20 points and Tyler Pacheco had 12 as eight different players scored for the Balers, who couldn’t prevent Alvarez’s starting five from amassing 62 points. Despite the loss, San Benito is still having its best season in eight years.
In the 2013-2014 season, the Balers finished 9-3 playing in the upper Gabilan Division, a place where they would like to return starting as soon as next year.
“Being the size of school we are and the basketball talent we have at all three levels, Hollister should be in the highest league they can be in,” Buller said. “It hasn’t been there in boys basketball, but we’re there now and doing a lot of great stuff at the lower levels to be able to fulfill that role of being a Gabilan team. So we’re going to petition up (at the year-end league meeting) and I think with our victories over (Gabilan teams) Carmel and Salinas, we deserve to be there.”
Buller acknowledged that it’ll be a near impossible task to replace senior standouts like Freidt and Pacheco, so the returning players and potential newcomers must improve in the off-season to offset their departure. One player who plans on taking his game to another level is Dominic Price.
The junior point guard has been solid with his ability to handle the ball against pressure, helping the team maintain tempo and rhythm and setting up teammates in position to score. The Price has often been right this season, and he knows a lot of the team’s success going forward—especially next season—will rest on his shoulders.
“I want to finish this season strong and then have a strong off-season,” Price said. “I’m looking to improve my skills and come back next year and build on the chemistry with the new team we’ll have.”
Freshman guard Chandler Crutcher has been sensational at times this season, and junior center Jaiden Prado has done a solid job of rebounding and providing a presence in the paint. Junior wing Jassy Mudhar-Chavez and senior Malaki Battle played well against Alvarez, providing the team with plenty of energy and some points coming off the bench.
“Dominic, Jassy and Malaki, they played great and they stepped up into roles that we asked them all week in practice,” Buller said.
Price noted the team has to maintain its composure in big moments and not to get too high or too low within each game. If the Balers can stay poised, improve their defense and limit their turnovers, they’ll be a tough team to beat in the Central Coast Section playoffs.
After the 2013-2014 season, the Balers went through some lean years, including six consecutive losing seasons. Buller is excited for the present and future of the program. Through last week’s games the freshmen team was 14-1 and the junior varsity team was 4-1 in league play.
Price was born and raised in Arizona before his family moved to San Jose and then to Hollister for his eighth-grade year. He’s thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the renaissance of the San Benito basketball program.
“I love it and it’s been amazing,” he said. “For this team and last year’s team to regain what Hollister used to be and continue to build because the job isn’t finished. We’re still going for that banner.”
Said Buller: “There’s a lot of excitement for basketball at Hollister now, which is nice. The future is looking good.”
Sports editor Emanuel Lee can be reached at el**@we*****.com and (831) 886-0471, ext. 3958.
