Coach David Kaplansky has been waiting all year for junior Kyle
Sharp to have a breakout game. He got his wish during Wednesday’s
63-50 win over Gilroy.
Although Sharp came into the game averaging 19.5 points per
game, he has not dominated like he could have, Kaplansky said.
”
It would be nice to see that type of effort out of everyone in
every game,
”
Kaplansky said.
”
That energy level in the second half is something we have to
play at all the time.
”
Coach David Kaplansky has been waiting all year for junior Kyle Sharp to have a breakout game. He got his wish during Wednesday’s 63-50 win over Gilroy.
Although Sharp came into the game averaging 19.5 points per game, he has not dominated like he could have, Kaplansky said.
“It would be nice to see that type of effort out of everyone in every game,” Kaplansky said. “That energy level in the second half is something we have to play at all the time.”
Sharp got off to a slow start against Gilroy after missing his first four free throws.
But he started to feel it in the third, scoring the Balers’ first nine points to break a halftime deadlock and bring dejection to the Gilroy sideline.
When he sank a three to cap the rally and force Gilroy to call timeout with 5:35 left in third, the Balers had a 35-28 lead. He finished with 30 points, almost double everyone else.
“You always like to start off good,” Sharp said. “We started to be more confident at the end of the first, and that kind of carried over into the second. I was just trying to go with more shorter shots and keep shooting.”
But Sharp wasn’t the only Baler who picked up his game. Gilroy also had trouble stopping Anthony Butler in the paint. Butler muscled his way in for 16 points.
The Balers (12-6, 1-1 TCAL) got into a little bit of trouble in the first half.
Gilroy took a 26-19 lead with two minutes left before halftime after Kyle Warren drained his second three pointer of the quarter – a bucket he earned by swinging from side to side along the baseline and then getting a pick.
“They were changing up defenses on each possession,” Kaplansky said. “Once we got used to that, we were able to execute. Switching from a zone to man kind of caught us off guard.”
San Benito scored seven unanswered points to tie the score at 26-26 going into halftime.
“We just got slaughtered by their guys inside,” said Gilroy coach Bud Ogden, who was a former NBA player. “They are much bigger and stronger than we are. We didn’t box out real well. We’ve been notoriously slow starters in the second half.”
Even though Gilroy (2-11, 0-2 TCAL) didn’t have the size that San Benito had, a scrappy-style of play kept the game close.
“We’ve been working a little more on a passing offense and not quite as much dribbling,” Ogden said. “We had some open shots. We got a lot of heart, and we keep coming after it.”
In the second half, it was all San Benito. Gilroy had trouble getting anything going against the Balers’ high-pressure 1-3-1 defense.
“We started to push the ball and get some easy lay-ins,” Kaplansky said. “When we make our lay-ins and perimeter shots, it starts opening it up in the middle.”
The Balers play against North Salinas on Jan. 27.
San Benito 15 11 23 14 –63
Gilroy 17 9 7 17– 50
San Benito: Moisa 1 0-0 3, 1 Davis 1 1-2 3, Danielson 1 2-2 5, D. Baladad 1 0-0 2, Sharp 13 3-8 30, Zanella 1 2-4 4, Butler 7 2-2 16.
Gilroy: Chacon 6 0-0 13, Kretz 1 0-0 2, Loving 1 0-0 2, Kennedy 0 0-2 0, Morales 1 0-0 2, Colmon 2 1-2 4, Mitre 0 2-2 2, Warren 4 2-3 12, Good 2 1-2 5, Moon 3 1-1 7.
Three-pointers: SB-Moisa, Danielson, Sharp. Gilroy- Warren (2), Chacon.
