‘Balers’ 49-38 Loss to Palma on Saturday Halts Run at Two Games,
Leaves Team at 3-3 Heading into TCAL’s Second Half
The San Benito boys basketball team walked into its gym on Saturday riding high with a two-game winning streak. Following their victories over Sobrato and Salinas, the ‘Balers had the chance to hit the midway point of the Tri-County Athletic League season with a 4-2 record if they could set down visiting Palma.
Unfortunately for San Benito, someone forgot to tell the Chieftains (14-4, 3-2 TCAL) to follow the program.
With Palma roaring out of the gates to the tune of a 24-4 lead after the first quarter, it looked like it would be a very long afternoon for the hosts. Although the ‘Balers made a furious second-half comeback to close within single digits, their effort turned out to be too little, too late as they swallowed a 49-38 defeat.
“They came out pretty hot, making just about everything they shot,” said San Benito head coach John Becerra of the Chieftains. “They were on fire. It wasn’t pretty in the first half.”
Trailing 37-12 at the break, the gritty ‘Balers fought back after their coaching staff switched from a box-and-one defense–designed to hold down Palma star Orlando Johnson–to their usual man-to-man. That adjustment coupled with a newfound commitment to attacking the hoop allowed San Benito to climb back in the game.
“I think they settled down and thought, ‘We can play with these guys,'” said Becerra. “We just needed to concentrate on going inside … being patient on offense.”
The ‘Balers’ head coach was most pleased that his team didn’t throw in the towel despite falling in such a huge early hole.
“We didn’t give up,” said Becerra. “We came back and battled them–fought pretty hard. It was fantastic that they fought back. Hard work and aggressiveness make up for size and I think the second half proved that.”
Forward Todd Janisch led San Benito with 11 points, which included a three-pointer and a perfect 4-4 showing at the free-throw line. Sophomore Brian Haggett scored eight points and a quartet of ‘Balers–Vince Bautista, Marty Bueno, Kevin Burley and Jamil Lee–finished with four points a piece.
Palma’s Johnson, a junior center, scored a game-high 19 points.
After its first foray through the TCAL, San Benito sports a .500 league record at 3-3. Next up for the ‘Balers (8-11) is arch rival and undefeated league-leader Gilroy. After suffering a 53-40 loss at Gilroy in the teams’ TCAL opener on Jan. 5, San Benito enters the re-match having developed into a unit that Becerra believes can give the Mustangs a run for their money.
“They can be had–they really can,” said Becerra of the Mustangs. “We cannot make bad errors in judgment, as far as passing the ball. We need to go inside and attack ’em. Go inside-out. We have to just play really smart basketball.”
The ‘Balers host Gilroy on Thursday at 7pm.
