Gilroy runs with Gunderson, but failed to defend the arc
They’re small and inexperienced. But that wasn’t the reason the
Gilroy High Mustangs basketball team lost 70-65 to Gunderson High
School Grizzlies on Monday night.
Gilroy runs with Gunderson, but failed to defend the arc
They’re small and inexperienced. But that wasn’t the reason the Gilroy High Mustangs basketball team lost 70-65 to Gunderson High School Grizzlies on Monday night.
It was the three-point shot that buried them-11 to be exact.
“Every time we’d hit a two-pointer, they’d answer us with a three-pointer,” said Gilroy High Coach Mike Baumgartner. “You can’t win ballgames like that. We played well. We scored on the fast break and were able to set our offense. We just lost sight of where their shooters were.”
The Mustangs did play well. With one minute to go, it was a two-point contest-for a few seconds anyway.
“As soon as we cut it to two, they ran down the floor and knocked in another three,” said Baumgartner. “From there, we just had to keep fouling them.”
The Mustangs are now 2-4 on the season.
Despite the loss, Gilroy got solid efforts from forward Erik Tollison and center Blair Wortham. Tollison had 18 points and eight rebounds to lead the Mustangs and Wortham knocked in 10 points and picked up eight boards. He also played a key role on defense, blocking five shots in the paint.
For Tollison, it was the first time all year that he led his team in scoring.
“This was a breakout game for him,” said Baumgartner. “It really put him over the top. Now he really has the confidence.”
Senior guard Danny Vadillo, the Mustangs’ leading scorer this season with an average of 15.5 points a game, scored 10 points against the Grizzlies. Vadillo is the only Gilroy player left from last year’s varsity squad that went to the Central Coast Section playoffs with a record of 18-10.
On Tuesday night, the Mustangs will look to rebound from their loss to Gunderson in another non-league, home contest against Branham High School.
“They’re a real scrappy team and they have everyone returning from last year,” said Baumgartner of his next opponent. “They play real hard and they’ve got a strong defense as well.”
The Mustangs start play in the Tri County Athletic League Jan. 18 against Salinas.
In order to qualify for post-season play, a team has to be above .500 either in league play or overall. While the season is still young and there is plenty of time to turn things around, Baumgartner isn’t banking on a return trip to the post season.
“This is definitely a rebuilding year for us,” he said. “We have so much inexperience on this team. But, then again, they are learning and playing well and our record does not indicate how we’ve played so far. We should have won our last two games.”
