SALINAS – Representing the North squad, Greg Hamik, Andrel
Gaines and Dolapo Opere took to the hardwood floor with each other
in one final prep game, in an eventual 105-88 South victory at the
3rd Annual North-South All-Star Basketball Classic.
SALINAS – It was all smiles for three senior Gilroy High basketball players as they walked off the court to go grab a free hot dog after they participated in the 3rd Annual North-South All-Star Basketball Classic presented by the Salinas Steinbeck Rotary Club on Friday night in Salinas.
Representing the North squad, Greg Hamik, Andrel Gaines and Dolapo Opere took to the hardwood floor with each other in one final prep game, in an eventual 105-88 South victory.
“It was cool getting a few of the players from the team back together again and play one last time,” Gaines said, a first-team all-league selection this season. “There was no pressure or anything. It was fun.”
Former GHS boys’ basketball coach and the 2009-2010 Tri-County Athletic League co-Coach of the Year, Jeremy Dirks, was honorary head coach for the North, and had one final opportunity to lead some of his players out on the court.
“It was fun for the guys to get together. It was good to see them play for me one last time,” Dirks said, even critiquing the performance of his team despite the loose, exhibition style of play. “I wish we could have rebounded better.”
The game was formatted using college time keeping – two 20 minute halves – and the tempo provided for some entertaining, albeit a bit sloppy at times, up and down action.
The last five minutes of the second half were mainly used to bomb deep 3-point shots and to see if any of the players could come up with the game’s first dunk.
The jam never came, but Palma’s Chris Benavente gave it a handful of tries.
“It was kind of tiring, just running back and forth. We have been out of season for about a month now so everyone was tired,” the TCAL’s co-Most Outstanding Player, Greg Hamik said. “It was definitely fun to play with (Opere and Gaines) one last time.”
Hamik hit four 3-pointers en route to 16 points for the game.
Opere, who led the league in rebounding, was his usual self Friday night, seemingly leaping out of nowhere and crashing the glass to corral rebounds, finishing with 10 boards and three assists.
“I didn’t want the other team to get a dunk,” Opere said. “It was pretty fun out there. I felt like I was running cross country.”
The North led 51-45 at the half but blew the game wide open in the second half aided by a 18-0 run.
Salinas’ Kyle Vasher paced all scorers with 29 points for the North. Shayne Perryman of St. Francis Central Coast Catholic drained six treys for the South and Gaines contributed six points, and six rebounds.
Proceeds from the event were split between two worthy causes, the Boys and Girls Club of Salinas and the Sunrise House, a youth and family crisis and counseling center.
