Mustang hoopsters still searching for answers after 78-55 road
loss to MVC
WATSONVILLE – Another promising start for the Gilroy High boys basketball team quickly turned into another disastrous loss as the Mustangs of Garlic City were overwhelmed by the Mustangs of Monte Vista Christian, 78-55.
“At this point, the way the situation is I want to play some kids. But I think it’s getting a little bit clearer at some positions who’s going to get the minutes because it’s been very up and down,” said first-year head coach Bud Ogden, who used every player on his roster in Tuesday’s game.
“Nobody’s been consistent. Guys have been good for two or three games and somebody else has been good for two or three games, but rarely has in coincided,” he added. “I think that maybe we’re going to zero down to a few players that are going to be more consistent.”
There was no consistency for Gilroy, which watched its 13-12 first-quarter lead swiftly alter to a 13-point deficit four minutes into the second quarter. Monte Vista held a 42-25 lead at the break, using an effective full-court press and quick transition game to leave Gilroy behind.
“We cannot play that uptempo, playground-type basketball,” Ogden said. “There are some fundamental things that they don’t do very well. How many times did we hit guys with passes. We don’t ball fake very well. We don’t bounce pass, which I have just preached to them in practice.”
With senior sharpshooter Brandt Chacon (12 points) struggling from the field the entire night, not making any of his three-point attempts, the Mustangs had little chance to match Monte Vista bucket for bucket.
“He’s the leading scorer and the leader. He’s kind of our spiritual leader as well. He kept his head up, which is becoming harder for him,” said Ogden of Chacon. “I want him to shoot, but when he goes into slumps, I want him to go to the hole.”
The hole was filled by the bigger, taller Monte Vista front-court and Gilroy could not get much going on the inside, or the outside on a poor shooting night.
“Same story. Even if they are in Division V like Monte Vista, the kids were burlier, bigger and stronger (than us),” Ogden said. “It’s another one of those things where you line them all up, line all ours up, and you almost go, ‘Man, they got us again.'”
Gilroy (2-9) made its biggest push to get back into the game to open the second half, cutting the deficit to as low as eight points. But before the garlic hoopsters could play more catch-up, Monte Vista (7-6) went on a run and soon led comfortably by as many as 20.
“At times I thought we did pretty well. We cut it down to eight or 10 with the ball and we got stripped and it was kind of a four-point swing play,” Ogden said.
Junior reserve Jared Gamm (seven points) was a bright spot for the Mustangs coming off the bench as was senior guard Ron Colmon (15 points), Steven Good (eight points), and Adam Moon (five points).
“If I had a game-ball, it was going to be his,” said Ogden of Gamm. “Nothing fancy. All fundamentals. Good defense. Couple of rebounds. Couple of baskets. Goes to the hole. He did what I’d like five or six other guys to do. He may not be coming off the bench very long. He may be starting.”
Although a Monte Vista buzzer-beating trey sent the teams into the locker room, Gilroy came out re-energized in third quarter. Chacon’s two free throws with 40 ticks left in the quarter made it a 10-point ball game, but Monte Vista regained its composure in the final eight minutes, taking a commanding 20-point lead 2:06 in.
“I’m still proud of the kids. They still keep coming at you and they don’t give up and they’ve got character. There is no quit in them,” Ogden said. “But as the season goes on, it gets harder and we don’t go to any picnic Thursday night (in Salinas). We go right into the heart of it and they’re going to be looking to chomp.”
The JV boys hoops team torched MVC, 59-29, led by Ryan Chisolm (10 points) and Dominic Jackson (8 points).
