GILROY — If nothing else, Gilroy’s game against Everett Alvarez was exciting. Unfortunately for the Mustangs, it wasn’t the result they’d hoped for.
After leading for three quarters Gilroy was unable to hold off an Alvarez rally and fell 61-53 at home. The loss definitely hurt, but Mustangs coach Abrem Estorga said it’s just another valuable lesson learned by his team this season.
“They (Alvarez) had a couple runs in the third quarter and in the fourth quarter that we really didn’t respond well to — we’ll learn from that,” Estorga said. “This is a championship game here. We know that Alvarez, Alisal and ourselves are probably the top three teams in our league, but (it’s about) whoever performs the best that night. We know you’ve got to put it all on the court that night and talk about (what to fix) in practice.”
The Mustangs took a slim four-point lead, 42-38, into the final frame. Alvarez posted 18 points in the third quarter, igniting a second half rally after trailing Gilroy by seven at the half. The Eagles dominated position in the fourth due in part to the foul trouble the Mustangs foul themselves in. Gilroy had 15 second half fouls and gave the Eagles 25 free throw attempts in the game — 12 of which they made.
“I think some of that is a lot of mental errors and that comes from having young players,” Estorga said of the team’s fouls. “Our more emotional players, like (Josiah) Wiley, he gets one or two fouls because his heart is beating out of his chest and he’s just so active. We’ll be all right from that standpoint.”
Sophomore forward Elijah Floyd was electric for the Mustangs, leading all scorers with 17 points in the game and going 3 for 5 from the line. Floyd is just a few games into his Gilroy career, having sat our the beginning of the season due to the Central Coast Section transfer rule. He said he’s glad to be finding his rhythm, but it didn’t make the result any easier to stomach.
“It was an exciting game, but it was a hard loss. We’ve got to fix some things and get back at it,” Floyd said. “We’ve got to play more relaxed. In those moments (when a team is rallying), we’ve got to be more calm.”
Travis Moulden also scored in double-digits, posting 12 points, including two 3-point baskets. Zach Loo added nine points, two assists and a steal in the game. Josiah Wiley scored five points and came up with three big blocks for the Mustangs.
Our guards did a great job. Alvarez has some very tremendous athletes and our guards have matured in a very positive way,” Estorga said. “I tell ya what, the play from Wiley and Kropff and all these guys at the post, they just put it out there. When I look at our seniors and our sophomores, they complement each other well. There’s a really good tandem there and it’s positive for the future, but this one hurts our guys a lot.”
Gilroy (6-10 overall, 2-2 in league) will look to rebound during a 7 p.m. contest at North Salinas Friday. But Estorga said that Friday’s loss won’t soon be forgotten and his team is looking forward to its Feb. 12 rematch at Alvarez. Tip-off for that game is slated for 7 p.m.
“They prepared well, they did nine out of 10 things right, unfortunately the ball did bounce our way tonight,” the Mustangs coach said. “We’ll get ‘em at their place, trust me. We’re circling that date on the calendar.”
