Mustangs top Aptos at Hagen, 68-46
n By Brett Edgerton Staff Writer
Gilroy – In his first two games of the Bob Hagen Memorial, Aptos guard Broc Carroll was averaging 22 points a contest. In his team’s 60-57 win over Gilroy earlier this month, he went off for seven three-pointers and 33 points.
So as they prepared for its game against the Mariners in the tournament’s consolation finals, the Mustang boys’ basketball team formulated a simple gameplan with one large assumption.
Stop Carroll and you stop Aptos.
Turns out the assumption was dead on Saturday. And the execution was, too.
The Carroll stat line: 10 points, zero three-pointers.
The Gilroy stat line: Mustangs 68, Mariners 46.
“The gameplan for whoever was guarding him was to go ahead and stop him,” GHS senior guard Calvin Kretz said. “Our goal was to keep Carroll under 15 points.”
For much of the game, that assignment fell to Kretz, who snared three steals and generally kept Carroll frustrated all afternoon.
“Calvin did a yeoman’s job on defense,” GHS head coach Bud Ogden. “Our gameplan was to limit (Carroll’s) touches … limit his shots.
“I think everyone in the building could see he was getting frustrated. He couldn’t score at will for once and I think that got them off their routine.”
Ogden and his players arrived at the gym at 8:15am to break down film of the teams’ first meeting. The Mustangs (7-5) not only saw enough of Carroll to decide to scrap the 2-3 zone, but they also noticed things like his tendency to catch-and-shoot or go to the right side.
So Kretz and fellow guard Vinny DeLorenzo employed a faceguarding technique that seemed to rattle Carroll, who missed eight straight shots at one point in the second quarter.
“Calvin and Vinny did a job on Broc,” said GHS senior forward Adam Moon, who threw in eight points and grabbed five rebounds. “To be able to hold him to that low a point total … that’s incredible.”
The offensive contributions from center Ryan Chisolm didn’t hurt, either. With Gilroy holding on to a 39-33 lead in the closing seconds of the third quarter, Chisolm connected on a short shot at the buzzer.
The 6-foot-5 junior then went on to score 11 in the final quarter as the Mustangs increased their lead with every passing minute. Chisolm, who finished with 21 points, said he thought it was team’s best effort of the year.
His coach agreed.
“I guess we put another brick on the building,” said a clearly pleased Ogden after the game. “That building isn’t very big yet.
“But we’re getting there.”
In other action
In a thrilling, back-and-forth title game, MONTEREY took home the championship with a 58-57 win over HOLLISTER. Despite scoring 25 points, Haybaler star Kyle Sharp missed a potential game-tying free throw with 27 seconds left. All-Bob Hagen selection Mike Phillips led the Toreadors with 12 points. Rebounding machine Kenny Hills was named tournament MVP … Point guard Jeff Mitchell scored a game-high 19 points for HARBOR, but it wasn’t enough against LIVE OAK, who grabbed the third-place trophy with a 48-39 victory.
