Like last year, Gilroy posted a decisive win in the Central
Coast Section first-round boys playoffs.
Like last year, Gilroy posted a decisive win in the Central Coast Section first-round boys playoffs.
That team was one-and-out. Perhaps that’s why the Mustang players took a business-as-usual attitude Wednesday after their 80-54 win over Silver Creek.
Other than Kameron Handy, Jason Conrad, Marshad Johnson and Frankie Tomasetti, this is not the same Gilroy team that was ousted in the quarterfinals last year by Spencer Ford and Milpitas.
For one thing, Ford now wears a Mustang uniform. More importantly, the 6-11 senior is playing his best basketball of the season with four straight double-doubles and Gilroy is playing its best basketball of the season as it prepares for Carlmont. The teams meet in the final quarterfinal game at 6:15pm today at Independence.
The Scots got off to a fast start against Alisal and won their first-round game 48-39. Carlmont used pressure fullcourt defense to jump in front 17-3. From what the Mustang coaches and players could see on film, they are guard-oriented on offense.
“They are fundamentally sound,” GHS assistant coach Jeremy Dirks said. “They like to mix things up on offense. I feel that if we play our game, we should be able to beat them.”
The Mustangs have played their game well enough to win 10 of their last 11 games, losing only to Palma during that span.
“It’s the right time to be playing our best basketball of the season,” said junior guard Derek Jensen.
“It takes a while to find chemistry,” Ford said. “I feel like we’re jelling now.”
Coach Bud Ogden takes a cautious approach. He agrees the Mustangs are playing their best basketball of the season. And yet he knows there is still room for improvement.
“I like the attitude and business-like demeanor of this team,” Ogden said. “I just hope our consistency gets better. We’re continuing to improve. I’d like to see us play better defense.”
If there’s one big difference in the current team (20-7) and the one that stumbled to a 10-6 start is that it is spreading the ball around. Point guard Javin Charlot has embraced a pass-first, shoot-second mentality. Handy and Jensen are knocking down outside shots. Ford is playing tougher inside. Conrad, Johnson and Lorenzo Dobson are keeping opponents out of the lane.
“We all have confidence in each other,” Ford said. “This is not a team of individuals. Everyone is contributing. This is just the start of things.”
