Mustangs’ hoops goes out with a bang on Senior Night in 77-46
rout of Salinas
Gilroy – Even after Gilroy junior Kameron Handy scored 20 points in the third quarter against Salinas Wednesday night, teammate Destry Jones, who delivered a hyped-up halftime speech to help bring the Mustangs out of a first-half funk, still had some words for the forward.
“You ain’t done nothin’ yet,” Jones told Handy as Gilroy headed into the fourth quarter.
But when the final buzzer sounded Gilroy had done something: Earned a big win on Senior Night that gave the Mustangs sole ownership of the Tri-County Athletic League title.
Behind Handy’s season-high 32 points, Gilroy outscored Salinas 49-25 in the second half to cruise to a 77-46 win.
Handy also had seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. Others powering Gilroy to victory were seniors Ryan Chisolm (15 points, 7 rebounds), Christian Cania (13 points, 7 rebounds) and Chris Yates (5 points, 4 rebounds).
“This is one of the greatest wins, behind Live Oak, because we’re all seniors and way to win it on Senior Night and become TCAL champs,” said Cania, who provided a much-needed spark off the bench when starting point guard Dominik Wilkins picked up two early fouls in the first half. “It’s ours. It’s a great win. I love it.”
However, the game didn’t start out as great as it ended. The Mustangs (19-7, 10-1) didn’t respond well to the physical tone of the game set early on. The two teams were tied at 12 after the first quarter.
“We were getting muscled around on the boards pretty good in the first half,” Gilroy head coach Bud Ogden said. “There are only so many answers to why you come out flat or why you’re inefficient. Maybe we can write this one off to a very exciting and a very well-done Senior Night (pre-game ceremony).”
Before the game, the six Gilroy seniors – Cania, Chisolm, Wilkins, Vinny DeLorenzo, Jeremy Teschera and Chris Yates – were honored in a ceremony which included a video of highlight plays from the season and interviews with the group.
Gilroy started to get the momentum going its way in the second quarter. The Mustangs went into the locker room with a 28-21 lead at the half.
But in the third quarter, the Mustangs began to blow the game wide-open, pushing the ball up the floor on the Cowboys and getting them in a running game. The Mustangs outscored Salinas 9-2 in the last few minutes en route to putting up 24 points in the third quarter.
Twenty of those were Handy’s.
“All my shot attempts were wide open and my boys were getting (the ball) to me,” Handy said. “I had lay-ups left and right and open shots.”
Handy also provided the circus shot of the game. Minutes into the third quarter, the junior drove the right baseline under the basket, came out just underneath the backboard and went up with his back to the hoop. As Handy flicked the ball up over his head to the basket, he was fouled. The ball dropped through the hoop and Handy made the ensuing free throw to complete the 3-point play.
“I was going to play him until he fell down,” Ogden said. “He’s very efficient, very good with the ball, very good one-on-one.”
With the league title secured, the Mustangs travel to Sobrato Friday for a 7pm game.
Ogden, who said he wouldn’t be happy unless he won his first league title at Gilroy outright, would still like to get that last league win before he heads to the Central Coast Section playoff seeding meeting this weekend.
“You know, I’m a pretty sharing guy but I didn’t want to share this with anybody,” the coach said. “It’s really nice to have our own.”
Gilroy 77, Salinas 46
Salinas 12 9 12 13 -77
Gilroy 12 16 24 25 -46
Gilroy (19-7, 10-1); Salinas (11-15, 4-7)
Mustangs Notebook
Up Gilroy vs. Sobrato
Friday, 7pm
Sobrato H.S.
