GILROY—It was a tale of two halves for Gavilan as it closed out the season with an 82-68 loss to Monterey Peninsula College Friday at home.
Gavilan was unable to match the physicality and energy of the Lobos in the first half. The Rams gave up four offensive rebounds to their adversary in the first play and MPC took advantage of the extra scoring opportunities, starting the game scoring six unanswered points.
“They had a couple of quick and easy buckets and that seem to give them the tempo for the beginning of the game,” Gavilan coach David Kaplansky said.
Sophomore Albert Medrano did his best to keep the Rams in the game, posting 10 points in the first half. He finished with 18 points.
But that would not be enough.
As the game progressed MPC continued to widen its lead, eventually going up by 15 points at halftime, 43-28.
“They (the Lobos) came out very aggressive,” Rams guard Wyatt Madrid said.
Gavilan entered the second half with a different mentality. It put together an 11-5 run, which cut MPC’s lead to nine points.
“I love the way we competed in the second half,” Kaplansky said. “We did a great job matching their energy level and making shots.”
“We’ve been a second half team all year,” Madrid added. “That’s when we play our best ball.”
The Rams’ defense was stellar in the second half and kept the Lobos from scoring at will. They successfully guarded MPC’s Deondre Otis, who had been the motor for his team in the first.
“Obviously he is a great shooter,” Kaplansky said. “He is really good going to his left side so we encouraged him to go right (in the second half).”
The Lobos tried to counter Gavilan’s tactics by running screens that would, in theory, give Otis some room to work his magic.
“They were setting multiple ball screens to get him to his left side because we were doing a good job taking him out of his scoring opportunities,” Kaplansky said.
With Otis kept in check, MPC’s coach Blake Spiering went to his bench with Jaskarn Bajwa. When the Rams seem to get going, Bajwa answered with critical 3s.
Gavilan could not get close enough to put some real pressure on the MPC, but the Rams outscored the Lobos 40-39 in the second half.
Madrid, one of only two Rams’ sophomores, surged in the second half with 12 points. He was held scoreless in the first half.
“They are great leaders (Madrid and Medrano),” Kaplansky said. “(They) make good decisions with the ball. They make the team better.”
The freshmen Robbie Skinner and RJ Collins did not shy away from the battle and they contributed with 15 and 14 points, respectively.
“I see the whole Gavilan College (program) turning it around,” Medrano said.
Gavilan College finished the season with an overall record of 3-22 and 2-10 in the Coast Conference-South.
“Not being in last place is a step in the right direction. Those two wins (in the conference) will give us something to build on for the future,” Kaplansky said.
