With three road games standing between tonight’s 7 p.m. home
contest against the Alvarez Eagles and a Jan. 29 matchup with
visiting Alisal, Gilroy High’s boys basketball team is in dire need
of a win.
”
[Tonight’s] game is pretty important, period,
”
Gilroy coach Jeremy Dirks said.
”
I wouldn’t say it’s a must-win, but it’s definitely high on our
priorities.
”
GILROY – With three road games standing between tonight’s 7 p.m. home contest against the Alvarez Eagles and a Jan. 29 matchup with visiting Alisal, Gilroy High’s boys basketball team is in dire need of a win.
“[Tonight’s] game is pretty important, period,” Gilroy coach Jeremy Dirks said. ” I wouldn’t say it’s a must-win, but it’s definitely high on our priorities.”
Losing its first two Tri-County Athletic League contests last week, the Mustangs are entering the meat of their schedule. Tough games at San Benito on Thursday, and North Salinas and Palma the following week could erase the winning record Gilroy (9-7) built up over the course of a strong preseason.
The Mustangs couldn’t keep pace with the visiting Salinas Cowboys Thursday night, losing the TCAL home opener 52-40 after being behind by two points with seven minutes remaining in the contest.
Gilroy lost ground due to facing a taller Cowboys team on the offensive glass, Dirks said.
“They just got putbacks and we were trying to jump with them instead of block out,” he said. “They probably had 15 points on putbacks.
“You could tell the game was either going to break open or we were going to keep battling.”
Kyle Vasher led the Cowboys with 18 points, while Eric Neal and Justin Andreasian both followed with 13.
Tyler Hartman was Gilroy’s leading scorer, posting 11 points and 11 rebounds. Elijah Harrell pitched in nine points, while Dolapo Opere had a game-high 13 rebounds to go with four points.
Down 31-18 at halftime, the Mustangs mounted a comeback in the third period by going to a smaller, quicker lineup.
“Our press seemed to be more effective that quarter,” Dirks said.
Several GHS players picked off passes, with Hartman tallying four thefts.
Trimming the deficit to six points, 35-29, entering the fourth quarter, Gilroy was keeping pace, but the run couldn’t be sustained.
“What was our strength was also our weakness, because that’s when they started getting rebounds,” Dirks said.
The Cowboys capped off the game by outscoring the Mustangs 17-11 in the final eight minutes.
Despite possessing a much different roster than a season ago, there is a thought that the Mustangs could be on a slide similar to last year. Gilroy lost its first three TCAL games before ending league with a 2-10 record.
Dirks, an assistant coach for that team, hasn’t seen any carryover or signs of a similar collapse on the horizon.
“The kids are great, the kids are still busting their butts,” he said.
