Shorthanded Mustangs fall 61-47 to Warriors
Gilroy – The good hands people were missing Tuesday for Gilroy in its season opener against visiting Valley Christian.
Part of that was because the Mustangs are still missing key players awaiting a ruling about eligibility from the Central Coast Section. Part of it was because guards Kameron Handy and Michael Martinez saw limited time because of injuries.
But a major part of it was because of the fullcourt pressure the Warriors threw at Gilroy in a 61-47 victory.
Despite the Mustangs turning the ball over 36 times and making just 14-of-30 foul shots, they were in the game for three quarters. And then they wilted under Valley Christian’s pressure.
“We go as deep as we can on the bench,” Warriors’ coach Steve Cotton said. “We’re going to give you constant pressure, 94 feet of it. We figure we have enough depth to wear down opponents. That’s what we did tonight.”
It didn’t work at first as Valley Christian missed its first 11 shots from the field. Because Gilroy couldn’t get a handle on the basketball, it led only 7-0. The Mustangs maintained that advantage midway through the second quarter until Kyle Travis and Andrew Daou began finding the range from outside. Daou’s trey with 10 seconds left put the Warriors ahead 27-26 at halftime.
GHS tied the contest at 27 with 2:19 left on a Martinez fastbreak before Tim Harris took over the game.
Harris, a 6-3 sophomore already getting Division 1 looks, had 17 of his 21 points in the second half and finished with a game-high 14 rebounds.
“When it’s all said and done, he will be one of the better players in the country,” Cotton said.
Handy was the only Gilroy player in double figures with 12 points and he handed out three assists. But he began cramping in the first half and saw limited action over the final 13 minutes of the game.
Marshad Johnson would have had a double-double if he had been able to make his foul shots. The 6-4 junior had 11 rebounds but finished with 9 points and he made just 3-of-11 free throws. Destry Jones also had nine points and handed out three assists. Jason Conrad, who played despite illness, had eight rebounds and six blocked shots.
“Our start was OK, but we went downhill progressively,” GHS coach Bud Ogden said. “Part of it was because of the injuries to Kameron and Michael and that Jason wasn’t feeling well. In view of all the turnovers and missed free throws, it’s easy to understand.”
And yet Ogden was impressed with the pressure of the Warriors. He knows with the Mustangs’ height they are likely to face it often this season and believes they will do better with it.
“We’re not going to see too many more athletic presses like that,” Ogden said. “They do an excellent job of stripping the ball. We have to work on that. Our first five or six played well together. The report is not great but I know we’ll rebound and come back.”
The Mustangs are in action at 5pm Thursday when they face Pioneer in the opening round of the Aptos Tournament.
Sub-varsity: Valley Christian made it a sweep for the evening as its junior varsity won 58-54, and its freshmen won 56-30.
Valley Christian (61) – Freeman-Bailey 4, Harris 21, Simon 6, Daou 15, Gallau 0, Walker 2, Scheibly 2, Estrada 2, Travis 8, Schmidt 0, Hooper 0, Bates 3. Totals 22 12-15 63.
Gilroy (47) – Handy 12, Conrad 7, Johnson 9, Jensen 0, Martinez 2, Jones 9, Costa 2, Galtman 2, Siha 4. Totals 16 14-30 47.
Valley Christian 8 19 14 22 – 61
Gilroy 10 16 12 9 – 47
3-point goals – Valley Christian: Daou 3, Travis 2, Harris 2. Gilroy: Handy.
