After overcoming a 32-19 halftime deficit, Bulldogs fall flat in
fourth quarter
SAN JOSE — Under intense pressure, trailing 32-19 at halftime in a pivotal game at Independence High School, the Sobrato Bulldogs manufactured one of their finest quarters this season only to take two steps back the rest of the way.
Now they are under the same pressure for good.
That Sobrato suffered its third consecutive loss in Blossom Valley Athletic League-Santa Teresa Division play Tuesday, falling 64-55, means the Bulldogs will likely have to win most — if not all — of their remaining seven games to lock up a CIF-Central Coast Section Division II playoff spot. They can become eligible by winning three.
Only the Santa Teresa champion gets an automatic postseason berth, but precious at-large bids are at stake. Sobrato (14-5 overall, 4-3 BVAL), which won its first four league contests before dropping its last three, is alone in third place behind division front-runners Independence (16-4, 6-1) and Willow Glen (11-7, 6-1).
The good news for the Bulldogs is that Independence and Willow Glen are in Divisions I and III, respectively. Sobrato is the top Division II team in the Santa Teresa, but still has to outdual 28 other squads for a wild-card spot in the 16-team tournament.
An impressive stretch run is critical.
“You’ve got to get in based on record; get in that CCS meeting and stake your case,” Bulldogs coach Lawrence Crawford said. “We’ve got to be in the top 16. Right now, we’re in trouble. We’ve got to play a whole lot better in the second half (of league play) — close to running the table.”
The last Sobrato boys basketball team to string together seven wins was the 2006-07 Bulldogs, who won 11 straight on the way to sacking the Santa Teresa title and reaching the CIF-CCS Division III quarterfinals.
This year’s squad won 10 of its first 11 contests.
“We know we haven’t playing our best the past couple games,” said point guard Rauley Cambra, who led Sobrato with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field Tuesday. “We need to get over this hump and just get back on track, basically. The more you lose, the harder it is to do that.”
The Bulldogs looked ready to snap out of their funk after overcoming a 13-point halftime deficit to pull even 40-40 heading into the fourth quarter. Sobrato forced five turnovers and outscored Independence 21-8 in the third period, getting seven points from Cambra and Ryan Williams. Both players completed three-point plays.
“They had us really kind of discombobulated in that third quarter,” Independence coach Skip Yenchik said. “We were never organized. We were running the wrong offense against the wrong defense, turning the ball over, and we weren’t getting good shots.”
The 76ers went on a 9-0 scoring run to start the fourth quarter, and went back in front by 10 when Roy Talactac hit a layup for two of his game-high 16 points, making it 52-42.
“We played like it was important in the third quarter,” Crawford said. “We played with a high level of urgency. We played like we believed. We played like it really, really, really mattered. And then in the fourth quarter, you know. We made a few turnovers here and there at critical points — critical mistakes — a few missed free throws, a couple missed shots — good shots — and here we are down 10.
“We made up a 13-point lead and gave it back practically.”
Playing with conscious effort, the Bulldogs mounted one last rally. After being fouled behind the arc, Sobrato guard Bryan Bradley converted three free throws, and his twin brother, Chris Bradley, dropped in a left-handed runner that cut the deficit to 54-51 with 2:52 remaining.
“We were down, but we knew we could still come back and we did,” Cambra said. “We tried to keep it up.”
While forced to foul, the Bulldogs went cold in the closing minutes. Independence scored seven of its final nine points from the charity stripe.
“We just kept competing, playing hard, doing whatever it takes to win,” said Talactac, a senior forward. “We had to give it all at the end.”
Bryan Bradley shot 5 for 10 on the way to matching Chris Bradley with 14 points. Chris Bradley also squeezed eight rebounds. Williams finished with nine points to go with three steals.
Independence made its move in the second quarter, outscoring Sobrato 23-8. The 76ers went ahead for good 18-16 when Brandon Potter knocked down a 3-point shot from the corner as part of a 13-1 run.
“It was the same thing that’s been missing lately: our commitment to defense,” said Bulldogs forward Charley Bynum. “We feel we’re one of the best defensive teams around, but we haven’t been that committed to it.”
Javier Villanueva joined Talactac in double figures with 10 points, and Potter collected eight points and seven rebounds.
Independence wrapped up a near-perfect first half of division play. Its only loss came in a 57-56 thriller at Willow Glen.
“Clearly this was a big game for us and them,” Yenchik said. “A big game for them, coming off back-to-back loss; a big game for us because the more teams we can distance ourselves from, the better.”
Sobrato will play three of its remaining seven games at home, starting Friday versus Silver Creek for homecoming. The Bulldogs also will host their regular-season finale against Independence on Feb. 20.
“I think we have to go back to our roots right now,” Bynum said. “When we started the season, we were saying, ‘Eyes on the prize.’ … If we can go back to the way we started, we’ll be fine. We believe, in the most humble way, that we’re the best team in league. We definitely know how serious this game was.”
