BOYS BASKETBALL: Menlo Races in Front, Holds on

The Score: Menlo 59, HMB 45.

The Star: Menlo School senior Jonny Halprin scorched Half Moon Bay for a game-high 16 points, including a clutch 3-pointer to silence the visitors' rally late in the fourth quarter.

The Turning Point: A stingy second quarter by  the Knights, limiting Half Moon Bay to only four points, gave Menlo enough of a cushion to outlast a late burst by the Cougars.

The Quote: "They do a great job playing defense. They're very tough, very physical. It's funny. They're very much like a Stanford team. That's what they play. They got all these white guys out there for the most part. They keep you in front of them and make it tough to score." -- Half Moon Bay coach Rich Forslund, on the similarities between the team for which Menlo coach Kris Weems starred from 1995-98 and the team he currently commands.

What's Next? Menlo School will travel to Los Angeles County to take part in the Chaminade Christmas Classic. The Knights open play on Dec. 27 against an opponent to be determined.

The Bottom Line: Menlo got a taste of high-pressure basketball, a good lesson for when the Knights' West Bay Athletic League season begins with a home game against The King's Academy on Jan. 5.

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The Menlo School boys basketball team defeated visiting Half Moon Bay 59-45 in a contest whose intensity level did not match the final score or the calendar date.

"We want these games now," said Menlo coach Kris Weems. "We want them now so that, later on, if we make it to the playoffs, we have the experience of what it takes to keep your poise and be deliberate. It's good to have the experience to adjust to what the other team throws at us."

Menlo (2-3) held a 30-13 lead at halftime, led by senior Jonny Halprin's 11 points, before Half Moon Bay began a charge that saw it outscore the Knights 32-29 down the stretch aided by a strong full-court press defense.

"It's just one of those things," said Weems. "We probably haven't worked on the press break as much as we should, but we need to keep our poise and not to allow the other team to dictate to us, not dictate to them. I think we'll get better though."

Half Moon Bay (7-3) clawed its way back to within 49-43 with three minutes remaining in the game on the strength of a 3-pointer from co-captain Agustin Arroyo. The Cougars only scored once more though, while Menlo put the game out of reach with a clutch basket from junior Richard Harris followed by a 3-point dagger by Halprin.

"We've been struggling, having to fight back all season," said Harris. "That lead gave us an opportunity of seeing how to play ahead. We hit some huge shots in the fourth quarter that helped us stay positive."

Menlo netted five more points to cruise to the victory it was previously scraping for. Halprin tied for the game-high with 16 points to match Half Moon Bay's Arroyo, while Mac Osborne added 15 points for the Knights.

"Time and situation is the most important thing, trying to win a game," said Weems. "It also keeps a team away that's smelling blood, trying to get back into the game. I was happy with the way we shot the ball. The guys were concentrating more so than any of the other games we played in."

Returning first-team All West Bay Athletic League center Harris chipped in 14 points with eight rebounds, just shy of Half Moon Bay center Andy Simanek's game-leading 10 boards.

The Knights grabbed the hefty lead at the half thanks to some stingy defense that held Half Moon Bay to only four points in the second quarter.  

"That was probably our best half of the year," said Weems. "It's nice to see us shoot the ball well, but it was better to see us pass the ball and not really shoot any bad shots or suspect shots. Second half, we regressed a little bit, but in the long run we've seen how we can play against a pressure team."

Menlo, struggling with Half Moon Bay's tenacious defense that resulted in five steals in the first quarter alone, held a 10-9 advantage before solving the offensive conundrum and exploding for 20 points in the second quarter.

"It wasn't close in the first half," said Half Moon Bay coach Rich Forslund. "You can't dig that big of a hole and expect to come back."

Menlo, a 2008 and 2009 Central Coast Section champion, next takes the court on Dec. 27 when the Knights travel to Los Angeles County for the Chaminade Christmas Classic. Their opponent will be determined by that time.

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Menlo 59, Half Moon Bay 45

HMB -- 9 4 14 18 -- 45

M -- 10 20 12 17 -- 59

HMB: Arroyo 6 2-8 16, Simanek 3 4-5 10, Williams 3 4-4 10, Floyd 2 0-0 4, Hammerstrom 1 0-0 3, C. White 1 0-0 2, S. White 0 0-1 0. Totals 16 10-18 45.

M: Halprin 6 2-2 16, Osborne 5 2-3 15, Harris 6 2-2 14, Lacob 3 0-0 8, Bowman 1 0-0 2, Avis 1 0-0 2, Ford 1 0-0 2. Totals 23 6-7 59.

3-point goals: HMB: Arroyo 2, Hammerstrom. M: Osborne 3, Lacob 2, Halprin 2.

Records: Half Moon Bay 7-3. Menlo School 2-3.

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