Sports
BOYS BASKETBALL: SHP Streaks into Semis
Defending champs have too much firepower and length for Half Moon Bay in CCS Division IV quarterfinals, take 19-game win streak into semifinal date with Carmel.
The Score: SHP 72, Half Moon Bay 41.
The Star: Sacred Heart Prep’s defense created a slew of fast-break opportunities by forcing turnovers in a Central Coast Section Division IV quarterfinal on Saturday afternoon at Menlo School. The top-seeded Gators forced No. 8 seed Half Moon Bay to play at their pace, and the Cougars couldn’t come close to matching baskets.
The Turning Point: The second quarter. Half Moon Bay (19-10) essentially lost any chance of a comeback when it was outscored 19-6 in the period by No. 1 seed and defending champion Sacred Heart Prep to fall behind 39-18 at halftime. The Gators (23-2) used their great length to bottle up HMB on defense while their array of offensive options steadily built the lead at the other end of the court.
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The Quote: “It's definitely in the back of a lot of our minds. It's definitely something that would be very cool for us. Our school hasn't been that far in a while. There are some good teams out there. Hopefully we can make it that far. But these (CCS) games are what we're thinking about now.” – SHP’s Tomas O’Donnell, on his team’s plans to challenge for a state championship.
What’s Next? The Gators meet No. 4 seed Carmel in the semifinals on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Menlo School. Carmel (21-4) prevailed 53-52 over Harbor in the quarterfinals.
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The Bottom Line: Sacred Heart Prep’s CCS Division IV title defense began with a bang. The Gators had far too much firepower for Half Moon Bay, which struggled with its extreme height disadvantage. SHP, the No. 3 team in last week, has won 19 straight games, none by fewer than 10 points and most by blowout margin. Playing so close to home, the Gators can make themselves quite comfortable in rival Menlo’s gym for another game. If SHP beats Carmel in Tuesday’s semifinals, it will advance to a CCS championship game for the fourth straight year.
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Sacred Heart Prep 72, Half Moon Bay 41
HMB -- 12 6 12 11 – 41
SHP – 20 19 12 22 – 72
HMB: S. White 3 4-5 10, Arroyo 7 2-5 19, Cariaga 0 1-2 1, Simanek 3 1-4 7, Williams 1 2-3 4. Totals: 14 10-19.
SHP: R. McConnell 8 1-2 18, M. McNamara 1 2-2 4, P. McNamara 2 1-2 7, C. McConnell 3 0-0 8, Terndrup 3 3-5 10, W. McConnell 6 2-5 15, O’Donnell 3 0-0 6, Moran 0 2-2 2, Baloff 1 0-0 2. Totals:
3-point goals: HMB: Arroyo 3. SHP: P. McNamara 2, C. McConnell 2, R. McConnell, Terndrup, W. McConnell.
Records: Half Moon Bay 19-10. Sacred Heart Prep 23-2.
