By Mitch Stephens
MaxPreps.com
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - If the Monte Vista (Spring Valley) boys basketball team was looking for a break, Ponderosa (Shingle Springs) was perhaps the last opponent it wanted to face.
The Monarchs from the San Diego Section were beaten 64-63 at the buzzer by Pacific Hills (West Hollywood) just 15 minutes earlier in a consolation Governor's Division game of the MaxPreps Holiday Classic at Rancho Bernardo High on Saturday.
One of the 56 tournament teams had to leave early so Monte Vista coach James Carroll was a good sport and volunteered to play an extra game.
Little did he know the Monarchs would have to play the very next scheduled game at 11 a.m. following a 9:30 a.m. start with Pacific Hills, which won on a long two-pointer by Alex Osborne (17 points). Teammate Lorenzo Corley had 11 points and Julian Benarouche and Lorenzo Corley combined for 18.
"I hoped it might be a little later in the day," Carroll said. "I didn't think it was going to be back-to-back. We needed the extra work though."
But no one quite needs the extra excursion Ponderosa requires.
The Bruins, under 12th year coach Dave Millhollin coach, strangle and confuse opposing offenses with smothering man-to-man and zone defense combinations. Entering Saturday's game, Ponderosa had allowed a mere 38.5 points per game and only twice had given up more than 40 points.
On top of that, the Bruins make defenses work to the bone by exhausting the shot clock with long and precise offensive sets.
Indeed Ponderosa (11-2) was Monte Vista's worst nightmare and it showed during the first quarter as the Bruins streaked to an 18-5 lead en route to a 56-28 victory.
Rhett Beal, an athletic 6-foot-3 senior swingman, scored eight of his game-high 22 points in the first quarter. Alex Martin, a 6-6 senior, added 13 points and Steve Lackey, a 6-7 junior post, 11 points.
More importantly, the Bruins didn't allow a single player in double digits, though Geoff Hartman, a 6-4 junior forward who scored a game-high 26 against Pacific Hills, had a team-high eight points.
"We were kind of deflated going into that second game," Hartman said. "And (Ponderosa) just really broke us down. They had some big dudes and played with a lot of intensity. We were really never in it."
Said Beal: "Coach told us they were beat at the buzzer and to jump on them right away. Plus we hadn't played that great down here. We were 1-2 and wanted to finish on a high note going into league play. We did a good job communicating and came out with a good win."
For the second time in the tournament, Ponderosa didn't allow a team to score double digits in any quarter.
Monte Vista scored five, nine, six and eight points respectively through the four quarters. Earlier, in a 41-20 win over Handsworth (North Vancouver, British Columbia) the Bruins allowed five points in each quarter.
"We were obviously a little tired and flat and deflated coming in," Carroll said. "But (Ponderosa) was fundamentally sound. They had big kids who boxed out. They ran their offense into the ground. They are obviously well coached and disciplined."
The Bruins showed a little hops and athleticism as well as Lackey and Martin threw down breakaway dunks in the final 13 minutes. Beal showed a nice outside and inside combination and ability to slash to the basket.
Lackey said though the team was inconsistent at the tournament - the Bruins lost winnable games to eventual champion Langley (McLean, Va.) 49-47 and consolation winner James Logan (Union City) 37-36 - there were several silver linings.
Ponderosa entered the tournament with a 9-0 record.
"We definitely got the undefeated monkey off our back," he said. "Overall I think we definitely have taken a step in the right direction and have learned from our defeats."
The Bruins open Sierra Valley League play at Union Mine (El Dorado) on Jan. 8. Ponderosa has reached the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs semifinals just twice, once playing at the Arco Arena in Sacramento.
It will be a tall order to reach the Division II semifinals this year - the SJS DII field is loaded this season - but Millhollin, for one, believes the Bruins are more than capable as long as it continues to improve in what he believes are the key five phases:
Handling pressure.
Blocking out.
Shot selection.
Controlled offense.
Defense.
The Bruins graded out highly in all aspects against Monte Vista. They also improved greatly in defensive communication, a key considering the team changes defenses so often.
"Potentially this team has a chance to be one of our best," Millhollin said. "We have to continue with our repetitions and continue to improve. We have some impact players in Rhett (Beal), Steve (Lackey), Alex (Martin) and Eric (Rowe). When they're all one we're hard to stop."
With their defensive prowess, the Bruins don't need much offensive production. They allowed a tournament low 33.9 points per game.
"We're definitely capable of going deep into the playoffs," Lackey said. "The potential is there. We laid a couple eggs but it feels great to come down here and end on such a high note."
E-mail Mitch Stephens at mstephens@maxpreps.com.
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For complete Day 1 MaxPreps Holiday Classic at Torrey Pines highlights, CLICK HERE.
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