Boys Varsity Basketball dominates Terra Linda

January 16, 2018

On Saturday Jan. 13, the boys’ varsity basketball team (4-1) crushed the Terra Linda Trojans (0-6) after defeating the San Domenico Panthers the day before. The Giants overwhelmed the Trojans all around the board with rigid defensive stops and efficient shooting the entire game, winning 71-27.

Similar to the previous two games against Justin Siena and San Domenico, the Giants knew that their opponent would be weaker due to their winless record. Despite their record, junior center Scott Matthews said that the Giants still needed to play with energy and treat this game like any other.

From the start of the first quarter, the Giants relentlessly attacked the Trojans on offense. Matthews and junior guard Miles Squires repeatedly drove into the paint and got to the free throw line. The Giants’ full court press and double teaming also led to steals, taking away possessions from the Trojans. The quarter ended with the Giants leading 23-6.

The second quarter was consistent with the first quarter offensively. Being in the lead, the Giants were able to expand to riskier mid-range shots in addition to their close-range ones. The Trojans, once again, were unable to contain the Giants’ offense from scoring, while the Giants defense excelled in the quarter by pressuring the perimeter. The rigid defense only allowed the Trojans to score three points. At the end of the first half, the Giants were leading 39-9.

Photos by Maxim Kawashima

Junior center Dean Watson credited the Giants’ ability to keep transitions smooth as a key aspect in overpowering the Trojans throughout the game.

“We used our speed, athleticism and we passed the ball well. We didn’t try to make too many crazy plays,” Watson said.

To start the half, the Giants large lead allowed for more bench players to see the floor. The third quarter was the most offensive period for both teams. The Giants scored 25 points while the Trojans finally entered double digits. Junior forward Brandon Radu’s putback dunk helped ignite the team’s spirit. The third quarter ended with the Giants up 64-21.

Radu had a great offensive game with 13 points, and possibly could have had even more if not due to the huge lead out courtesy to the Trojans. In respects to how the lead affected his need to dunk, he confidently said that in any situation he would have done the same thing.

“The lead at the end probably affected why I didn’t take as many shots as I wanted to take. I was trying to slow the ball down and work on our offense. The putback dunk was something that I try, but it happens very little that the ball comes out perfectly. I would try that against anyone,” Radu said.

Compared to the previous quarters, the fourth was relatively quiet. With the Giants up by more than 40 points, the game plan appeared to be centered on creating longer possessions to run the clock out. The Giants scored seven points, their only quarter with single digit scores.

The Giants will play their biggest and most competitive game, according to Watson, against the Tamalpais Hawks (5-0) on Tuesday Jan. 16 at 7:30 p.m. at home.