Varsity boys basketball cruises past Santa Clara 66-52
“Going into the game, our mentality was that we knew we had to get a win because we’re two [wins] away from the playoffs,” Bowen said. “In past games, we’ve started off weak in the first quarter, but this game was different. A lot of that was attributed to the fact that we warmed up well and because our shots were falling.”
Another layup down the middle by Bowen prompted the Bruins to call their first timeout to regroup. Continuing from the break, the Eagles continued to hound Santa Clara while constantly switching and helping the on-ball defender. The first quarter ended with a 20-4 lead for Harker as Santa Clara drove for a couple of layups.
“Our full-court press really bothered [Santa Clara] in that first quarter,” head coach Alfredo Alves said. “Vyom, Bowen and Rohit were playing especially great defense and just smothering them, creating chaos on defense. We’re forcing teams to play quicker and take quick shots. While our defense at half-court was a bit concerning, we still earned a good defensive grade today.”
Guard Gary Jin (12) extended the Eagles’ lead by converting a steal into a three-pointer early on in the second quarter. Bowen added a mid-range jumper, and a sequence of quick passes from Bowen to Alan to Gary resulted in another basket. Santa Clara’s offense picked up as their center scored two layups off backdoor cuts, but Rohit responded by driving through traffic for a layup. Rohit stepped up again, blocking a Bruin attempt in the final minute to close the half at 35-21.
Returning from halftime, the Bruins fed off of energy from spectators in the visitor section and hit back-to-back three-pointers to cut into the Eagles’ lead 39-31. Despite the Bruins’ eight-point surge, Bowen’s constant drives to the paint and Vyom’s rebounding kept Harker in control on both ends of the floor.
A steal by Rishaan and a three-pointer by guard Lucas Huang (9) extended the Eagles’ lead to 43-32. Continued defensive intensity such as a block and multiple defensive rebounds by Vyom virtually kept the Bruins from scoring as the Eagles ended the third quarter comfortably ahead 50-34.
“I facilitate the team by getting boards and putbacks,” Vyom said. “I’m pretty physical, so I try to score second chance points. On defense, I talked a lot to keep us on the same page and moving. Also, we had both Bowen and Rohit scoring double digits to keep us in the game.”
In the first three minutes of the fourth quarter, Santa Clara scored on multiple drives to the paint and drew three fouls against Harker. A three-pointer and a fast break out of a Bruin timeout capped off a 12-4 run by Santa Clara. A technical foul on the Bruins’ coach turned the momentum in Harker’s favor with Bowen and Alan knocking down back-to-back jumpers.
In the final 36 seconds, Coach Alves called a timeout and decided to run a play called “white Lucas”: where two Eagles would screen for Lucas as he ran across the court to get open for a pass. The plan materialized and Lucas banked in the layup through heavy contact. The Eagles’ offensive and defensive efforts culminated in a 66-52 victory.
With the team nearly at the season’s halfway point, Coach Alves reflected on the significance the players hold to him and looked forward to the remainder of the season.
“We’ve got seven seniors on the team, and I want to take this season one game at a time because there’s 13 games left with them,” coach Alves said. I’ve been coaching some of these guys since fifth grade, and it’s getting towards the end of their time at Harker. So I definitely want to cherish every game.”
