This article was written by BenitoLink intern Michael Koteles
Editor’s update: Hollister High lost its quarterfinal game against Carlmont High 51-50.
Hollister High girls basketball defeated Sequoia 57-28 in the second round of the Central Coast Section (CCS) playoffs on Feb. 18. Hollister advanced to the round of quarterfinals against Carlmont High School scheduled for Feb. 21 at 5:30 p.m. in Belmont.
Hollister’s score leaders were Bailey Colter with 14 points and Emmia Rivera with 11 points.
Hollister head coach Mitch Burley emphasized what needs to improve for the next round is to “move the ball better and shoot better.”
What ultimately led to the win over Sequoia was Hollister’s impressive run in quarters 2 and 3. In the second quarter Hollister scored 14 points and 23 points in the third quarter giving the balers a 30-point cushion after only leading by one at the end of the first quarter.
Burley said he felt the team began the game slow and flat but began to play better after the first quarter.
He added the long range shots in the third quarter was a big factor in the game.
“What went well was us scoring 5 3-pointers in the third quarter,” Burley said.
Lindsay Platero, who scored all of her points in the third quarter, accounted for two of those 3-point shots. She finished her night with eight points.
The team scored nine 3-pointers in the game.
On the defensive side, in the second and third quarters, Hollister held Sequoia to only 8 points total.
“We made a lot of good shots, and our defense played throughout,” Burley said.
The BenitoLink Internship Program is a paid, skill-building program that prepares local youth for a professional career. This program is supported by Monterey Peninsula Foundation AT&T Golf Tour, United Way, Taylor Farms and the Emma Bowen Foundation.
