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Bellarmine too much for Salinas in CCS final

By JOHN DEVINE
Herald Staff Writer

SANTA CLARA - Three bus loads of students from Salinas stormed an arena, standing and screaming all night. Not a soul left, even when the deficit had reached 31 points.

A Central Coast Section Division I title that has eluded the Cowboys basketball program will have to wait at least another year.

"It was fun getting here,'' Salinas coach Joe Chappell said. "And we still have a shot to win another game this year.''

Hanging their heads wouldn't be a option following Saturday's 65-36 humbling to defending champion Bellarmine Prep at Santa Clara University.

"We're not done,'' Salinas senior guard Frankie Lewington said. "We'll go back to work on Monday and get ready to go wherever we're told.''

Salinas (23- will be seeded today in the eight-team State Northern California tournament, where it will be on the road on Tuesday against a section champion from Northern California.

"You'd love to win a CCS title,'' Lewington said "But it's nice knowing the season isn't over. Who knows how far we can go.''

Few may have expected the Cowboys to be playing for a section title. Their path included upset wins over Serra and Piedmont Hills.

Bellarmine was a different beast.

"I have never seen a team that good across the board,'' said Chappell, who is in his 38th year at Salinas. "I thought we were playing a junior college team.''

At least one of the Bellarmine players will be playing Division I next year in Niyi Harrison, who is headed to Santa Clara University on a full-ride scholarship.

The 6-foot-7 center left an imprint on the Cowboys, finishing with a game high 24 points, including 18 in the first half when he outscored Salinas by himself.

"We saw him play the last two games,'' Chappell said. "He must have been going through the motions. Because tonight he played.''

Chappell could make that argument about the entire Bells (21- roster. Before Salinas could make adjustments, it was starring at a 17 point first-half deficit.

"They are so athletic,'' Lewington said. "I wouldn't say we were overwhelmed. But it took us a while to get used to that tempo. They're just good.''

The Bells, who have won eight section basketball titles, never let Salinas get into a flow. And they continued to beat them down court on breaks.

"We weren't ready for that,'' Salinas senior Eric Neal said. Harrison put on a show in the first half with four flying dunks, hitting nine of his first 10 shots. He also blocked two shots and

ignited a break with a pair steals.

In the first quarter, he triggered a 12-0 run with eight points.

"Compared to what we had seen in person, Bellarmine caught us by surprise tonight,'' Chappell said. "If they play like that the rest of the year, no one is going to beat them."

Salinas, which was making just its third CCS finals appearance, misfired on 10 of its 12 shots from the field in the first quarter.

After nailing seven 3-point goals in a win over Piedmont Hills last Wednesday, the Cowboys never got a clear look from beyond the 3-point arc, missing eight of nine attempts.

And the free throw shooting, which was prominent in the upset over Piedmont Hills, was shaky, as Salinas hit on just 7-of-16.

"It was hard to get into our stuff,'' Chappell said.

That's because Bellarmine applied pressure all night, coming out on the perimeter and challenging Salinas' sharpshooters.

Working the paint often proved futile with Harrison swatting shot like flies.

While a pair of baskets from Lewington to open the second quarter proved optimism for a faithful student body, the Bells refused to give Salinas much hope, opening up a 25-point lead.

Yet, when Vasher hit five straight points, igniting a 7-1 run, Salinas, which outscored Bellarmine 12-11 in the third quarter, found itself within 18 in the second half before Harrison re-entered.

Just his presence create options for his teammates, who sizzled in the fourth quarter, building as much as a 31-point lead.