A big defensive play by sophomore Steve Urias and clutch free throws from Dakarai Hughes and Brady Christopher helped Benicia High’s boys varsity basketball team escape with a 57-50 victory over visiting Vintage last Saturday.
It was only the second win of the season for the Panthers (2-4), who desperately needed some momentum heading into a trip this weekend to Palm Springs for the MaxPreps Holiday Classic.
“We needed a confidence builder before we go to the MaxPreps Holiday Tournament,” Christopher said. “We didn’t play our best ball, but we had all the heart we needed to get the win.”
Benicia was clinging to a 53-50 lead with under 25 seconds to play when Urias came up with the defensive play of the night. Vintage senior captain Eric Lum tried to drive toward the basket but Urias beat him to the spot and took a charge, giving the ball back to the Panthers. That forced the Crushers to foul and Hughes and Christopher made them pay as each buried two free throws to seal the victory.
“Nothing is coming easy for us right now, but hopefully if we keep battling, things will get easier,” said Benicia head coach Steve Carter.
Benicia was playing without senior forward Kendal Vargas, who sat out with a right knee injury. Senior Tyjon Casey picked up the slack by scoring a season-high 13 points, including eight of Benicia’s 13 points in the second quarter.
“T.J. was the man,” Carter said.
“I just needed to come out and play,” Casey said. “It’s a big win. We played better defense, boxed out and grabbed rebounds. We played good.”
Hughes went 7-for-10 at the free throw line and finished with a team-high 18 points. Hughes scored eight of Benicia’s 13 points in the opening quarter.
“He’s our youngest player and he’s trying to be a leader,” Carter said of the sophomore point guard.
Jason Shelley added seven points while Christopher and Brandon Barrett each added six points for the Panthers.
The Crushers (1-6) were led by senior Connor Bacci, who scored 12 of Vintage’s 15 points in the opening quarter and finished with a game-high 27 points.
Vintage led 23-18 early in the second quarter when Benicia employed a full-court press to turn things around. The pressure worked as the Panthers went on a 7-0 run to take a 26-23 lead into halftime.
“We had a size advantage and more athleticism,” Carter noted. “We could have run a lot more but I’m trying to get the guys to be more patient. We need to run our offense instead of shooting too quickly.”
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