The Bellarmine Bells dominated in a CCS Division I semifinals matchup against the Salinas Cowboys, 60-39, Wednesday evening at Independence to advance to Saturday's championship at Santa Clara University. The Bells (17-11) will take on Piedmont Hills (27-2), a 46-34 winner over San Benito, Saturday night at 8 pm. Salinas finishes its season with an outstanding 21-6 mark.
“It was a good game. You know, I think we came from a stronger background, but they did put up a good fight, and you can never underestimate the team,” said Bellarmine head coach Patrick Schneider. “Although we missed a lot of shots and made some mistakes, we made some improvements in terms of defense and executing those offensive plays. We’re now looking forward to the CCS finals.”
Junior forward Grant Vermeer led the Bells with 19 points on eight field goals, including three 3-pointers. Jack Fordyce and Blair Mendy followed close behind with 14 apiece. Arthur Caldwell led the Cowboys with 17 points and Josef Delk added 10.
The first quarter opened up very slowly, as both teams alternated field goals with a very low-scoring start. With four minutes left in the quarter, the Bells and Cowboys were tied at just 4-4. However, with 3:47 left in the quarter, Vermeer hit Bellarmine’s first three-pointer, bringing the score to 7-4 for Bellarmine. Delk and Caldwell answered with a basket apiece to close the gap. The first quarter ended with Bellarmine up, 13-10, Mendy scored a layup with less than 30 seconds left.
The second quarter, on the other hand, is where the Bells really established their lead. Although, once again, Salinas started the scoring with a field goal from Brian Amiya, the Bells went on a 11-point, two-minute scoring streak, with layups from junior center Jack O’Hara, senior forward Jack Fordyce, and junior forward Kenneth Olugbode, while Mendy contributed with a layup and a three-pointer, bringing the score to 24-12 with 3:23 left in the half. Jordan Villaneda tried to bring Salinas back in the game with three free throws and a layup, but Bellarmine answered back strongly with a three-pointer from Vermeer, ending the first-half scoring at 29-19.
“We kept up with Bellarmine for most of the first half, but we just started to fall a little behind at the end of the second quarter,” said Salinas head coach Joe Chappell. “I think it wasn’t that they changed their offense, but we couldn’t keep up our defense. They’re a good team, and we started falling behind in terms of keeping up with our guys and putting that pressure in the key. Overall, though, I’m proud of our team, and I think we had a great season.”
In the third quarter, the Bells only extended their lead over the Cowboys, 46-32. Starting strong in the first minute, Vermeer opened the scoring in the quarter with his second three pointer of the night. Salinas’s Kevin Staunton replied with a three-pointer of his own, the first Cowboy triple of the night. The two teams continued alternating field goals, until Mendy broke the cycle with a three-pointer of his own with 3:20 left in the quarter, pushing the Bells' lead to 42-28. After Caldwell scored a layup on a quick transition and then a pair of free throws for the 'Boys, Vermeer concluded the scoring in the quarter with two layups, rare occurrences for the player who generally focuses on three-point attempts.
Finally, in the fourth quarter, the Bells dominated the scoreboard, while limiting the Cowboys to just seven points. Fordyce opened up the scoring in the first minute with two free throws, while Vermeer made another layup, bringing the score to 50-32. Villaneda finally got the Cowboys on the scoreboard with 5:02 left in the game, with a layup opportunity off a fast break, bringing the score to 52-36. With less than four minutes left in the game, Vermeer and Fordyce combined for a total of three field goals, extending the lead to over 20 points. Bellarmine’s senior Tony Galli completed the scoring of the game by acing both free-throw attempts within the final seconds of the game, bringing the score to 60-39.
Although both teams played a strong man-to-man defense, the Bellarmine offense capitalized on its ability to execute fast transitions and pass accurately within the key. Especially as Vermeer ventured into the key in the third and fourth quarter, the Bells were able to physically outplay the Cowboys in the key. Offensive rebounds were key, as O'Hara had nine himself. As a result of the offensive rebounds and multiple steals, the Bells recorded 57 field-goal attempts to 39 for the Cowboys,
Shot accuracy was a problem for both teams. In terms of field-goal percentage, the Bells recorded 25 field goals, including an impressive six 3-pointers, out of their 57 field-goal attempts. On the other hand, Salinas was only able to convert 15-of-39 field goal attempts, and only two of these were three-pointers. At the free-throw line, the Bells made just 4-of-10 while Salinas was able to make 7-of-10.
