By MARK CONLEY Sentinel staff writer
- SCOTTS VALLEY - UC Santa Cruz coach Duane Garner listened intently as Beau Wilson pleaded his case in the locker room at halftime. His 6-foot-2 swing-man had just struggled through a tough offensive first half against host Bethany, and was looking for some way, any way, to spark his team from its first-half slumber.
Garner and his squad knew the best way to shut down the talented Bruins in their own home was by shutting down their All-American point guard Deshon Brown.
Wilson wanted the assignment.
"I said 'Coach, I know I can do the job' " said Wilson. Garner was sold. And good thing he was. Not only did Wilson hold the shifty Brown to three second-half points, in the process he lit a spark beneath his own offensive trigger hand, canning eight second-half three-pointers to pace the Banana Slugs to an 82-71 come-from-behind victory Tuesday night.
"We had to slow down Deshon Brown and Beau was the guy to do it," said Garner. "It worked great because that spurred on his offense, and he couldn't miss tonight." Said Wilson, who led all scorers with 26 "That's what happens when you get stuck with the All-American. I even thanked him (Brown) during the game for helping me raise my level. I was just feeling it."
In the first half, though, it was the Bruins (1-6) controlling the tempo and forcing the Slugs to earn everything they got from the perimeter and the paint. The key was Bethany's Eric James virtually taking UC Santa Cruz's top offensive threat, 6-foot-6 forward Adam Todd, out of the game for most of the half.
Meanwhile, James and transfer James Clark were getting things done at the offensive end as well, hitting from inside and out. Todd and the Slugs battled back from an early deficit, though, to get within two at halftime, 36-34. The injury-marred Bruins held tough for the first 12 minutes of the second half, and then the combination of Wilson's big bombs, Dakari Gillard's effective drives and Todd's presence on the boards effectively silenced the Bethany attack. "I told my guys that this would be one of the hardest-playing teams they'll ever face," said Bruins' coach John Block.
"And Adam Todd is as good as any player we'll see this year." And don't forget Wilson, the one who in Block's words "put the nail in our coffin."
"We knew he worked real hard over the summer," said Garner. "But he was amazing tonight."
Gillard dropped in 19 points for the Slugs, who improve to 2-1 on the season, and Todd added 13 and a game-high 13 rebounds.
James and Clark both scored 20 for the Bruins, who will lick their wounds arid patiently wait for their squad to get healthy and. for their currently ineligible to become eligible.
"I've been preaching to the guys, 'Adversity builds character,' " said Block. "And we're gonna come through this mentally stronger for it."
