San Marino Hangs on for Second Win of Season

The San Marino boys basketball team shot out to a eight-point halftime lead but almost let the game slip away after a tough third quarter. But thanks to some great defense, the Titans were able to hold on and defeated Rosemead 43-38 for their second win of the year.

Titan 6-foot-6 center Luke Benuska got San Marino out to a good start, scoring eight of the his first 10 points. Benuska finished with a game-high 17 points and was the go to guy for the Titans the whole game.

"He is huge for us," San Marino coach Mihail Papadopulos said. "It gives us a great edge because he has a big frame and he knows how to use it. He is really aggressive around the basket and what's great about it is if he dominates it opens up room for our guards."

After the Titans took a 17-8 lead at the end of the first, the second quarter was full of runs for both teams. Rosemead went on a 9-1 tear to cut the Titans' lead down to 18-17, before San Marino ended the quarter on an 8-1 run en route to a 26-18 lead at the half.

The third quarter was nearly disastrous for the Titans. Rosemead erupted at the start of the period with an 11-2 run, and took it first lead since the first quarter at 29-28. By the end of the third quarter, Rosemead had outscored San Marino 17-6 and led the Titans 35-32.

"We turned it over a ton in the third, and we knew that given how tough they were we couldn't give them easy baskets," Papadopulos said of his team's third quarter struggles. "We gave up too many easy points, and we paid for it."

While the third quarter almost went as bad is it possibly could for the Titans, the next period saw them retake control of the game.

Junior guard Max Taw made arguably the two biggest plays in leading the Titans back for the win. With his team down four points with five minutes left, Taw hit a three to cut it to 38-37.

 After Benuska gave the Titans a one-point lead, Taw stole the ball and broke away for a layup to give his team a 41-38 lead with 1 minute to go. The Titans played stingy defense the whole quarter, limiting Rosemead to just three fourth quarter points and none in the last 6 minutes.

"We found a way to win today," Papadopulos said. "Our kids really fought hard and were tough down the stretch. We did a great job of defensive rebounding and limiting Rosemead to one shot. Lastly, we played really smart at the end and kept our composure."

The Titans have the rest of the week off before they play in the San Gabriel Tournament next week. Their first game is scheduled for Dec. 27.