BOYS’ BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Pacifica Races Past Bolsa Grande, 84-72

Pacifica Coach Bob Becker’s up-tempo style must be growing on Garden Grove League fans because a packed gymnasium watched the host Mariners run and gun past Bolsa Grande, 84-72, Thursday at Pacifica High.

Pacifica (18-1, 9-0 in league), ranked seventh in the county, used its pressure defense to force 20 turnovers, and Chris Vlasic scored 22 of his 27 points in the second half to help the Mariners hold off the stubborn Matadors (9-10, 5-4).

“I think they just ran out of gas,” Becker said. “We’ve been playing nine and 10 guys all year and I think we wore them down. We had a little more left in the tank.”

Although Pacifica opened the second quarter scoring seven points in 25 seconds, then started the third quarter with a 12-2 run, the Mariners were never safely ahead until Ramon Alliman, who had 13 points, came up with a steal followed by a two-handed dunk, which brought the crowd to its feet and gave Pacifica a 78-63 lead with five minutes remaining.

Brian Baughman had 18 points and 14 rebounds and Tuan Pham had 18 points, including four three-pointers, to keep the Matadors close. Bolsa Grande trailed, 42-40, at halftime.

“I told our kids at halftime, ‘We’re close, but we are not where we want to be,’ ” Bolsa Grande Coach Tom Cardoza said. “We wanted a game in the 60s. But they have some outstanding athletes, they’re strong inside, they can shoot three-pointers . . . you can’t defend everybody.”

Bolsa Grande had problems with Vlasic, who scored Pacifica’s first 10 points of the third quarter in a two-minute span, giving Pacifica a 52-42 lead with 5 minutes 45 seconds remaining in the quarter. Vlasic made three of his four three-pointers in the third quarter, and made nine of 10 shots in the second half.

Although Pacifica jumped to a 12-point lead to start the third quarter, the Matadors battled back and after a three-pointer by Pham and a pair of layups by Baughman, Bolsa Grande cut the lead to 65-58 after three quarters.

Brian Stewart and Cuong Doan each scored 11 points for Bolsa Grande.

Jon Surface and Erik Maurer each scored 10 points and Ryan Teague had three three-pointers for Pacifica.