Defense to the Rescue for Newbury Park

Despite sputtering on offense and struggling from the free-throw line, Newbury Park High did its job defensively in a 75-58 victory over Atascadero in a first-round Southern Section Division II-A boys’ basketball playoff game Friday night at Newbury Park.

The victory was the 14th in a row for Newbury Park (24-4), but it was not one of the Panthers’ more impressive performances.

They were 25 of 58 from the field and 20 of 37 from the free-throw line.

Newbury Park was tied, 14-14, after one quarter against an Atascadero team that lost its final four games of the regular season to finish fifth in the six-team Los Padres League.

“We really didn’t expect to be playing here,” Atascadero Coach Jerry Tamelier said. “In fact, I found out from [the sports editor at the local paper] on Monday that we had made the playoffs.”

The Greyhounds (11-13) trailed, 12-2, with 4:39 left in the first quarter after missing five of six shots and getting called for traveling twice. But they closed the quarter with a 12-2 run of their own and trailed, 21-17, with 5:22 left in the second quarter.

Newbury Park scored the next 13 points, however, to take a 34-17 lead with 1:42 remaining in the quarter.

Robert Congelliere started the run with a reverse layup and Mike Meru ended it with two free throws.

Meru, who scored 11 points, and Daniel Bobik, who had 18, each hit a three-pointer during the run in which the Panthers hit three of five shots and five of eight free throws.

“The guys were really fired up to be in the playoffs,” Newbury Park Coach Steve Johnson said. “And when you get that excited, it can affect your game. And it seems to affect your offense more than your defense. But I was really pleased with our defense. We made some plays that gave us some easy baskets and got us going.”

After leading, 38-22, at halftime, Newbury Park scored the first two baskets of the second half on two-handed dunks by Bobik.

The first came off a lob from his junior brother Brian and the second followed a steal.

Ignited by those two plays, the Panthers went on an 18-4 run to take a 56-26 lead with 1:07 left in the third quarter. Their advantage grew to 70-37 midway through the fourth quarter despite the fact that Daniel Bobik, Meru and Congelliere didn’t play in the quarter.

“We’ve been a pretty deep team all season, but it was nice to give some of those other guys some playoff experience,” Johnson said. Daniel Bobik was grateful to sit out the fourth quarter after missing practice on Wednesday and Thursday with what he described as a really bad cold.

Aaron Bobik, the freshman brother of Daniel and Brian, even saw some playing time after being called up from the junior varsity team for the playoffs.

“I couldn’t stop smiling the whole time he was out there,” Daniel Bobik said. “I just felt so proud to see him on the court.”