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Lucas Vogel and Danny Solomon combined for 39 points as the Menlo School boys basketball team defeated Menlo-Atherton 53-50 in the season opener for both teams Friday at Menlo.
Menlo took the lead in the first quarter and never let go in the head coaching debut of Ben Batory.
“Coaches are overrated, players make plays,” Batory said. “Of our five football guys one played today, after one day of practice. You’ve got to dance with who you brought to the dance. They all stepped up big.”
M-A’s last lead was at 5-3. Solomon scored to tie it and Vogel put the Knights ahead to stay with a 3-pointer.
Menlo led 24-20 at the half and 39-30 after three quarters. The Bears made a run in the fourth quarter, playing aggressively on defense to force turnovers. But the final three-point margin was as close as it got
And who would’ve guessed it was a season opener? A rivalry game in the opener gave it a little extra spice.The Menlo rooting section poured on to the court once it was over to celebrate with the team.
“No one takes it easy to be good,” Batory said. “I wouldn’t have wanted the first game any other way.”
Vogel, who averaged 12 points per game last spring as a sophomore, finished with 22, going 9 of 10 at the foul line.
“We have a great team culture,” he said. “Practices are high paced and intense. We built an identity tonight. It was good to get punched in the face, a learning experience.”
Solomon, “the heart and soul of the team,” according to Batory, scored 17 points.
Menlo was plus-12 on 3-pointers, making six to M-A’s two, and plus-7 on the foul line, going 13 of 18 while M-A was 6 of 13. M-A outscored Menlo by 16 points on 2-pointers, 38-22, but that was not enough to overcome Menlo shooting a higher percentage from distance and from the free-throw line.
Ryan Anderson led M-A with 20 points.
“He’s our best scoring option, but our offense is a challenge right now,” M-A coach Mike Molieri said. “I have no idea what our best rotation is, whether to go big or go small.”
Doug Adams scored 11 and Johno Price 10 for the Bears, who take on Sacred Heart Cathedral in their home opener Tuesday.
Menlo plays Stuart Hall on Tuesday in the Burlingame Tournament.