February 1, 2007

Buzzer Beater

Pioneer’s Mike Beltramo nails three-pointer at the buzzer
to give Mustangs 62-61 win over Piedmont Hills

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

Pioneer’s Mike Beltramo hit a three-pointer from the right corner at the buzzer, completing an improbable comeback for the Mustangs in a 62-61 win at home over Piedmont Hills on Jan. 24.

Pioneer’s Gilbert Mendoza dribbled the ball up court and found a wide-open Mike Beltramo for the game-winning three-pointer in a 62-61 final over the Piedmont Hills Pirates on Jan. 24. Mendoza finished the game with 14 points. Photo by Dan Miranda

The game-winning shot was the high point of a come-from-behind victory that saw the Mustangs down by 13 points with just four minutes and 30 seconds to play in the game. The win over the Pirates, who came into the game undefeated and atop the Mt. Hamilton Division standings, placed the Mustangs in a three-way tie for first place, along with Oak Grove.

“Speechless, just speechless,” Pioneer head coach Joe Berticevich said after the comeback win. “…You saw the energy and you saw what we needed to do out there. We picked up the intensity defensively, we became the aggressor and they went back on their heels. We had guys stepping up in every facet—defensively and offensively—and we hit big shots. And then, at the end of the game, if Mike Beltramo gets a wide-open three, there’s a good chance he’s going to make it and we’re going to win the game, and that’s what happened.”

Pioneer’s first-place standing in league was short-lived however, as a 62-58 loss at Santa Teresa on Jan. 26, coupled with a loss by Piedmont Hills, dropped the Mustangs (6-2 in league play) into a two-way tie for second place. Oak Grove won its game on Jan .26 and took over first place in the division.

Still, for one night at least, it was all about the Mustangs’ third straight comeback win and Beltramo’s game-winning three-pointer.

Tied 59-59 with 19 seconds to go, Pirates guard Devon Mynhier drove to the basket and was quickly whistled for a charging call. That call, however, was reversed just seconds later as the game’s officiating crew ruled that Pioneer guard Nick Maggipinto pushed Mynhier into the charge, resulting instead in a shooting foul. Mynhier nailed both free-throw attempts, resulting in a 61-59 lead for the Pirates with just 8.7 seconds left.

Pioneer point guard Matt Montelongo battles for the ball during a 62-61 comeback win over Piedmont Hills on Jan. 24. Montelongo finished the game with a team-high 15 points.

Pioneer proceeded to quickly inbound the ball, with Pioneer forward Gilbert Mendoza bringing the ball up court and finding a wide-open shooter in Beltramo behind the three-point line in the right corner. Beltramo then proceeded to square up behind the line and sank the game-winning three-pointer as time expired on the clock, resulting in a raucous celebration on the court.

“It’s crazy,” Beltramo said. “With just a couple of seconds (left), I shot it and it went in. It’s cool, man. I like that.”

The game-winning shot capped a late comeback for the Mustangs, who trailed nearly the entire game, with 4:30 left in the game. Down 13 points at 59-46, the Mustang offense rattled off a 13-0 scoring run in four minutes of play, getting layups from Beltramo, Mendoza, Maggipinto and points guard Matt Montelongo. Forward Andrew Springer then forced a 59-59 tie with just 19 seconds left when he hit an elbow jumper, set up by a stolen pass from Montelongo on defense just seconds earlier.

“We may be down and everything, but that’s the best time to strike,” Mendoza said of the fourth-quarter comeback over the Pirates. “We felt like they weren’t really taking us serious, so we just put it to them, and this is what happened.”

Pioneer’s Nick Maggipinto goes up for a shot during a 62-61 comeback win over the Piedmont Hills Pirates on Jan. 24. Photos by Dan Miranda

The comeback win came over the Pirates came on the heels of two straight fourth-quarter comebacks the week prior in wins over Westmont and Prospect. In the win over Piedmont Hills, the Mustangs found themselves down by as much as 20 points with 3:42 left in the third quarter.

“It’s something where we don’t want to be in that predicament, being down 20 points or whatever, but the guys believed that they can do it and come back, no matter what,” Berticevich said of the his team’s three straight comeback wins. “…With their backs against the wall, I think they like playing when they’re down. They feel like they have nothing to lose.”

For Beltramo, the game-winning shot came on the day he received his first start in league play, after spending most of the season as one of Berticevich’s most valuable bench players. Known for his shooting touch, Beltramo said he’s happy to contribute in any way he can, be it off the bench or in the starting lineup.

“Last year I was starting (on the frosh/soph team), so it’s a little change, but I can deal with it,” Beltramo said of his role with the varsity squad. “I’m getting used to it.”

As for Berticevich, he said the win will stick in the minds of his players for a long time.

“Those guys will never forget that,” Berticevich said. “When they’re old, they can tell their grandkids that they were down 20 points in the third quarter and came back, and that number 30 (Beltramo) hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to win the game.”