Big night carries Hillsdale

Sitting on the bench for most of the season, “growing pains” head coach Deshawn Mitchell euphemistically called it, Hernandez Berland came though when his number was called. He scored a game-high 26 points — 13 coming in the second quarter alone — as the 10th-seeded Knights, after a slow start, motored to a 55-39 win over the Lions in a CCS Division II first-round game in San Mateo Friday night.

Hernandez Berland didn’t sugarcoat it.

“I was benched for half the season,” Hernandez Berland said, admitting it was for disciplinary reasons.

“I just had to put in the work and stay ready.”

Hernandez Berland’s performance was even more important given the fact the Hillsdale (14-11) was without guard Sebastian Avina, who got banged in last week’s regular season-ending loss to San Mateo.

“I knew Sebastian was going to be out,” Hernandez Berland said. “It gave me more of an opportunity to step up.”

Which is what Hillsdale head coach Deshawn Mitchell preached during the week.

“Next man up,” Mitchell said. “I’m so happy for [Hernandez Berland]. I’m happy he got to get loose [Friday night].”

But it wasn’t a long 3-pointers or a crazy circus shot that got the Knights going, which trailed 10-7 after the first quarter. Late in the opening quarter, Lincoln (13-12) had a pass tipped past halfcourt, with first Hillsdale’s Evan Kanda and Lincoln’s Freddy Fuentes, and then Hernandez Berland and Fuentes, giving chase.

Hernandez Berland eventually ended up winning the ball underneath the basket and flipping in a reverse layup.

“I’m a bucket getter,” Hernandez Berland said.

It was the type of hustle play that can spark a team and it certainly did heading into the second quarter. The Knights rode the momentum momentum from that play to a three-point play from Freeman Lane to open the second period that tied the game at 10-all and ignited an 18-5 quarter for Hillsdale.

One that belonged to Hernandez Berland. He first drove the baseline and went up for a hang-in-the air layup to put the Knights ahead to stay, 12-10. Hernandez followed that with the second of his four 3-pointers, followed by a heat-check 3 from the top of the key that he swished for an 18-13 Hillsdale advantage.

At that point, Hernandez Berland was 3 for 3 shooting in the quarter. After a Callum North jumper, Hernandez Berland connected on back-to-back 3s in the final minute to give him 13 for the quarter, 18 for the half and a 10-point lead for the Knights, 25-15.

“It was surreal,” Hernandez Berland said.

He cooled off a bit in the second half, but the rest of his teammates helped pick up the slack. Lincoln scored four quick points to open the second half, closing to 25-19. But a North putback kicked off a 11-0 run, pushing the Knights’ lead from seven to 16, 35-19.

Hernandez Berland hit a couple of free throws and scored on a fastbreak layup, drawing the foul and converting a three-point play. That was followed a drive from Lane on the baseline before muscling up and converting the shot and the and-1 to give the Knights a 16-point cushion with 4:04 left in the third.

Lane finished with 12 points for the Knights.

Hernandez Berland added one more 3 in the fourth. North, at 6-6, showed his versatility, first filling the lane for a fast break layup and following that with a 3 from the top of the key to give the Knights their largest lead of the game, 55-34, with 2:34 left to play.

North finished with nine points.

Lincoln was led by Antonio Moreno, who scored 12 points on four 3s. Carson Foisy added 1o for the Lions.

Hillsdale won’t have long to celebrate, however, as the Knights are right back at it with a second-round road trip Saturday night.

They won’t have to go far, but what their road trip lacks in length will be made up in drama. Hillsdale will be at archrival and seventh-seeded Aragon (19-5) at 7 p.m. Saturday.

It will be the third meeting of the season between the teams. Aragon took Game 1, 48-41 Jan. 9, but Hillsdale took Game 2, 52-35, Jan. 23.

They battled to the last day of the regular season for the Peninsula Athletic League Ocean Division title, which the Dons claimed with a win over Mills and Hillsdale’s loss to San Mateo.

“That is so exciting,” said Mitchell, who added that the Hillsdale and Aragon coaching staffs all grew up with each and have coached against each other for years.

“Not only great for the schools, but the community,” Mitchell said. “It should be great.”