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Sports

Basketball: Dublin Rallies To Beat Vallejo, 71-52

Sloppy first half nearly costs Gaels a victory.

Dublin 71, Vallejo 52

The Star:  Guard Joel Thomas was Dublin's most consistent player. He scored 13 points, assisted on six buckets and grabbed three rebounds and was named player of the game.

The Turning point: The Gaels exploded in the second half. They managed just 24 points in the first half and scored 26 in the third quarter.

The Quote: "I think (nervousness) had a lot to do with our rough first half," Dublin coach Tom Costello said. "For a lot of guys, this was their first varsity game, and to have it with bright lights, big venue, and a great tournament like this, it was a lot (to handle) at first." 

What's Next: Dublin will play Foothill on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Find out what's happening in Dublinwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

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After overcoming several turnovers in the first half, the Dublin High boys basketball team rallied for a 26-point third quarter and vanquished Vallejo 71-52 at the Nor Cal Tip-Off Classic at Newark Memorial.

Find out what's happening in Dublinwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Coach Tom Costello thought the sluggish start was mostly due to nervousness. He citied lack of experience at the varsity level and attention placed on showcase tournaments.

"I think (nervousness) had a lot to do with our rough first half," Costello said. "For a lot of guys, this was their first varsity game, and to have it with bright lights, big venue, and a great tournament like this, it was a lot (to handle) at first."

And it showed in their play.

Dublin began the game missing its first six shots and was 3-11 shooting overall in the first. At 4:07, Devin Keoplin scored the Gaels first points with a tear-drop just inside the key. It shot 27 percent (9 of 33) from the field in the first half.

The Gaels were fortunate to only trail 29-24 going into half-time. They committed 15 turnovers in the first half, resulting in 14 Vallejo points.

"In the first half, we were slow and kind of jittery," said sophomore Devin Keoplin. "We calmed down in the second half, started getting rebounds."

Dublin took its first lead — 32-31 — at 4:30 of the third thanks to a rebound. JoJo McGlaston took an outlet pass from Jaylen Paulding and led a two-on-two break, finding Jamir Andrews for the easy lay-up.

A minute later, McGlaston nailed a 3-pointer from the right corner, capping a 13-2 run, giving the Gaels a seven point lead. Costello suggested that McGlaston can become a force if he can put in more steady efforts.

"If we can get (McGlaston) more consistent, he can be great for us," Costello said. "He's definitely one of those guys I knew, when the lights come on bright, would be a really good player."

Giveaways were not the only problem early on. Even with a distinct size advantage, the Gaels allowed 10 offensive rebounds to the Apaches. Perhaps, not having their starting center made thing worse.

Andrews finished with 12 points and five rebounds.

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