The crowd at Wednesday's non-league challenge between the Menlo-Atherton Bears (Atherton, CA) and the visiting Archbishop Mitty Monarchs (San Jose, CA), observed Menlo-Atherton's basketball team edge Archbishop Mitty by a score of 56-51.
Welcome to Bears basketball, playoff edition! Tonight it’s game 3 of 3 of the CCS Open Division bracket, MA the #5 seed vs #8 Mitty
Mitty was 14-12 this year and 6-8 in their conference for 5th place, after last year’s 23-8/12-2 season
Mitty started 10-3 but is just 4-9 since
But don’t be fooled, these 2 schools are as evenly matched as could be
Mitty #10 in CCS & #131 in state
These 2 schools have played 8 times in the 21 years of MaxPreps history, and MA is 0-8, their most losses vs any other school without a win
Last time they met was 2021, a 32-63 loss, though a few other of those 8 losses have been close, by just 1, 5, and 8
MA is scoring 60ppg to Mitty’s 68, and giving up 51ppg to Mitty’s 54
2 common opponents this year: MA beat Valley Christian 73-60 & lost 51-65, while Mitty beat VC 56-54 and 37-36, & lost 39-49
Vs Riordan, MA lost 29-79, while Mitty lost 46-75, 40-65, and 45-59
MA is 8-3 at home this year. Mitty 10-9 on the road and at neutral sites
The Bears won the PAL this year, finishing 11-1! And they’re one of the PAL teams still active in the postseason
MA is 1 of 8 teams in the elite Open Division, 6 privates and 2 publics (Milpitas the other public)
Carlmont is a D1 #3 seed, still active in a semifinal tonite; Burlingame D3 #6, same; HMB D4 #3, same; while Woodside & Jefferson have lost
In this Open division, #5 MA lost Game 1 51-65 at #4 Valley Christian, then Game 2 on Monday at #1 Archbishop Riordan 29-79
Worth noting that Riordan is #1 in CCS, #4 in the entire state of California, and 27th in the whole country
Jerry Williams led the Bears with 15 points, Trevor Cadigan next with 7
Personally I was impressed with how the Bears maintained their composure, demonstrating an abundance of character despite the huge deficit
They were calm and collected, which reflected excellent coaching and personal qualities, when it would have been easy to collapse & give up
So we’ll see how they respond to that game tonight, at home, against a team they are evenly matched against in MaxPreps rankings (not CCS)
Busy night here, with girls lacrosse on the small field, plus girls soccer on the big one, CCS playoffs vs crosstown rival Menlo. Go Bears!!
After tonight, the Bears’ fate is up to the CIF/NorCal powers that be. A win, especially a big win tonight, would help their case a lot!
Meanwhile, MA girls are 18-7, a D1 #3 seed, & won their CCS quarterfinal game last night to advance to tomorrow’s semi at Evergreen Valley!
Pregame Colgate between players, coaches, refs
^coaches
Starting 5: 1 Auer, 5 Sutton, 14 Cadigan, 20 Atkins, 32 Williams
Sko Bears!!!
5:35 left in the first quarter
Mitty :30 TO with 4:46 left
4:15
4:00
Bears :30 TO with 2:20 to go, Mitty has scored 5 straight to take the lead
2:05
1:00
Much better game than Monday, MA with a 1-point lead instead of already down 5-27. Cadigan with 6 quick points! Fouls: MA 1, Mitty 2
6:25 left in the half
4:45
Mitty :30 TO with 3:21 left in the half
Cadigan leads the Bears w 11, Sutton 5, 3 each for Santoro and Winters
Relatively seesaw game so far, though the Bears were up by 7, 21-14, then outscored 1-7 the rest of the way
Each team with 3 3’s
Fouls: MA 3, Mitty 6
7:10 left in the 3rd
Bears :30 TO with 6:59 left, Mitty with the first 5 of the 3rd
6:15
5:45
Mitty full TO with 3:24 left
1:50
.35.8
:24
18 for Cadigan, Sutton 7
2 fouls on each team, Atkins & Williams w 2 each
MA had another 7-point lead, now down to 4, Williams finally scored his first 2, would be great to see him come alive in the 4th!
Bears w a full TO with 6:03 to go
MA w 4 TO left, Mitty 2. 0 fouls called on either team so far this quarter
4;50
4:09
2:55
2:25
2:15
Bears full TO with 1:40 left, Mitty at the line. 2 fouls on each team (Williams 3), MA with 1 TO left, Mitty 2
:23.8 Bears ball!
Mitty TO with :23.8, MA inbounding at Mitty end. Fouls MA 2, Mitty 3. Each team w 1 TO left.
:22:1 MA ball
:11.1
:08.5
5th on Mitty
Cadigan makes both, Bears up by 3! :08.5 left, MA calls TO, Mitty inbounding at MA end.
Fouls Bears 2, Mitty 5
:05.2 Mitty ball
Mitty TO, :05.2 left, inbounding ball at their end & 0 TO left for either team. Fouls MA 3, Mitty 5.
:04.7
MA ball!! :01.6
BEARS WIN!!!
Cadigan 20, Sutton 9, L Auer 8, Williams 6, Atkins 5, Santoro & Winters 3 each, plus a couple I forgot to write down in the busier moments
Huge win for the Bears in their finale of the CCS elite Open Division bracket, NorCal seedings to be announced this weekend!
And don’t forget tomorrow night it’s MA girls, D1 #3, down at #2 Evergreen Valley HS in their CCS semifinal. Go Bears!!
Thanks for joining us, have a good evening, and as always, GO BEARS!!!
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