California Regional Round-up: Gray Beats Buzzer, Sacred Heart

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The game that had been anticipated for an entire season came down to a single shot.

 

Chelsea Gray’s four-foot leaner over two defenders bounced off the rim, the backboard and softly trickled through as the final horn sounded, lifting St. Mary’s (Stockton, Calif.) to a thrilling 62-60 win over Sacred Heart Cathedral in the CIF State North Region Division III finals at Arco Arena on Saturday.

 

Gray was mobbed by a flood of bright green jerseys. The previous year the Rams were flooded with tears after Sacred Heart Cathedral defeated them 46-45 in the same regional final at the same venue.

 

Sacred Heart, the three time defending state champion and 2007-08 mythical national champion, came in ranked seventh in the nation and St. Mary’s was eighth.

 

“I don’t even remember it going in,” Gray said. “I remember it bouncing around about five times and then being tackled.”

 

The dramatic shot and fantastic game was the highlight of six highly-competitive regional games at Arco on Saturday.

 

Nationally-ranked McClymonds boys had to fight and scratch before watching a last-second 3-pointer rim out at the buzzer to beat a very game Monte Vista squad in Div. I.

 

Rocklin’s boys (Div. II) made the home city proud; Carondelet’s girls (Div. II) showed that depth trumps star power; Sacred Heart Cathedral boys (Div. III) exacted some major revenge and Monte Vista girls (Div. I) set a regional record for defense.

 

Below are write-ups, pictures, statistics, analysis and blogs written live as each contest progressed. Highlights from the other 14 regional games are below that.

 

DIVISION III GIRLS (6 P.M START)
Sacred Heart Cathedral Irish vs. St. Mary's Rams

 

Final score: St. Mary's 62, Sacred Heart Cathedral 60 

 

Story

Anyone who watched this back-and-forth, end-to-end prep classic had to share St. Mary’s junior forward Afure Jemerigbe’s feelings.

 

After McDonald’s All-American Tierra Rogers went baseline to score a lay-up and tie the score at 58-58 with 18 seconds to go, St. Mary’s coach Tom Gonsalves didn’t call timeout and let Chelsea Gray take care of business.

 

The 5-foot-11 junior point guard dribbled at the top of the key, called out “flat” and with the clock running down drove down the lane, spun once and with Ki-Ki Moore draped on her hip and 5-10 Kamilah Jackson there to help,  Gray went up and let a four-foot floater go.

 

“My heart absolutely stopped,” Jemerigbe said.

 

The ball did not. It hit the backiron, kissed the backboard and just seemed to sit there for a while.

 

“Lord please go in,” Jemerigbe said.

 

It did and the second-seeded Rams (30-3) had won this slugfest between national powers and avenged an equally fought 46-45 NorCal finals at Arco to Sacred Heart the previous year.

 

“I can appreciate this so much more after experiencing last year,” Gonsalves said. “Last year hurt a lot.”

Said Sacred Heart Cathedral coach Brian Harrigan: “Those are two great teams. They both left it on the court. … just like last year. This year it just had a little different ending.”

 

The Irish (28-2), the three-time defending state champions, shot a blistering 58 percent (22 of 38) and had almost twice as many rebounds (39-20) - two facts that would normally lead to a lopsided victory.

 

But here was something not normal: 29 turnovers.

 

Not by Sacred Heart standards anyway.

 

St. Mary’s regularly forces more than 30 turnovers with its frantic, constant, whether-they-make-a-basket-or-not trapping defense.

 

With one of the state’s top point guards Ki-Ki Moore in charge for Sacred Heart that wouldn’t seem an issue. But on this night, unfortunately for the Irish, it was.

 

Moore, at times her brilliant self with 12 points and five assists, also had 14 turnovers and that helped St. Mary’s take 24 more shots than Sacred Heart. The Rams made just 37 percent (23 of 62), but nine of them were 3-pointers and that proved the difference.

 

“Sometimes we give up a lot of easy baskets because of our press,” Gonsalves said. “But ultimately it will pay off and it did tonight.”

 

The Irish players could barely speak afterward. Moore and Rogers (14 points, eight rebounds) were starters since they were freshmen and trying to make it a clean sweep of state titles.

 

Despite big games from them, sophomore Rayven Brooks (17 points) and Kamilah Jackson (12 points, 15 rebounds), they couldn’t overcome the turnovers or a combined 44 points by All-Americans candidates Gray and Jemerigbe.

 

Over the last three years, Moore and Rogers have pulled out some amazing wins with late heroics. On Saturday, it was someone else's turn.

 

“We could have done a better job,” Harrigan said. “But you can get mad because the same players made great plays for four years. … We congratulate (St. Mary’s) for a great game and win, but at the same time we were hoping for another bounce our way.”

 

Final Box

St. Mary’s 62, Sacred Heart Cathedral 60

ST. MARY’S (30-3): Chelsea Gray 9-20 2-2 24, Afure Jemerigbe 7-17 5-8 20, Ali Gibson 3-6 0-0 7, Annissa Garcia 1-1 0-0 2, Alle Moreno 2-7 0-0 6, Sarah Norcup 1-6 0-0 3, Sabrina Visperas 0-2 0-0 0, Emily Gonsalves 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 23-62 7-10 62.

SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL (28-2): Tierra Rogers 4-9 6-7 14, Ashley Boggs 2-6 0-0 4, Ki-Ki Moore 4-6 3-6 12, Rayven Brooks 7-10 3-5 17, Kamilah Jackson 5-7 2-4 12, Tomisha Miller 0-0 1-2 1. Totals 22-38 15-24 60.

3-point goals: St. Mary’s 9-32 (Gray 4, Moreno 2, Jemerigbe, Gibson, Norcup), Sacred Heart Cathedral 1-3 (Moore 1). Rebounds: St. Mary’s 20 (Garcia 8), Sacred Heart 39 (Jackson 15). Turnovers: St. Mary’s 11, Sacred Heart Cathedral 29.

 

Live Blog

Fourth quarter: Sacred Heart takes its first lead since the first quarter on four straight free throws, but Gray - who else? - responds again with a 3-pointer, giving St. Mary's 50-49 lead with 5:44 left. ..Two more Sacred Heart turnovers later and a putback by Jemerigbe and St. Mary's leads 52-49, but Moore converts back-to-back fastbreak lay-ups and the Irish our back out in front, 53-52 with 3:51 left. ... Gibson drills a 3-pointer, but Jackson scores a layup after a nice feed from Moore. ...Now we're talking. The game is all even 55-55 with 3:16 left. ... At last, St. Mary's hits a pair of perimeter shots, a 3-pointer by Moreno and a jumper by Garcia to go up 60-56 with 1:50 left. ... Jemerigbe drives toward the hoop is called for traveling and hurts her right ankle. ... She might be coming out with 1:20 to play. ... Moore feeds Rogers for a hoop to close to 60-58 and after a pair of possesions and Jemerigbe misses the front end of a one-and-one, Sacred Heart as the ball with 32.3 seconds left. St. Mary's 60, Sacred Heart 58. ... Rogers ties it at 60 with 18 seconds left and then Gray, makes a leaner over Moore and Jackson from four feet out with 2.5 seconds left to win. ... Sacred Heart doesn't call timeout and the horn sounds. ... Sweet revenge for the Rams, who lost 46-45 to Sacred Heart in last year's regional final. ... Gray finished with 24 and Jemerigbe 20 for St. Mary's. ... Brooks had 17, Rogers 14, Jackson 13 and Moore 11. Final score: St. Mary's 62, Sacred Heart Cathedral 60.

 

Third quarter: The Irish are on a run, starting the third 9-3 to close to within 39-37. ... Four different Sacred Heart players scored. ... The key is the Irish are stopping St. Mary's so the Rams can't set up there press. ... Gray, like she has all night, answers with a tough fade away jumper, St. Mary's leads 41-37 with 4:41 left in the third. ... Moore picks up her fourth foul with 2:40 left... That leaves Rogers as the only ball-handler. She responds with a three-point play to cut it to 45-42 with 2:01 left. ... Very odd sequence just occurred. ... St. Mary's was going down on a breakaway layup when a referee called a flagrant foul on St. Mary's, giving the Irish two free throws and the ball. ... Fortunately for the Rams, Sacred Heart converted only one free throw and committed another turnover....Jemerigbe made two free throws, but Brooks answered with a layup after a nice feed from Jackson. ... Somehow despite all the turnovers and foul trouble, Sacred Heart trails by only a bucket. ... Rogers is going to have to play the greatest quarter of her career for the Irish to win a fourth straight state title. ... End of third: St. Mary's 47, Sacred Heart 45.

 

Second quarter: St. Mary's has it rolling now, drilling three 3-pointers, and the last by Sarah Norcup. ... That was followed by a fastbreak hoop by Gibson and St. Mary's leads 28-22 with 4:30 left in the second quarter. ... Gray goes out with her second foul. .. Sacred Heart is still having massive problems with the fullcourt pressure. ... The Irish have 13 turnovers already... Jemerigbe is asserting herself and finishes the half with a 3-point play and a pretty spin move and bucket over Jackson. ... Moore, Sacred Heart's unflappable point guard, is rattled. She has nine turnovers and the Irish have 16 to only four for St. Mary's. ... Gray has 15 points, Jemerigbe 11 for St. Mary's.... No surprise there. ... Brooks has 13 for the Irish, but Rogers and Moore have a combined eight. ... Unless the Irish can cut the turnovers in half the second half or get Gray and Jemerigbe in foul trouble, the Rams will advance... Halftime score: St. Mary's 36, Sacred Heart Cathedral 28.

  

First quarter: It's all Sacred Heart in the early going as St. Mary's looks nervous and is having trouble with the Irish man pressure. ... Sophomore Rayven Brooks scored the Irish's first nine points and leads 11-6 despite two quick fouls on McDonald's All-American Tierra Rogers. ... The Irish have made four quick turnovers and Sacred Heart coach Brian Harrigan called timeout. ... "What have we talked about - taking care of the ball?" Harrigan said. ... Chelsea Gray just drilled a 3-pointer to close to within 14-11. ... The Irish make nine turnovers in the first quarter, Rogers played only three minutes and they are ahead 16-15 at the end of one. ....Who would have thought? ... Gray posted up for a bucket at the buzzer and she has nine points, which figures. ... Brooks leading the game with 11 does not. End of first: Sacred Heart Cathedral 16, St. Mary's 15.  

 

Division I Boys

McClymonds Warriors vs. Monte Vista Mustangs

 

Final score: McClymonds 46, Monte Vista 43

 

Story

Justin Standley would have given in as a younger man. He would have lost all hope in himself.

 

The McClymonds senior guard, a transfer from Amador Valley in Pleasanton, had missed his first seven shots. Considering the nation’s 19th-ranked team was on the ropes against upstart and heavy underdog Monte Vista, Standley was set up to be the game’s goat.

 

At least that’s how he would have seen it in previous years.

But he heard his head coach Brandon Brooks and assistants loud and clear: “Keep your head up. Keep shooting. Let the game come to you.”

 

In the final 1:45, he turned from goat into hero, scoring all seven of his points in a gut-wrenching 46-43 victory at Arco Arena.

 

McClymonds plays national No. 2 ranked Westchester (34-2) in next week’s state-title game.

 

“I was bricking the whole game and getting down on myself,” said Standley, a second-team All-Oakland Athletic League standout. “But my coaches told me to keep my head up and that’s what I did.”

 

With the game tied at 39, Standley scored a putback with 1:45 left and on his team’s next possession, with the shot clock at one, he had no choice. He let sail with a 3-pointer from the left wing under heavy duress that rattled home, giving the Warriors, the defending state champions, their biggest lead, 44-39 with 45 seconds left.

 

Like they had responded all night, Monte Vista came right back on two free throws by Brian Barbour (game-high 18 points). After Quincy Hill missed the front end of a one-and-one, 6-foot-5, 240-pound forward Zach Ertz powered in a deuce and the second-seeded Mustangs (28-4) trailed 44-43 with 4.0 seconds left.

 

Standley got the inbounds pass and was fouled with 3.1 seconds left. He swished both shots and after a timeout and Ertz’ 35-foot 3-point attempt at the buzzer was a tad long, McClymonds had won their third straight NorCal crown.

 

Two key returners Will Cherry, arguably the Bay Area’s Player of the Year, and Damon Powell, one of the state’s most spectacular athletes, led the way with 12 points each. But Standley, who had never played at Arco Arena, turned out to be at the right place at the right time.

 

“Those were the biggest set of points in my life,” Standley said.

 

Much like the last play, Monte Vista couldn’t have designed or executed  a better game plan, keeping the game at a slow pace and executing its halfcourt offense superbly. Ertz had 11 points and seven rebounds and 6-3 senior Tyrelle Phillips, who has blossomed into one of the area’s top players, added five points but a game-high 14 rebounds.

 

“We just didn’t want it to end,” said Ertz, fighting back tears. “I’m honestly going to remember these guys for the rest of my life. I love these guys. Nobody thought we’d come within 20 points of these guys and we did pretty much everything we wanted except win.”

 

On the last play, Ertz was actually supposed to catch the ball near midcourt and find a teammate for the 3-pointer. But the defense covered him, the pass went to Phillips, who immediately found Ertz in the clear.

 

The future NFL tight end caught the ball, took one dribble and from straight away let loose. The shot was straight as a string, but hit the back iron.

 

“I honestly thought it was good,” Ertz said. “I’m not a 3-point shooter but it felt good. When it bounced off I was just crushed.”

 

Final Box

Monte Vista   8  10  12  13  -  43

McClymonds 6  11  16  13  -  46

MONTE VISTA (28-4): Tyrelle Phillips 2-7 1-2 5, Brian Barbour 5-9 6-8 18, Taylor Brewster 1-8 0-0 3, Mark Appel 2-5 0-0 6, Zach Ertz 4-6 3-6 11. Totals 14-35 10-16 43.

MCCLYMONDS (29-1): Justin Standley 2-9 2-2 7, Quincy Hill 3-11 1-2 7, Will Cherry 5-9 2-5 12, Damon Powell 6-10 0-2 12, Chris Jackson 1-8 2-4 4, Jamaree Strickland 2-4 0-0 4. Totals 19-51 7-15 46.

3-point goals: Monte Vista 5-17 (Barbour 2, Brewster, Appel 2), McClymonds 1-8 (Standley). Rebounds: Monte Vista 35 (Phillips 14), McClymonds 27 (Jackson 9). Turnovers: Monte Vista 17, McClymonds 7.

 

Live Blog

Fourth quarter: McClymonds looks in control when Hill hits a jumper and after a Monte Vista turnover, Powell takes an ally oop pass from Cherry and tries to slam it home. Despite massive groans from the loud crowd, the ball flies off the rim and Barbour dribbles down and drills a 3-pointer. … Talk about a 5-point swing. … On its next possession, Monte Vista goes back out in front on an Appel 3-pointer, making it 36-35 with 5:38 left in the fourth. … Powell comes back down and puts back a pair, flying over Ertz who had perfect position. McClymonds 37, Monte Vista 36 with 4:24 left. … With the game tied at 39, Justin Standley suddenly decided to come to the party and what a show stopper. … The transfer from Amador Valley first put back a miss to give McClymonds a 41-39 lead with 1:45 remaining, then with the shot clock winding down, he drilled a 3-pointer with 51 seconds left, giving McClymonds its biggest lead of the game, 44-39. … They were the first two buckets of the game for the second-team All-Oakland Athletic League standout. ….Monte Vista, like all night, hasn’t died. …Barbour made two free throws and after a McClymonds free throw miss, Ertz drilled a jumper in the lane, making it 44-43 with 4.0 seconds left. … Once again, Standley came to the rescue, drilling both ends of a one-and-one with 3.1 seconds left. … Monte Vista called timeout, designed a great play that got mucked up. … The inbounds pass went to Phillips, who found Ertz past midcourt. … The lumbering possible future NFL tight end caught the ball, dribbled once and let fly with a wide open 35-footer that was straight as a string, but bounced off the back iron. Game over: McClymonds 46, Monte Vista 43.

 

Third quarter: It’s back-and-forth but Monte Vista doesn’t appear to be going away. … After Cherry swooped in for a layup to give the Warriors only their second lead of the game, 19-18, Barbour drilled a jumper and Ertz converted on the inside to go up 22-19. … Cherry responded again with another jumper and Powell put home a jump hook. … Monte Vista came right back as Brewster drilled a 3-pointer and Barbour converted a layup and the Mustangs were back up in front, 27-23. … A driving layup by Hill and two free throws by Cherry tied it up, before Barbour sank two more free throws: Monte Vista 29, McClymonds 27 with 1:15 left in the third. … Cherry caps off a brilliant quarter with a pretty pass to man child Strickland for a basket at the buzzer. End of three: McClymonds 33, Monte Vista 30.

 

Second quarter: McClymonds better start getting serious because Monte Vista might run away and hide. The Mustangs opened with seven straight points including a 3-pointer and pretty reverse layup by Barbour to go up 15-6. … The Warriors must have heard me, because they went on an 11-1 run of their own to go up 17-16 following back-to-back buckets from Powell. … A layup by Phillips gives Monte Vista an 18-17 halftime lead.

No one has more than six points in the game, but interesting to see Monte Vista winning the rebound war, 19-15. … Monte Vista is shooting 33 percent from the floor, McClymonds 30 percent. Halftime: Monte Vista 18, McClymonds 17.

 

DIVISION II BOYS (4 P.M START)

St. Francis Lancers vs. Rocklin Thunder

 

Final score: Rocklin 70, St. Francis 65

 

Story

Two teams coming into the season with utterly different expectations played for the NorCal Division II championship on Saturday and the one with the weight of lofty dreams prevailed.

 

 Rocklin, utilizing a size advantage and terrific balance, defeated upstart St. Francis 70-65 to win its first NorCal title and now gets a chance which few do in the state finals — exact some revenge.

Rocklin's Brendan Lane slams down two of team-high 17 points.

Photo by Dennis Lee

 

The Thunder, who got 17 points from 6-foot-10 UCLA-bound Brendan Lane, 15 from 6-5 Pat Stover and a combined 21 by guards Anthony Romero and Cody Cale, now get Eisenhower, which beat Rocklin 77-66 at the MaxPreps Holiday Classic in Dec.

 

Rocklin erased its only other defeat this year – a 70-67 loss to Fairfield on Dec. 12 – with a 60-56 triumph over Fairfield for the Sac-Joaquin Section title on March 7.

 

“It’s been a long journey but the kids have had a single journey and done everything asked of them,” Rocklin coach Steve Taylor said. “A lot of people came out and supported them and have done so all season. But if you knew these kids you realize they are easy kids to support. It’s a special group.”

 

With Lane, Stover and a strong guard contingent back from last year’s SJS team, along with a pair of talented transfers, much has been expected of the Thunder.

 

But indeed they were the second seed behind St. Francis, which had absolutely no expectation with a new coach Mike Motil, a small team and middle-of-the-pack results in the rugged West Catholic Athletic League the last four or five years.

St. Francis senior Shawn Grant led all scorers with 24 points.

Photo by Dennis Lee

 

But the Lancers (30-3) won 30 games behind a relentless run-and-gun style and tenacious interior drive, all displayed in this fantastic match-up that was in doubt until the final seconds.

 

Senior forward and WCAL co-Player of the Year Shawn Grant led all scorers with 25 points and nine rebounds, while all-WCAL pick, junior Tyler Johnson added 13 points and 10 rebounds.

 

Ultimately, the length of Rocklin was too much to overcome as Lane, Stover and 6-8 reserve Mads Frandsen changed a lot of shots. St. Francis, a great shooting team, made 26 of 76 shots (34 percent), including 7 of 22 on 3-pointers.

 

“I thought their length was a factor, but I thought we had enough open shots,” Motil said. “We just didn’t get enough second shots and normally we’re a very good offensive rebounding team.”

Rocklin's big men got a hand on a lot of shots.

Photo by Dennis Lee

 

The stats didn’t exactly bear that out. St. Francis had 17 offensive rebounds (to eight for Rocklin) and were only outrebounded for the game, 44-41.

 

The Lancers showed great fight, fighting back from a 69-55 deficit with just more than two minutes to play, as Grant scored on an outside jumper and two consecutive drives, followed by another driving lay-up from Kyle Hypes to cut the lead to 69-63 with 1:45 left.

 

But down the stretch, Lane and company changed shots and the Lancers managed just two free throws the rest of the way.

 

A large contingent of fans clad in royal blue and silver – the largest of the day – cheered on the Thunder, something Lane appreciated. Rocklin was the only Sacramento-area team to claim a NorCal crown.

 

“We wanted to bring it home for our fans and family,” he said. “That’s what we did.”

Rocklin senior Pat Stover exalts huge home contingent after historic win.

Photo by Dennis Lee

Final Box

Rocklin       22  12  20  16  -  70

St. Francis  20  11  13  21  -  65

ROCKLIN (32-2): Jackson Cummings 1-5 1-3 4, Tony Williams 2-4 0-0 5, Brendan Lane 6-9 4-5 17, Cody Kale 5-10 0-0 10, Pat Stover 7-10 1-4 15, Anthony Romer 5-8 0-1 11, Zack Moss 0-3 0-0 0, Joel Day 1-1 0-0 3, Mads Frandsen 2-3 1-2 5. Totals 29-53 7-17 70.

ST. FRANCIS (30-3): Spencer Britschgi 1-4 0-0 2, Shawn Grant 10-27 2-3 24, Tyler Johnson 5-14 0-0 13, Daniel Peterson 3-4 0-0 6, Lasjohn Johnson 2-8 0-0 5, Kyle Hypes 4-14 1-2 9, Carter Lyman 1-3 3-4 6, James Osorio 0-1 0-0 0, Pat Crowley 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-76 6-9 65.

3-point goals: Rocklin 5-14 (Cummings, Williams, Lane, Romero, Day), St. Francis 7-22 (Johnson 3, Grant 2, Johnson, Lyman). Rebounds: Rocklin 44 (Lane 15), St. Francis 41 (Johnson 10). Turnovers: Rocklin 25, St. Francis 16.

 

Live Blog

Fourth quarter: The Thunder opened on a 7-2 run, capped by an accidental bank shot by Williams for three points. ... Daniel Peterson had a layup and Grant drilled a 3-pointer, but Lane went in for an uncontested dunk sending the Thunder faithful crazy. ... Rocklin is up 63-49 with 5:20 left. ... Watch out, here come the Lancers. ... Out of no where, Rocklin has the turnover bug and St. Francis has converted an outside jumper by Grant and three straight driving layups, two by Grant and one by Hypes, to close to within 69-63 with 1:45 left. ... Rocklin has missed the front end of a one-and-one, but the Lancers have missed five straight shots, three from 3-point range. ... Rocklin leads 70-63 with 40.9 seconds left... Lane is changing a lot of shots. ... Another Rocklin turnover. ... Grant makes two free throws to cut it to 70-65 Rocklin. ... Romero has one-and-one with 11.3 seconds left. ... Game over. Rocklin wins.  Great balance for the Thunder as Lane has 17, Stover 15, Romero 11 and Kale 10. Grant led St. Francis with 24 points and Johnson had 12. Final score: Rocklin 70, St. Francis 65.

 

Third quarter: Rocklin appears in a good rhythm, with 6-10 Lane, 6-8 Mads Frandsen and 6-5 Pat Stover controlling the paint. Stover has three buckets in the quarter and leads Rocklin with 13 points. A 3-pointer by Lane and jumper by Kale gives Rocklin its biggest lead, 54-42 and finishes off 7-0 run. ... St. Francis is getting no second shots. ... A beautiful driving layup by Grant (16 points) cuts the lead to 10 heading into the fourth quarter. End of three: Rocklin 54, St. Francis 44. 

 

Second quarter: A driving layup by Grant and long 3-pointer from Johnson gives St. Francis 25-22 lead, but Rocklin rattles off six straight on a jumper by Williams, two free throws from Lane and a driving layup by Cody Kale. ... St. Francis has at least five blocks and just as I say it, Lane has back-to-back blocks, one that leads to 3-pointer from Rocklin's Jackson Cummings. Halftime score: Rocklin 34, St. Francis 31.

 

First quarter:  Great energy to this one. ... Both Rocklin and St. Francis brought a slew of fans. ... St. Francis jumped out 9-4, but Rocklin goes on 18-8 run to go up 22-17 following putback by Lane and a fastbreak hoop by Romero. ... Tyler Johnson, fearless 6-1 junior with serious hops, drilled a 3-pointer to close the quarter for St. Francis. Rocklin has great size which will no doubt cause the height-challenged Lancers some problems. ... Both teams love to run so this should be fun. End of one: Rocklin 22, St. Francis 20.

 

DIVISION II GIRLS (2 P.M.)

Oak Ridge Trojans vs. Carondelet Cougars

Final score: Carondelet 60, Oak Ridge 50

  

Story

Carondelet coach Margaret Gartner didn’t need a stat sheet. She really didn’t even need to say much at all at halftime.

 

Oak Ridge was beating her Cougars to every loose ball, every offensive rebounding and Carondelet was lucky it wasn’t trailing by more than 29-24.

 

The top seeded Trojans had 16 offensive rebounds to five for second seed Carondelet, which had 14 total rebounds. Oak Ridge had 25 total.

 

“I reminded them they were strong women and to get out and act like it and stop playing on their heels,” Gartner said.

The result was a much more spirited effort as the Cougars (29-3) went on a 36-21 run to win the CIF North Region Division II title game at Arco Arena 60-50 on Saturday.

 

Of all people it was a freshman, point guard Hannah Huffman who led the charge, scoring 12 of her team-high 14 points in the second half when the Cougars made 13 of 28 shots, outrebounded Oak Ridge 23-18 and forced 16 turnovers.

 

Huffman also had four steals and the Cougars seemed to wear down the Trojans, who were led by one of the state’s top juniors Sara James.

 

The 5-10 do-everything forward had 28 points, 14 rebounds and three steals. She and senior Kristina Williams (11 points, 10 rebounds) had almost 80 percent of the team’s points and more than half of Rocklin’s rebounds.

 

Carondelet meanwhile spread the wealth with big contributions from super sub Hilary Rosette (14 points, eight rebounds), Erica Payne (12 points, eight rebounds) and a combined 27 points by Erin Boettcher, Morgan Fitterer and Ricki Radanovich.

 

The Cougars, who won their third NorCal title, simply offset Oak Ridge's star power with quality of depth. This two days after a triple overtime win over two-time defending state champion Mitty. Rosette was key down the stretch of that game also.

 

“I think that’s pretty much what we do – wear people down,” Gartner said.

 

Huffman, a super athletic 5-9 point guard, wore out the Trojans with her hounding defense but then broke them down with four pull-up jumpers.

 

“We didn’t see that on the game film,” Oak Ridge coach Steve White.

 

It’s not what Huffman is known for so to make 7 of 12 shots on the big stage was particularly impressive. They definitely needed her because backcourt sharpshooter Radanovich, who had 30 against Mitty, was a cool 2-for-9 from the field.

 

“I might have looked good out there but I was shaking I was so nervous,” Huffman said. “I really struggled the first half. My teammates picked me up, I tried to erase everything and just start a new half.”

 

Despite the loss, Oak Ridge set school records for wins and were the first to reach the NorCal finals. White was proud of their effort as was James.

 

“We’re obviously a little sad right now,” James said. “But in a little while we’ll realize how much history we set and what a great year we had.”

 

Carondelet now gets Brea Olinda, ranked fourth in the nation. Brea Olinda upset national No. 1 Mater Dei 44-38 in the Southern California finals.

 

“Let’s just enjoy this one for a day or two,” Gartner said.

 

Final Box

Carondelet   14  10  19  17  -  60

Oak Ridge   16  13  13   8   -  50

CARONDELET (29-3) Erin Boettcher 3-5 1-1 7, Morgan Fitterer 2-6 2-3 7, Hannah Huffman 7-12 0-2 14, Erica Payne 5-12 2-4 12, Ricki Radanovich 2-9 2-2 6, Hilary Rosette 3-6 8-11 14, Portia Velasco 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 22-51 15-23 60.

OAK RIDGE (30-4): Kristina Williams 5-15 0-0 11, Carly Bettencourt 2-8 0-0 4, Sara James 10-23 6-9 28, Caitlin Welsch 2-11 1-2 5, Ashlyn Lussier 0-1 0-0 0, Dakota McLaman 0-2 0-0 0, Kaleigh Kurket 1-1 0-0 2, Natalie Stone 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 20-64 7-11 50.

3-point goals: Carondelet 1-6 (Fitterer), Oak Ridge 3-9 (James 2, Williams). Rebounds: Carondelet 37 (Rosette 8, Payne 8), Oak Ridge 43 (James 14). Turnovers: Carondelet 21, Oak Ridge 28.

 

Live blog

Fourth quarter: Huffman hits two more jumpers to start the fourth - she's on fire - and Oak Ridge is starting to unravel somewhat. Carondelet is up by five with 4:41 left. ... Huffman hits another and Rosette steals the ball right under the basket and scores. Suddenly the Cougars are in complete control. Oak Ridge hasn't scored in almost five minutes. ...  Payne gets another steal, Huffman goes in for a deuce and James is called for a flagrant. James looked like she went for the ball and actually got a lot of it. But she also hit Huffman's head. Oak Ridge coach Steve White argues but to no avail. ... Huffman misses both free throws, but Carondelet gets the ball. ... James makes steal, goes coast-to-coast and converts layup. ... This one isn't over yet. ... Williams gets putback and Oak Ridge is down just five with 1:12 left. ... Fitterer makes two free throws for Carondelet with 1:06 left. ... After wild scramble, Carondelet's Rosette hits two more free throws: Carondelet 59-50 with 42 seconds left. ... The Cougars are killing them at the line. ... Williams has fouled out for Oak Ridge and James has four fouls. ... Carondelet wins. James has 28 points and Williams 11 points for Oak Ridge. ... Huffman and Rosette lead Carondelet with 14 apiece and Payne adds 10. Final: Carondelet 60, Oak Ridge 50.

 

Third quarter: Carondelet's depth is starting to take charge. .. A 3-pointer by James gives Oak Ridge its second largest lead 40-32, when the Cougars go on an 11-0 run led by the freshman Huffman. ... She hits three straight jumpers, one after a steal followed by a pull-up 13-footer to tie the game at 40-40. ... After another Oak Ridge turnover, Erin Boettcher, a 6-3 junior, converts a 3-point play giving the Cougars their first lead since later in the first quarter, 43-40. ... James finishes the quarter with a jumper and has 24 points. End of three: Carondelet 43, Oak Ridge 42.

 

Second quarter: James is taking over. ... She scores on power down low, a jumper, a putback and 3-pointer, leading 13-4 run. Of the 13, she has all of them and already has 17 points. ... Carondelet goes on 6-2 run, but Oak Ridge is owning the offensive glass. .. James plays taller than her listed 5-10 height. ... There are several impressive athletes on the floor but Carondelet's freshman Huffman might end up being the best of all of them. ... She honestly moves and appears as strong as a college kid. James already has a game line: 17 points, 10 rebounds but seven turnovers. Erica Payne leads Carondelet with seven points, but Ricki Radanovich, who had 30 in the semifinal triple overtime win over Mitty has just two. ... Oak Ridge has 25 rebounds to 14 for Carondelet, including 16 on the offensive end. Halftime score: Oak Ridge 29, Carondelet 24.

 

First quarter: This one looks as good as advertised. ... First time I've ever seen do-everything Oak Ridge junior Sara James. ... Cougars have it all going on early, back-to-back layups from Rosette and super freshman Hannah Huffman give Carondelet 12-7 lead. ... Trojans close quarter with 9-2 run, capped by back-to-back layups from James, the second at the buzzer after a beautiful feed from Kaleigh Durket. End of one quarter: Oak Ridge 16, Carondelet 14.

 

DIVISION III BOYS (NOON START)

Sacred Heart Cathedral Irish vs. Sacramento Dragons

 

Final score: Sacred Heart Cathedral 77, Sacramento 65

 

Story

Kevin Greene had a headache after losing to Sacramento 66-49 in the NorCal finals last year. He scored just six points in a lackluster effort, then went home and took a nap.

 

“I can’t describe how angry I was,” he said. “There was no way it was going to happen again.”

 

Greene, a powerful 6-foot-5, 240-pound post who will play defensive end at USC next year, had a team high 22 points and a game-high 15 points as the top-seeded Irish (25-4) avenged last year’s result with a resounding 77-65 win over the host Dragons at Arco Arena.

 

Sacred Heart showed superb symmetry to its game and got loads of contributions with five players scoring in double figures. But from the outset Greene set the tone and an ownership down low.

 

He made eight of 12 shots and afterward was all smiles — unlike last year, when he just wanted to get home.

 

“This year I want to stay at Arco and watch all the games,” he said.

 

The Irish made half of their 56 shots and got big games also from Fresno State-bound forward Jerry Brown (14 points), guards Nate Gartrell (13 points, five steals, six rebounds) and Daryl Cooper (12 points) and reserve Jamal Ford (11 points, six rebounds).

  

It helped offset a superlative performance of San Diego State-bound Chase Tapley (27 points, seven rebounds, four steals). Guards Josiah Turner and Travon Abraham added 12 and 10 points, respectively, but the Dragons (25-7) had no defense down low, especially for Greene.

 

“Their big beast (Greene) up front obviously was inspired,” Sacramento coach Derek Swafford said. “He was pretty much embarrassed last year and this year he wanted to prove he belonged.”

 

Both teams belonged in this one as each showed off fantastic athleticism and teamwork. It was a game of streaks, highlighted by an 18-0 run from Sacred Heart that gave it a 37-27 lead in the second quarter. But eventually Tapley and company chipped away and took their last lead 52-50 late in the third quarter after a sweet driving layup by Tapley.

 

The Irish scored eight straight, but back-to-back 3-pointers by Abraham and Tapley cut it to 62-60 early in the fourth, when the Irish flexed and pulled away, utilizing all their weapons. They appeared to have just a little more depth than the Dragons.

 

“We have a lot of talented, dedicated kids and it’s a blessing to coach them,” Sacred Heart Cathedral coach Darrell Barbour said.

 

Said Brown: “It’s a beautiful feeling right now, especially considering how we felt after last year.”

 

Swafford said his team’s 23 turnovers and 39 percent shooting was out of character, but praised their effort. When asked about losing Tapley to graduation, he had no shortage of compliments.

 

“He’s a class kid, a great basketball player who does amazing things, a team jokester,” Swafford said. “I’m going to miss all of that. Coach (Steve) Fisher is getting a steal (at San Diego State). And he knows it. Chase will contribute right away down there.”

 

Sacred Heart will have to play even better next week when it plays Ocean View, a surprise 79-63 winner over top seed Harvard-Westlake. It’s the second state title game in four years for the Irish. Brown and Greene were starters on the 2006 team that lost in the Division IV finals to Horizon (San Diego).

 

“I feel like we can win the state championship this time,” Brown said. “It’s another great opportunity to show what we can do.”

 

Final Box

Sacramento                   25 15  17   8  -  65

Sacred Heart Cathedral   26 16  20 15 -  77

SACRAMENTO (25-7): Josiah Turner 3-8 5-6 12, Travon Abraham 4-13 0-1 10, Alonza Brown 1-3 0-0 2, Denzel Pruitt 1-1- 1-1 3, Chase Tapley 11-25 0-0 27, Khalil Ray 0-1 2-4 2, Michael Henderson 0-1 1-4 1, Will Davis 1-1 0-0 2, Robert Garrett 2-3 1-2 5, Waleed Shabbir 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-59 11-20 65.

SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL (25-4): Nate Gartrell 6-12 1-6 13, Daryl Cooper 3-6 5-6 12, Karl Reyes 0-3 0-0 0, Jerry Brown 4-9 6-9 14, Kevin Greene 8-12 6-6 22, Kenny Cavness 1-2 0-0 3, Vincent Bastidas 1-2 0-0 2, Jamal Ford 5-10 0-1 11. Totals 28-56 18-28 77.

3-point goals: Sacramento 8-19 (Tapley 5, Abraham 2, Turner), Sacred Heart 3-10 (Cooper, Cavness, Ford). Rebounds: Sacramento 35 (Garrett 7, Tapley 7), Sacred Heart 40 (Greene 15). Turnovers: Sacramento 23, Sacred Heart 25.

 

Live blog

Fourth quarter: Tapley opens the fourth with his fifth 3-pointer and now has 25 points. .. Cooper responds right away with driving hoop. ... That's been the story all game: for every Sacramento bomb the Irish respond with interior hoop. ... This one seems destined for a fantastic finish. ...One big question however: where are all the fans? Very sparse considering the home high school is playing for a state berth. ... Suddenly defense is kicking in. ... Funny how that happens when the game is truly on the line. ... The Dragons have just one bucket in the first 3:47. ... Another Greene interior hoop gives Sacred Heart a 66-60 lead with 4:38 left. ... From Sacred Heart coach Darrell Barbour: "We need smart basketball plays right now. Nothing fancy." ... Gartrell drives in smartly and makes a strong interior shot, but Tapley comes right back down for a 3-pointer, his sixth. ... Greene and Cooper each pick up fourth foul within 10 seconds. ... Ford doesn't make such a smart playing, attempting a 3-pointer with 20 on the shot clock. ... "Don't settle for that," Sacred Heart assistant coach Deon Otis yells. ... Two free throws by Greene give him 22 points and Sacred Heart a nine-point lead with 1:54 left. ... Tapley is gonna have to pull out a minor miracle. ... A couple desperation 3s miss for Sacramento, Cooper makes two free throws. ... Nice sight for Sacred Heart fans: scoreboard shows every player on the court in double figures. Very nice balance. .. The Dragons looked gassed. They've scored just seven points the entire quarter. .. Sacramento coach Derek Swaford clears the bench. This one is over. Greene finishes with 22, Brown 14, Gartrell 13, Cooper 12 and Ford 11. Tapley finished with 27, Turner 12 and Abraham 10. Sacramento managed just 25 points the second half. Final score: Sacred Heart Cathedral 77, Sacramento 65.

 

Third quarter: Tapley drills a 3-pointer and Davis throws down a slam after a beautiful feed by Turner to give Sacramento its first lead since the first quarter, 47-46 with 5:30 left in the third. ... Brown comes right back a post move and bucket, Tapley drills another 3 and Gartrell throws in a jump hook. Game tied 50-50 with 4:00 left, perfect. ... Back and forth we go, end-to-end. ... This is fun and well played by both teams. ... The teams exchange two buckets each before the Irish run off eight straight in 1:07, four points each from Greene and Ford. ... A 3-pointer by Abraham finishes off a fantastic quarter. End of three: Sacred Heart Cathedral 62, Sacramento 57.

 

Second quarter: When Irish open second with 11 more in first 2:30, the run is now 18-0 and Sacred Heart leads 37-25. ... Jamal Ford has three buckets in the run, including a 3-pointer... Gartrell is causing all sorts of problems from the point. He makes his third or fourth steal and goes in for a dunk. ... Sacramento fights right back with a 7-2 run, capped by a Tapley putback. ... Timeout Irish, who lead 39-32. ... Sacramento goes for four more to finish off 11-2 run. ... Tapley makes a spectacular steal near midcourt and even a better and quicker move for a layup with eight seconds left in the half. ... Will Davis makes fantastic block for Sacramento at the buzzer. ... Great end-to-end action. Tapley has 14 points and Turner 10 for Sacramento. Greene has 10 (and 12 rebounds), Gartrell 8 and Brown and Ford seven each for the Irish. The stats are about as even as the score. Rebounds: Sacred Heart 21, Sacramento 20. Turnovers: Sacred Heart 13, Sacramento 12. Shooting: Sacred Heart 46 percent, Sacramento 47 percent. Halftime score: Sacred Heart Cathedral 42, Sacramento 40.  

 

First quarter: A little different than the first game….Baskets coming by the bushels. … Sacred Heart can score all day down low and Sacramento has open looks from the perimeter… Sacramento’s amazing bomber Chase Tapley already has 10 points on a pair of three pointers….A free throw by Josiah Turner with 1:05 left in the first and Sacramento has already matched Kennedy’s girls game total with a 25-19 lead. … The Irish close with seven straight on a fastbreak hoop by Nate Gartrell, a turnaround jumper by Kevin Greene and a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Kenny Cavness. What a ride. End of one: Sacred Heart Cathedral 26, Sacramento 25.

DIVISION I GIRLS (10 A.M. START)

Monte Vista Mustangs vs. Kennedy Cougars

Final score: Monte Vista Mustangs 42, Kennedy Cougars 25.

 

Story

Ron Hirschman has been saying it all year and very few would listen.

 

“We’re not a one-person team,” the Monte Vista girls basketball coach said.

 

The person every one wants to talk about is Niveen Rasheed, the same girl he says is the best all-around player in Contra Costa County in the past 20 years or so.

 

“The thing that’s best about Niveen is she doesn’t care if she scores two or 50 as long as we win,” is something else Hirschman has said more than once recently.

 

Turns out Hirschman wasn’t dribbling out coachspeak.

 

That was apparent after the Mustangs’ 42-25 CIF North Region Division I championship win over Kennedy-Sacramento at Arco Arena on Saturday.

 

For the first time in at least a month, Rasheed struggled early, making just one of nine shots while committing three turnovers.

 

Thanks largely to the efforts of junior Dani Rabago and her 10 points, the Mustangs were ahead 20-14.

 

In the second half, Rasheed resembled her usual steady self by scoring 10 points and finishing with game-high totals of 12 points, 10 rebounds and four steals – pedestrian numbers for the Princeton-bound 6-foot senior.

 

But the Mustangs (29-2) won their first-ever NorCal title in their first-ever NorCal final appearance utilizing a record-setting defense and its variety of standouts.

 

 

Monte Vista opened up a relatively close game by holding the Cougars scoreless in the fourth quarter until Kim Nakamura hit a 3-pointer with 8.1 seconds left in the game.

 

By that time, Monte Vista had rattled off 14 points in the quarter – six by Rasheed – to win going away. The 25 points was the low ever in a Division I regional final and 30 points lower than Kennedy’s average.

 

It didn’t help the Cougars they were missing all-league point guard and catalyst Kirsten Shimizu, who injured her shoulder in a semifinal win over Deer Valley, but clearly the Mustangs know how to play defense.

 

Since a 60-50 loss to Div. II NorCal champion Carondelet on Feb. 13, the Mustangs have allowed 30.5 points per game in eight wins.

 

“We’re not about one player or person, we’re about 12 players,” Hirschman said. “They did a good job of slowing down Niveen. But it’s hard to stop five.”

 

Rabago finished with 11 points and seven rebounds. Amil Amin added nine points. And Alex Smolen added a key 3-pointer down the stretch.

 

The Mustangs struggled offensively for the 10 a.m. game, hitting just 15 of 52 shots (29 percent). But they owned the glass (38 rebounds to 28) and limited Kennedy to just four offensive rebounds and 33 percent shooting.

 

Shanice Butler led the Cougars with 10 points, Cydni Matsuoka added seven, but the rest of the team managed seven, including a season-low four by season leading scorer Melody Khlok.

 

“They just seemed so big to me,” Khlok said. “All I could see was long arms. Like trees.”

 

Truth is, the Mustangs aren’t that tall. Their all just between 5-9 and 6-foot, which by Kennedy standards is tall.

 

“The girls just get after it and play great team basketball, offensively and defensively,” Hirschman said. “It’s such a great pleasure coaching them.”

 

Said Rasheed about her shooting struggles (5 of 18): “I could have missed every shot as long as we won that’s all I care about. The girls did a great job of taking up the slack, but that’s nothing new.”

 

Asked his impressions of Rasheed and Kennedy coach Brandon Yung was very impressed: “She’s obviously very skilled and though she had an off shooting game still made contributions in many other areas. Her best attribute I can see is poise. Even though she was off, she never got rattled and hurt us in a variety of other ways.”

 

Rasheed will need to be on to compete with Southern Region champion Long Beach Poly, a 67-54 winner over Colony.

 

“We’ll be a huge underdog, but that’s OK,” Hirschman said. “Right now we just want to enjoy this for a little bit.”

 

Final box

Monte Vista 42, Kennedy 25

Kennedy        8   6    8    3 – 25

Monte Vista  8  12   8  14 – 42

KENNEDY (25-8): Cydni Matsuoka 3-9 0-0 7, Tori Stow 0-1 0-0 0, Leslie Leong 0-4 1-2 1, Kimi Nakamura 1-5 0-0 3, Deja Kinsey 0-2 0-0 0, Shanice Butler 5-7 0-4 10, Melody Khlok 2-5 0-0 7. Totals 11-33 1-6 28.

MONTE VISTA (29-2): Kaylie Williams 0-2 2-2 2, Dani Rabago 5-12 1-2 11, Nicole Vigar 0-1 0-0 2, Niveen Rasheed 5-18 2-3 12, Alex Smolen 1-3 0-0 3, Amil Amin 3-7 3-4 9, Alyssa Samia 0-1 0-0 0, Alexandria Whalen 1-8 3-4 7. Totals 15-52 11-15 42.

3-point goals: Kennedy 2-13 (Matsuoka, Nakamura), Monte Vista 1-10 (Smolen). Rebounds: Kennedy 28 (Butler 9), Monte Vista 38 (Rasheed 10). Turnovers: Kennedy 19, Monte Vista 15.

 

Live blog

Fourth quarter: As hard and crisp as Kennedy plays, if you can't put the ball in the hoop it just doesn't matter. ... The Cougars went scoreless for the first 7:52 and add another 20 seconds of the third quarter means a 8:12 period without scoring a basket. Monte Vista rattled off 14 to make this a lopsided score. Rasheed scored a couple more buckets to finish with 12. ... Rabago (11) and Butler (10) are the only others in double figures. ... In more than a decade of covering these games, never seen a crisp one at 10 a.m. Final score: Monte Vista 42, Kennedy 25.

 

Third quarter: Rasheed gets it going with a pretty three-point play and putback and Monte Vista goes up 28-20. … The Cougars move the ball beautifully but can’t put the ball in the bucket. A baseline jumper by Melody Khlok cuts the lead back to six. Monte Vista 28, Kennedy 22.

 

Second quarter: Once again Monte Vista takes control with 10-point run, but it’s not Rasheed in charge, it’s junior Dani Rabago. She scored three buckets in the run and Amil Amin finishes it off with a baseline jumper. … Once again, Kennedy fights right back and once again it’s Butler doing the damage, with two more putbacks leading a 6-2 run to end the half. … Despite Rasheed, a model of consistency all year, just 1 of 9 from the field, Monte Vista leads by six . Rabago is having a career game at the right time with 10 points on 5 of 9 from the floor, plus a team-high five rebounds. The rest of the Mustangs are a combined 4 of 18. Butler has made 4 of 6 and has eight points and game-high seven rebounds. Halftime score: Monte Vista 24, Kennedy 20. 

 

First quarter: Both teams, like the rims here are tight. … Plus it’s 10 in the morning. … First basket by either team a driving, hanging spin shot by Rasheed midway through the first quarter. … Monte Vista looks in control up 8-3, but Kennedy is extremely feisty and determined. … Kennedy’s Shanice Butler is an absolute beast down low. She converts putback and Mari Brown drills a 3-pointer for the Cougars. End of quarter. Monte Vista 8, Kennedy 8. 

 

More Northern California Regional

At Folsom High

Division IV

Boys: Salesian 56, St. Mary’s 52 — In a battle of Bay Shore Athletic League rivals, Desmond Simmons had 19 points and Jabari Brown 15 as top seed Salesian (30-4) beat St. Mary’s (28-6) for a fourth time this season. St. Mary’s led throughout and got 17 points from Dominique Lee, 15 by Chris Brew and 11 from Aalim Moore.

 

Girls: Modesto Christian 62, St. Mary’s-Berkeley 57 —Brandi Henton drilled five 3-pointers and scored a game-high 27 points as the second-seeded Crusaders (27-7) won a back-and-forth game with St. Mary’s. Danielle Mauldin had 23 points and 11 rebounds for top seed St. Mary’s (29-5).

 

Division V

Boys: St. Joseph Notre Dame 42, Branson 40 — In one of the most amazing comebacks in state history, top seed St. Joseph (26-6) came back from a 19-point deficit in the final three minutes to claim its first Div. V championship. Dominic Lippi led the charge with 18 points and Jacari Whitfield added 12 including a shot at the buzzer to dethrone the three-time defending state champions. Adam Boone had 14 points for Branson, which was outscored 27-6 in the final quarter.

.

Girls: Pinewood 41, Branson 30 — Only one girls scored in double figures in this one — Branson’s Akana King with 10 points — as Pinewood (31-4) dethroned the two-time defending state champions (30-4). Pinewood, which got a combined 26 points from Hailie Eackles, Miranda Seto and Lindsay Nickel went on a 15-4 run to close the game. Neither team shot better than 30 percent.

 

Southern California Regional

At Pauley Pavilion

Division I

Boys: Westchester 53, King 39 — In a battle of national powers marred by technical fouls, once again Westchester’s potent back court paved the way to victory as Dominique O’Connor and Jordin Mayes combined for 26 points, offsetting another big game from San Diego State-bound Kawhi Leonard with 16 points and 12 rebounds for top seed King (30-3). Second-ranked nationally Westchester (34-2) goes after its fifth state crown against McClymonds. King was whistled for a technical before the game when a player was called for a dunk during warm-ups. King coach Tim Sweeney was ejected before the fourth quarter for his second technical foul.

 

Girls: Long Beach Poly 67, Colony 54 — Ariya Crook-Williams and Brittany Wilson had 16 points apiece and the three-time defending champions made 17 of 23 foul shots, many late. Crook-Williams was 9 of 10 at the line. Theddesia Southall, Ta’nitra Byrde, Monique Oliver and Kelli Thompson had seven points apiece for second seed Poly(31-3). Jazmyne White and Camille Buckley had 16 points apiece for Colony (30-4), which committed 46 turnovers to 38 for Poly. Jazzmine Shirly had six steals for Poly.

 

Division II

Boys: Eisenhower 68, Loyola 62 — Creighton-bound Andrew Bock had 21 points, and Nazereth Richardson, Bernard Ireland and Alex Varner combined for 25 as second seed Eisenhower (31-3) edged Loyola (26-7), which got a regional high 34 points by Carl Hoffman. Hoffman made a remarkable 16 of 19 shots and added 12 rebounds, but the Cubs were 0-of-16 on 3-pointers and Eisenhower made 7-of-30. .

 

Girls: Brea Olinda 44, Mater Dei 38 — A 12-6 spurt to open the game ultimately paid off for the Wildcats (32-2), who stunned the top-ranked and previously unbeaten Monarchs (32-1), who made 38 percent of its shots and committed 29 turnovers. Jonae Ervin led all scorers with 18 points for the winners and teammate Kelsey Harris had 12. Kaleena Lewis was the only Mater Dei player in double figures with 10 points.

 

Division III

Boys: Ocean View 79, Harvard-Westlake 63 — Mason Jones made eight of 12 shots and scored 22 points to lead second-seed Ocean View to the wire-to-wire victory. The Seahawks (27-7) raced to a 28-17 lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back. Anthony Brown added 19 and Ryan Okwudibonye 15 for the winners, who committed just 12 turnovers. Austin Kelly led four Wolverines (27-7) in double figures with 16 and Damiene Cain added 13.

 

Girls: Inglewood 74, Marlborough 57 — Makeda Beadle had 15 points and Hazel Ramirez and Renee Golliday added 14 apiece as Inglewood (19-16) went on a 22-12 run in the third quarter to take control. The Sentinels forced 22 turnovers, outrebounded Marlborough (23-12) by 21 and took 30 more shots. Talia Caldwell was the only Mustangs’ player in double figures with 24 points. Don’t be fooled by Inglewood’s record. Most of them were forfeit losses for using an ineligible player early.

 

At Cal State Fullerton

Division VI

Boys: Bishop Montgomery 85, Price 82 (2 OT). Michael Panaggio made a 3-pointer at the buzzer lifting top-seed Bishop Montgomery (28-4) to the double-overtime victory. Justin Cobbs had 31 points for the winners, while teammates Richard Solomon and Panaggio added 18 and 14, respectively. Brandon Bibbins and Chris Miller had 10 points apiece for Montgomery, which was outrebounded 49-31. Solomon had 15 rebounds and Panaggio seven assists. Allen Crabbe had 26 points and 13 rebounds for Price (28-7).

 

Girls: Mater Dei Catholic 54, Bishop’s School 51 — In a battle of San Diego Section powers, Mater Dei turned the tables as Jhazmine Lynch had 15 points, Danae Johnson 12, Soulijah Evans 11 and Ebone Henry 10. Inga Orekhova had 17 points and Gizelle Studevent 15 for Bishop’s, which had defeated Mater Dei 71-63 in the Section finals.

 

Division V

Boys: Windward 52, Pacific Hills 40 — Senior guard Darius Morris had 15 points and 10 rebounds to lead top-seed Windward (28-6) to victory over Pacific Hills (28-7). Sophomore Wesley Saunders had 12 points and 12 rebounds for the winners, while UCLA-bound center Anthony Stover added 10 points and seven blocks. Alex Osborne led Pacific Hills with 18 points and 11 rebounds and Marc William Porter added 13 points.

 

Girls: Bellarmine-Jefferson 61, View Park Prep 49 — Shelley Gupilan had 23 points, Rishonda Napier 19 and Margeaux Gupilan 14 as top seed Bell-Jeff (33-1) were in control throughout. Shaneva Hayward had 14 and Danielle Pruitt 11 points for third-seed View Park (28-9), which shot just 29 percent (16 of 54).