He just wasn't pleased they had to play on the road.
The Crusaders played with an edge and a resiliency needed this time of season during a 57-52 quarterfinal win at
De La Salle (Concord) Wednesday night.
It also helped to have
King-Njhsanni Wilhite.The high-scoring junior guard scored 35 points, including 25 in the second half as fifth-seeded Riordan (21-8) would not wilt when they had the chance. The Crusaders now face top-seed Campolindo (27-1) Saturday in Moraga.
Riordan withstood an early blow from the Spartans, who took a nine-point lead, then late, when De La Salle went on a 7-0 run to tie the game at 47-47.
King-Njhsanni came in averaging more than 25 points per game but put up 35 in Riordan's hard-earned 57-52 win at De La Salle in the CIF Northern California Open Division quarterfinal.
File photo by Samuel Stringer
The Crusaders never blinked. They scored eight of the game's last 11 points. On the road.
"I never sensed any panic," Curtin said. "We didn't jump off the rails. They made some good plays. We cleaned some stuff up. Guys made plays. And King was unreal. As usual."
Coming off a 29-point effort in a resounding 67-51 Central Coast Section title win over Mitty on Friday, Wilhite made three three-pointers, four mid-range jumpers and three determined drives to the basket. He was also 12-of-14 from the line, including 4-for-4 in the final minute.
"The kid is just unbelievable," Curtin said. "He just doesn't back down. To score 35 against that team and that defense is pretty much unheard of."
Curtin said he was shocked Sunday when he learned the Crusaders were on the road for a first-round game. And seeded lower than the Spartans, who were North Coast Section runner-ups.
Then again, De La Salle lost 51-50 at Campolindo, breaking a 13-game win streak. And the Spartans were ranked higher than the Crusaders almost the entire season. Still, "I think it's a little disrespectful," Curtin said Sunday.
It looked correct in the early going as the Spartans, who got 14 points from freshman
Alec Blair, looked in command early in the second quarter with a 7-0 run on a 3-pointer from
Billy Haggerty and back-to-back layups from
Jordan Webster and
Elijah Keys to go up 22-13.
But it wasn't Wilhite who responded, but 6-6 post
Brendan Passanisi-Boullett. The senior knocked down a three-pointer and back-to-back inside putbacks to a 10-0 run to put the Crusaders up for the first time, 23-22. After a Hegarty basket,
Christian Wise added a putback just before the half to make it 25-24 Riordan at the break.
Another 10-0 run in the third, keyed by King and a 3-pointer from
Mark Barer put Riordan in command, up 40-29 with 2:31 left.
"That sort of took the crowd out for a while," Curtin said. "But we knew they had a run or two in them."
Indeed the Spartans, battle tested just like Riordan, kept clawing and scratching, eventurally tying the game at 47-47 with 2:43 to go with a 7-0 run, capped by two free throws by Webster.
Wilhite made two free throws and
Johnny Semany answered with a tough inside bucket to tie it at 49-49 with less than two minutes left.
"It was two heavyweights going at it at that point," Curtin said.
But the Crusaders had the closer.
Wilhite, with defenders draped all over him, somehow got to the basket and went up strong for a layup, making it 51-49. And then
Marcellus Edwards, the team's second leading scorer but scoreless on the night, made the play of the game, stealing a pass and going coast-to-coast for a hopp to make it 53-49 with 1:05 left.
Four free throws from there by Wilhite closed it out.
"Marcellus is a stud — tough as nails," Curtin said. "I knew he'd come through in the end."
De La Salle, which ended its season 22-6, got nine points from
Javon Johnson and a combined 21 by Webster, Haggerty and Semany.
This was just the fifth meeting between the Bay Area private school powers and first since 1993. They were supposed to meet in the NorCal finals at Riordan in 2020, but COVID-19 struck the San Francisco campus. One of Riordan's students and it wasn't known until just hours before the game.
De La Salle was awarded the victory and lost to Campolindo at home in the NorCal finals. The state championships were called off as they were throughout the United States when the pandemic fully hit.
"We thought that team (in 2020) was good enough to beat De La Salle and play Campolindo in the finals," Curtin said. "Now we'll get that chance two years later. We can't wait."
