By Mitch Stephens
MaxPreps.com
PITTSBURG, Calif. – It was a fittingly conclusion really.
De La Salle’s basketball team, though far from perfect, finished off its tenure in the Bay Valley Athletic League with a stranglehold of a victory.
The Spartans allowed 22 percent shooting, didn't allow a point in one 10 minute, 30 second-span and cruised to a 46-32 victory at Pittsburg.
Jose Rivera scored 16 points, all in the first and fourth quarters, and Dominic Martellaro 11 as De La Salle (23-3 overall, 16-0 BVAL), ranked 14th in the state according to MaxPreps, won for the 45th time in last 46 BVAL meetings.
The Spartans move to the East Bay Athletic League next season.
“It’s nice to finish off our BVAL run going undefeated,” De La Salle coach Frank Allocco said. “It wasn’t real smooth, but I’m very pleased how were playing defense the last four or five games. We’re playing at playoff caliber defensively.”
Since giving up 75 points in a 19-point defeat to sixth-ranked Westchester (Los Angeles) at the Nike Extravaganza two weeks ago, De La Salle has given up 27.8 points per game in six victories.
No one scored more than six points for Pittsburg (19-7, 11-5), which made just 11 of 48 field goal tries.
The defense helped offset an otherwise sluggish offensive night for the Spartans, who had just 26 points through three quarters.
“Pittsburg always plays us tough and they’re a tough team in general,” said Rivera, who hit a pair of three-pointers and scored eight points in the fourth quarter when De La Salle erupted for 20. “But these are the type of teams we’re going to face in the playoffs. And as long as we get stops like tonight we’ll be OK.”
Pittsburg wasn’t helped by the loss this week of leading scorer Charles Barnes and Steven Sullivan, the team’s best outside shooter. Both were ruled academically ineligible.
Head coach Clinton Williams helped make the game close with a terrific defensive plan that forced the Spartans into numerous turnovers and shoddy shooting.
A 12-6 run in the third quarter, finished off with a 6-0 spurt, helped the Pirates close to 26-21 heading into the final stanza. William Bennett started the run with a jumper, Derrick Anderson made two free throws and Joe Simpson scored on a fastbreak jumper giving Pittsburg momentum.
But Rivera, a silky smooth 6-2 senior guard, opened the quarter with a 3-pointer and Pittsburg would never get within six the rest of the way. Six straight free throws by Jeff Powers (eight points) helped seal the win as did a superb floor game by rock solid point guard Brandon Smith (seven points, seven assists).
“Our goal is to get to the state title game and now that we’re closing in on March there’s no off nights,” Rivera said.
De La Salle will likely get the top seed in next week’s North Coast Section Division I playoffs. The Spartans hope to avenge a loss to Monte Vista (Danville) in last year’s NCS finals but will take a championship no matter how it gets there.
Other Division I teams ranked in the NCS top 10 overall are Monte Vista (No. 3), Newark Memorial (No. 4), Castro Valley (No. 5), San Leandro (No. 7) and James Logan-Union City (No. 10).
Announcements of the seeding and first-round pairings come out Sunday. The top four seeds will earn first-round byes and open play Friday.
BVAL BOYS BASKETBALL
De La Salle 46, Pittsburg 32
De La Salle 10 10 6 20 – 46
Pittsburg 4 5 12 11 – 32
DE LA SALLE (23-3, 16-0): Smith 3 1-5 7, Martellaro 4 0-0 11, Rivera 7 0-0 16, Thomas 1 0-0 2, Powers 1 6-6 8, Estrada 0 2-2 2, Stein 0 0-2 0. Totals 16 9-15 46.
PITTSBURG (19-7, 11-5): Dargan 1 0-0 2, Boone 2 2-4 6, Manning 2 0-0 6, Simpson 2 1-2 5, Barrett 2 0-0 4, Anderson 1 4-4 6. Totals 11 7-10 32.
3-point goals: Martellaro 3, Rivera 2, Manning 2.
HERITAGE (Brentwood) 59, ANTIOCH 57
Jordan Knox finished off a perfectly designed set with a short runner at the buzzer as Heritage, a second-year program, scored its second big BVAL road win of the week.
Heritage (20-6, 10-6 BVAL), behind 19 points from Kyle Golinveaux, 12 by Knox and 10 from Jimmy Enomoto, took a double-digit lead in the first half before Antioch found St. Mary’s-bound 6-8 center Tim Williams in the post time after time.
Williams, who scored a game-high 28, gave Antioch an advantage in the third quarter and the lead switched hands several times in the fourth quarter.
“We finally got a stop with 18 seconds left,” Heritage coach Pat Cruickshank said. “We called timeout with 13 seconds left in the front court. The guys ran through their sets twice and Jordan went to the hoop just at the right time.”
The game-winning shot might have been deflected by Williams, Cruickshank said. But the lefty’s shot went right through the hoop.
“Honestly, that’s a good a high school game as you’re going to see,” the Heritage coach said. “It’s too bad either team had to lose.”
Emmanuel Bradford had 14 points for Antioch (18-8, 12-4) while Calvin Douglas added 11.
Both teams will almost assuredly reach the NCS playoffs as at-large teams. Heritage, which received a forfeit win earlier in the day for a loss on the court to Bear Creek, should get a top four seed in Division II. Antioch likely won’t earn a top-four seed in Division I and will play a first-round game either Tuesday or Wednesday.
E-mail Mitch Stephens at mstephens@maxpreps.com.
