With the 10th week of action nearly in the books – there are a few key games remaining during the weekend – it’s time for a quick look at the week that was around the North Coast Section in boys basketball.
De La Salle makes statement atop the EBAL
The Spartans have been held down a bit in our section rankings due to an early-season loss against St. Joseph-Notre Dame, while Dublin entered Thursday’s game at De La Salle with just one loss on the slate, and that was by five points to highly regarded Woodcreek-Roseville.
The Gaels have been playing without freshman sensation Robby Beasley, however, who was injured in Dublin’s Don Nelson Classic win over Heritage before Christmas, and has not played since. His absence certainly did not help Dublin, as they struggled against De La Salle’s strong perimeter defense in a 51-45 Spartan victory.
De La Salle (16-4, 7-0 EBAL) used a 13-2 run in the second quarter to build a 21-12 lead at the half, on the heels of a 8-0 Dublin run which had given the Gaels a 10-8 early in the second quarter. The Spartans, though, used a strong inside presence from Emeka Udenyi, and as a result, got open looks on the perimeter, converting three of them during that run.
The Spartans built a double-digit lead for most of the third quarter, but the Gaels came storming back, and cut the lead to six points heading into the final eight minutes. Senior standout Timmy Falls was held scoreless in the first half, but had 11 points in the final two quarters to lead the Dublin (18-2, 6-1) effort.
A transition lay-up by Steven Houston cut the lead to 46-44 with 40 seconds remaining, but that was when the Spartans iced things. They worked the shot clock, and after a pass in the lane from Udenyi, Eric Headley found a wide-open Justin Pratt in the left corner. Pratt drilled the open look, giving the Spartans an insurmountable 49-44 lead with 12 seconds remaining.
Connor O’Dea led all scorers with 15 points, 12 of them in the second half. Colby Orr added 11 points for the Spartans, while Udenyi had eight and Pratt scored seven, all of them in the fourth quarter.
Heritage stakes claim to top of the BVAL
After beating three-time defending champion Freedom, 62-45, on Tuesday night, Heritage turned back Deer Valley on Friday, 83-79. That win gives the Patriots a one-game lead over Antioch in the league standings, having handed the Panthers their only loss in league so far.
Senior Tyriq Mack had a huge game against Deer Valley, leading all scorers with 26 points, while junior Jonathan Ned added 19 points, and Anthony Dennis had 18.
Deer Valley was led by Keenami Maggard, who had 16 points, including a 6-for-6 effort from the free throw line. Kesan Carter had 15 points for the Wolverines, who had five players in double figures. Dior Walker and Raydale Robinson each had 12, while Jacob Long added 11.
Antioch stayed a game behind Heritage with its 66-61 win over Liberty on Friday night. The Panthers got 20 points from Kaleb Smith, 19 from Jayvewon Quinn, and 18 from Kirmarje Trent.
Logjam as usual at the top of the MCAL
Marin Catholic’s 79-53 win over Novato on Friday pulled the Wildcats into a three-way tie for first place in the Marin County Athletic League, something that always seem to happen this time of year.
With Branson and Tamalpais idle heading into the weekend, all three teams are now 7-2 in league play, with Redwood, Drake, and San Marin each one game back at 6-3. Six teams within one game of the league lead? Yep, sounds about right in the MCAL.
WACC-Foothill flexing muscle
With Bishop O’Dowd unbeaten atop the WACC-Foothill following its 61-53 win against San Leandro on Friday night, all seems to be returned to normal this season. The division expanded from four teams to six this year, however, adding Piedmont and Mt. Eden from the Shoreline Division, and all six teams have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs.
Below O’Dowd, no team has established dominance for the next spot, though Berkeley currently sits one game back. All six teams are above .500 overall, however, so the door remains open for full participation in the post-season, something all these teams would be fully deserving of.
Acalanes bouncing back in the DAL-Foothill
After opening DAL-Foothill play with back-to-back losses, Acalanes bounced back with huge wins over Campolindo and Northgate, moving into the middle of the standings, just one game behind second-place Campo.
Las Lomas appears a near-lock to win this division, having been purely dominant in its 4-0 start to league play, but a pair of double-digit wins for the Dons this week will certainly make things interesting below the Knights.
Not so fast, Red Devils
University went 16-1 in non-league play, and then cruised in its first three BCL-West games. Stuart Hall was quick to halt any notions that the Runnin’ Red Devils would cruise to a league title, however, turning a three-point deficit into a 72-59 win on Tuesday night.
The Knights now sit atop the league with a 4-0 record, while the Red Devils are a half-game back at 4-1. Stuart Hall next faces Lick-Wilmerding, which also made it clear on Friday with its 53-50 loss to University that this is still anyone’s title.
