In a game that was anticipated to be much closer, host Heritage opened Tuesday night’s first round NCS Division I playoff game with a huge run that bridged the first two quarters, and later cruised to a 61-40 victory over visiting San Leandro, in a game that was even more lopsided than the final score indicated.
The Patriots started a bit slow offensively, but still led 12-5 after one quarter. Heritage then scored the first 10 points of the second quarter to establish an early 17-point lead, and continued to clamp down defensively, holding an astonishing 31-10 advantage heading into the locker room.
“We challenged our guys to play man defense in this game, and to turn them into a jump shooting team,” said Heritage coach Pat Cruickshank. “We really stuck to our game plan defensively, and did a great job preparing as a team, both our players and coaches.”
While San Leandro was having a difficult time at both ends of the court handling the speed and skill of Heritage junior point guard Ezra Manjon, who scored 11 points but repeatedly distributed the ball for open looks to both Jonathan Ned and Charles Stanford, it was a defensive sequence by Ned which really made a statement during the Patriots’ dominant defensive performance.
During one first half San Leandro possession, the Pirates got a trio of looks at the basket down towards the paint, all of which were sent back by Ned, who had 11 rebounds and five blocked shots in the game. Following that, Heritage truly turned San Leandro into a jump shooting team, and the Pirates shot just 4-of-33 from the field in the first three quarters.
“We definitely built some momentum off that sequence,” Cruickshank noted. “It got our guys going, and we didn’t stop.”
Heritage continued its hot play in the third quarter, and when Ned buried a three-pointer with a minute to go in the period, the Patriots’ lead had swelled to 48-14, ending any hope of a San Leandro miracle. This game came, surprisingly, on the heels of a week when the Pirates had pushed Bishop O’Dowd to the brink, making it appear that this would be anything but a one-sided three versus 14 match-up.
“I saw them play Berkeley, and watched them jump out to an early lead, and then saw them play O’Dowd tough,” Cruickshank added. “We were prepared for a battle tonight.”
Ned finished the night with a game-high 19 points, while Stanford added 12 points. Eight different Heritage players contributed to the scoring, but it was the defensive performance which stood out the most. Manjon added five steals and five assists in a well-rounded performance.
JJ Kilgore was the lone San Leandro player in double figures, with 14 points, half of them coming from the free throw line. Kiki Aguirre added seven points, all in the fourth quarter, when the Pirates scored 24 of their 40 points, well after the game had been decided.
Heritage will now host six seed College Park in Friday’s quarterfinal round. The Falcons outlasted Pittsburg in the first round, 79-74.
Newark Memorial outlasts De Anza in four-overtime thriller
It took not one, not two, not three, but four overtimes until Newark Memorial rewarded its home crowd with a victory over higher-seeded De Anza in the first round of the Division II playoffs.
The Cougars weathered a fourth-quarter comeback by De Anza, who tied the game at 56 by out-scoring Newark 17-11 over the final eight minutes. The Dons also nearly won the game on multiple occasions.
“They got off these shots from around half-court at the end of regulation and each of the first two overtimes,” said Newark Memorial coach Craig Ashmore. “All of them looked like they could go in and went off the rim. I thought they had won it a couple different times.”
De Anza had already nailed a long-range shot, nailing an approximate 75-footer as time expired in the first half, sending the teams to the locker room with Newark leading 26-20, as opposed to the nine-point lead it looked as if it would carry. Those points came in handy later in the night for De Anza.
Newark turned to all underclassmen in the overtime periods. Juniors Caleb Beltz, Endigo Coleman, and Isaiah Cabrera all scored in double figures for the game, as did sophomore Chase Sims. Freshman Nay’veon Reed, was huge in the fourth and final overtime period, scoring six points and blocking a shot in the final minutes.
“We really guarded well, and when it seemed like we couldn’t score, and were struggling, Chase Sims came through with some big shots for us,” Ashmore added. “I was really pleased with our resolve, and the way our young guys came through in the clutch. Every overtime, we had three juniors, a sophomore, and a freshman on the court. It seemed like at times, the more coaching I did, the worse we played, so we let those guys play and they did a great job.”
Newark Memorial got to host in the first round, despite the fact De Anza was the higher seed and a league champion, having gone unbeaten in the TCAL-Stone. The Dons, however, never submitted an application to host to the section office, resulting in a home game for the Cougars, another factor which Ashmore referenced as key in the game.
Now, the Cougars hit the road to face MVAL nemesis Moreau Catholic.
Hayward stuns fifth-seeded Piner
Lockdown defense early and a big fourth quarter offensively carried 12-seed Hayward to a 59-48 win over Piner in the first round of the Division III playoffs on Tuesday night.
The Farmers bolted to an 8-0 start and a 14-3 lead after one quarter, against a Prospectors team that typically hits from the outside and can score in bunches.
“We were able to get some solid practice in before the game, and taught concepts rather than trying to defend all their plays,” said Hayward coach Sunny Aujla. “We were focused on running their shooters off the line, and really created some chaos for them offensively, and our defense really led to our offense. We got a lot of points on the break.”
Piner got a big second quarter, with key three-pointers from Brennan Carpenter and Christian Gutierrez, closing the gap to two points at the half, 20-18, but the Farmers responded in the second half, and especially in the fourth quarter.
Laprel Boyd scored 10 of his 12 points in the final two quarters, while Melvin Lipsey led the way with a game-high 17 points. Oliver Hamilton scored nine of his 15 points in the second half, while Teddy Kautz added 11 points. All four are seniors extending their high school careers. Lipsey missed most of his senior year in football after breaking his ankle early in the year, and has been slowly returning to form on the hardwood.
“Melvin has been working his tail off,” Aujla added. “He’s basically been playing hurt all year, and this was one of his best games. He ran our offense and made great decisions.”
The Farmers advance to face four seed San Rafael in the quarterfinals.
Berkeley blows past Granada
After being handed what the Yellowjackets felt was a seed lower than they deserved, fourth-seeded Berkeley took those frustrations out on Granada in the opening round of the Division I playoffs.
Ben Baker led the way with 20 points, while Kyree Brown scored 14 points, sophomore Jamir Thomas added 13 points, and Avery Burt scored 12 points, as the Yellowjackets built a 14-point lead at the half, and extended that to 55-32 by the end of the third quarter.
“I feel like we have been playing very well of late, and the only team which we struggled with recently was O’Dowd, who is one of the best teams in the state,” said Berkeley coach Ralph Fields. “I feel like we can play with anyone, and we were certainly disappointed with the seeding, after we beat Dublin head to head during the regular season.”
Granada’s Yaten Anderson had a game-high 22 points, including all nine of the Matadors’ points in the third quarter, but Berkeley’s defense held Jack Kath to just eight points, well beneath his usual production.
Now, the Yellowjackets prepare for fifth-seeded De La Salle, the third straight year that the teams will meet in the playoffs, with the Spartans winning the previous two match-ups.
“It’s an opportunity to play them three years in a row. We have learned a lot, this is an experienced group, and these guys are excited for the big stage,” Fields said. “We just need to execute and be able to make our defensive adjustments. Our defense was a strength (against Granada).”
Las Lomas, Moreau Catholic roll past first round opponents
Las Lomas used a huge 30-point night from Nate Robinson, beating rival Northgate 76-58 in the first round of the Division II playoffs.
Devin Payne added 19 points, while Rob Prince scored 11 points for the Knights, who led 38-27 at halftime before pulling away in the third quarter. Arlen Friedman scored 18 points for Northgate, including all seven of the Broncos’ points in the third quarter.
Moreau Catholic cruised past San Lorenzo, 82-52. Amil Fields led five players in double figures for the Mariners with 20 points. LJ Anderson added 12 points, while David Hector, Glenn Byrd, and Dallas Rider had 10 points each.
Acalanes powers past Washington
Aidan McNamara led a trio of Acalanes players in double figures, with 18 points, as the Dons turned back Washington, 67-63, in the first round of the Division II playoffs.
McNamara hit his last five free throws, while Robby Rowell was perfect from the free throw line, going 8-of-8 from the stripe to finish with 16 points. Ian Archer added 15 points, but it was a pair of contributors down low who really made a difference for the Dons, who had to play without injured Ryan Nall, who hopes to be back in uniform for Friday’s game against Alameda.
“We had a short bench going in, but Ethan Fox and John Leamy came up big for us, replacing that production in the post,” said Acalanes coach Sol Henik. “We were ready as a team. We have 12 seniors, and they don’t want this season to end.”
Washington was led by senior guard Atmar Mundu, who had a game-high 25 points, while Nathan Narciso added 18 points and Jaylen Edmonds had 11.
