CONCORD, Calif. — The Branson boys basketball team had every reason to fold on Thursday afternoon.
Playing their first game in nearly two weeks and still missing key players and assistant coaches to COVID protocols, they saw a 14-point lead evaporate in the third quarter and let Cosumnes Oaks force overtime on a 30-foot bank 3-pointer by Ja’len Flenory at the buzzer. But the Bulls still managed to escape with a 64-60 win to open the Riley Christiansen Memorial Classic at Clayton Valley.
Three-pointers by Joaquin Aguillon and Joaquim Arauz-Moore put Branson (3-2) back in front for good, and George Gale’s putback created a four-point lead before sophomore Jase Butler broke the press for a game-sealing layup.
Arauz-Moore scored a game-high 22 points and collected rebounds, while Butler threatened to record a triple-double with eight points, eight assists and 11 rebounds. Gale finished with six points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.
Leading 32-18 at halftime, the Bulls seemed to be in control against a Wolfpack team that’s opened the season against a monster schedule, but Cosumnes Oaks (1-6) opened the second half with a 3-pointer from sophomore Henry Hill, a Deonte Carter layup and an Elias Weathers and-1.
Flenory, also only a sophomore, hit a deep three off a Carter assist to make it 35-29, and Carter tied the game at 35 with a layup. Hill’s basket in the lane closed out a 21-5 third quarter and gave the Wolfpack their first lead since the opening four minutes.
Butler’s basket put Branson up 47-46 with two minutes left, and Gale’s rebound off Arauz-Moore’s missed free throw sent Ellis Keeffe to the line with 11.2 seconds left. He made both free throws, but Branson decided not to foul and Flenory tied the game with a deep shot that banked in just before the buzzer sounded.
Flenory, who scored a team-high 21, repeated the feat again at the end of overtime from near his own free throw line, but the Bulls had secured the game by that point with two more free throws by Keeffe, who scored all eight of his points after halftime.
Weathers scored nine of his 11 for the Wolfback in the second half and overtime, and he also collected a team-high eight rebounds. Carter also scored 11, while Brandon Hayward finished with 10.
Granite Bay 64, Salinas 50
For most Bay Area basketball fans, Yaqub Mir was a name that had appeared on highlight tapes.
Those who stuck around for the final game of the Christiansen Classic on Thursday night got to see the 6-foot-3 junior in person, and he lived up to the hype with a 31-point performance to lead Granite Bay to a 64-50 win over Salinas.
Salinas (3-4) closed the third on a 17-6 run to get within two, but Zair Sharif blocked a shot and scored on a coast-to-coast layup before giving way to Mir, who scored 13 in the final period without even going to the free throw line. He stretched the lead to 49-43 with a pretty floater, then gave the Grizzlies a 54-48 lead by answering a Max Edria 3-pointer with one of his own. He connected again from beyond the arc to make it 57-48 with four minutes left, then drilled another with two minutes to make it a 10-point lead and put the game to bed.
Mir also collected seven rebounds to match TJ Maveety, who scored 11 points. Trevor Alfstad finished with eight points and 12 boards for Granite Bay (8-3), while Jay Amiya led the Cowboys with 16 points off the bench. Kyle Ajeska hit four 3-pointers and scored 14 for Salinas, while Edria added 11.
Clayton Valley 60, Freedom 38
Clayton Valley head coach Frank Allocco Jr.’s team paid tribute to his father on Thursday night.
With the longtime Northgate and De La Salle coach in attendance, the Ugly Eagles warmed up to the “Rocky” training music that’s accompanied the elder Allocco’s teams for years, then played stifling defense, just as his teams always had, in a 60-38 victory over Freedom.
Clayton Valley (4-1) struggled to shoot in the first half, leading just 23-11 at the break, but the lead was hardly ever in doubt. Freedom (5-5) trailed just 28-19 after an Elijah Ross 3-pointer with 3:14 left in the third, but a Jake King and-1 quickly restored a double-digit lead. Jeremiah Dargan’s layup extended the lead to 48-32 with four minutes left, and King assisted on sophomore James Moore’s 3-pointer before scoring off a Dargan assist to conclude a 10-0 run.
Moore made four 3-pointer and scored a game-high 15, while Dargan finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Jason Zimmer added 11 points, King scored eight and Mason Bamberger had seven points and seven rebound. Ross and Daniel Vigil each scored 12 to lead the Falcons.
Monte Vista 63, Skyline 36
Despite missing four players to COVID protocols, Monte Vista had little trouble in the opening game of the Christiansen Classic, leading by double digits for almost the entire afternoon in a 63-36 win over Skyline.
Brandon McGautha scored a game-high 20 for Monte Vista (5-1), and the Mustangs allowed just three points in a decisive fourth quarter to put the game out of reach. Joshua Mathew scored 14 for Nick Jones’ team, senior center Sammyo Roychowdury added eight and Sean Ahern finished with seven. DeUndrae Perteete Jr. scored eight to lead Skyline (3-4).
Friday’s schedule
Skyline (3-4) vs. Cosumnes Oaks (1-6), 3:30 p.m.
Salinas (3-4) vs. Freedom (5-5), 5 p.m.
Monte Vista (5-1) vs. Branson (3-2), 6:30 p.m.
Granite Bay (8-3) @ Clayton Valley (4-1), 8 p.m.
Saturday’s schedule
7th place game, 1:30 p.m.
5th place game, 3 p.m.
3rd place game, 4:30 p.m.
Championship, 6 p.m.
