SAN PABLO, Calif. – The Crush in the Valley has been held since 2016 and hosted by Prolific Prep Basketball Academy. When they decided to add high school games to the three-day program they brought on Salesian-Richmond as a co-host since CIF rules will not allow high school teams in California to compete at non high school events.
For the first few years they only invited Salesian and a couple of other elite boys high school teams to play each other, and in fact this year at Contra Costa College there were four boys high school games last Saturday. Host Salesian fell 61-43 to Nevada No. 3 Durango-Las Vegas, Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland was a 73-50 winner over Sacramento, Lincoln-Stockton defeated Sacred Heart Prep-Atherton, 62-53, and Cal-Hi Sports No. 3 and NorCal top-ranked Campolindo-Moraga bested Vanden-Fairfield, 71-56.
While this year’s field included the most high school boys teams ever, it befittingly also featured the first ever girls game in a year in which the state CIF celebrates the 50-year anniversary of Title IX. The match-up with Cal-Hi Sports No. 6 and Salesian and No. 15 Antelope did not disappoint with the host Pride holding on for a 62-57 victory.
Salesian (10-3) trailed 10-6 early but they took control from there and led 33-21 at the half and 38-23 midway through the third quarter. But Antelope refused to fold and closed the period on a 16-6 run to cut the lead to 44-39 to start the fourth quarter.
The Pride got it to 58-47 with just over two minutes remaining but the Titans fought all the way to the end. They got it to 60-57 with 20 seconds left, but the second of two successful one-on-one conversions at the free-throw line in the final minute of the game by sophomore reserve Madalyn Kanazawa with 11.5 seconds left closed out the scoring.
Senior post Silivia “Via” Fonongaloa tied with senior guard Makiah Asidanya for team-high with 12 points. Fonongaloa had two three-pointers and added eight rebounds, three blocks and two assists. She was named the Powerade Player of the Game.
The loss for Antelope (11-4) was the first with Mary Carter eligible. The Titans had won eight straight games with the 6-2 wing in the lineup, and Carter nearly carried the team to victory against Salesian.
Carter finished with a game high 27 points with five rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. From the time Antelope was behind 58-47, Carter had four points, both blocks, a steal and she kicked it out to sophomore forward Samaya Dillard (16 points) who nailed her fifth three-pointer that cut it to the previously mention 60-57 deficit with seconds remaining.
For Salesian, and due to COVID protocols that caused games to be cancelled, the Pride were only playing their second game since a 65-52 loss to Archbishop Mitty on December 30 in the Third-place game of the Platinum Division of the West Coast Jamboree. The one game since the Mitty loss was an easy 70-34 win over Tri-County Rock League rival St. Patrick-St. Vincent-Vallejo.
“Hopefully the rust of 20 days has worn off,” said Salesian head coach Stephen Pezzola. “Our second quarter defense and our defensive rebounding was a positive but we need to defend off the dribble better and reduce our turnovers.
The rebounding was definitely a positive as Salesian outrebounded Antelope 40-22 as a team.
Salesian returns to Tri-County – Rock League action on Tuesday against Bethel-Vallejo.
Antelope proved they are a force to be reckoned with in Division 2 in the Sac-Joaquin and NorCal and the state as well. The Titans resume Capital Valley Conference play on Wednesday with Cordova-Rancho Cordova.
