From the time the brackets for the Northern California basketball playoffs were revealed, coaches everywhere stated that there would be no true upsets - that every team in each bracket was capable of beating one another. The regional quarterfinals underscored those statements, as the top seeds fell in four of the divsions, with three of those 'upsets' occurring on Saturday night. We take a quick look around the region.
Division I
#2 Las Lomas 69, #7 Dublin 66
The Knights used a late 10-0 run to outlast the visiting Gaels, taking the lead on a Jason Holman 3-pointer before a packed house in Walnut Creek. Nathan Robinson scored 22, Holman had 18 and Devin Payne added 14. Dublin (26-6) led by as much as 12 in the first half, but Las Lomas closed the second quarter on a 14-5 run. The Gaels got 18 points from Robby Beasley and 14 from Jalen Saunders.
#13 Menlo 64, #12 Central 56
There will be a rematch of the Burlingame Lions Club Championship three months later, as Menlo earned a second meeting with Palo Alto by winning in Fresno. It was Riley Woodson coming up big early, scoring 16 of his 22 points in the first half, while Joe Foley scored 14 of his 21 in the second half as the Knights held Central to just six points in the third quarter. The Grizzlies got 20 points from Cashemin Williams, 13 from Jahmai Bartley and 10 from Uriah Carter. Central (25-8) managed to trim the lead to one in the fourth, but Foley came up with a huge and-1 on the next possession. Sophomore Cole Kastner was also critical for the Knights, with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Division II
#1 Alameda 74, #9 Los Gatos 63
The magic finally ran out for the Wildcats despite 30 points from Dylan Belquist and 23 from Alex Braken-Guelke. Los Gatos (22-7) held an early 9-2 lead, but the Hornets took the lead on a three by Andre Smith (15 points) late in the first quarter and never trailed from there. Alameda (26-5) got 24 points from Ryan Cibull, who sank six 3-pointers.
#5 Grant 60, #13 Riordan 50
The host Pacers overcame a sloppy first half by outscoring the Crusaders 21-6 in the third quarter and holding on down the stretch. Grant (23-10) got 18 points from Steven Richardson and 13 from Dee Juan Pruitt, while Riordan (17-12) got a game-high 22 from Je’Lani Clark. The Crusaders shot 8-of-35 from 3-point range, while Grant was 2-for-12 on threes and 18-for-35 at the free throw line, but forced 19 turnovers to compensate for the poor shooting.
#3 Campolindo 62, #11 Woodcreek 57
The Cougars used a balanced attack to open up a 15-point halftime lead and held on for dear life to defeat the visiting Timberwolves. Campolindo (21-10) got 15 points from John Torchio, 12 from David Ahazie and 11 each from Will Cummins and Trevin Kroichick.
Division III
#8 Valley Christian 37, #1 Branson 34
One of three top seeds to go down on Saturday, Branson (30-4) went scoreless over the final two minutes as the Warriors closed the game on a 7-0 run. A D’Von Lang steal and layup started the decisive surge for Valley Christian (16-13), and after Cameron Fini drew a charge, Jay Allen-Tovar’s jumper in the lane tied the game. The Warriors got a stop and an offensive rebound, leading to Justin Kidd’s game-winning 3-pointer with three seconds left.
#2 Pleasant Valley 63, #7 Sanger 45
The Vikings jumped out to a 25-6 lead through one quarter and led by as much as 29 before Sanger (21-12) got within 12 down the stretch. Pleasant Valley (29-2) got 19 points from Kevin Kremer, while the visiting Apaches had 15 from football standout Norice Morris.
#3 University 78, #11 Foothill 75 (OT)
This time, the Red Devils only needed one overtime to win. After a triple-OT victory on Wednesday, University (31-3) got a pair of free throws from Max Fried in overtime to take the lead. Fried scored a game-high 25 points, while Julian Manyika added 14. Spencer Spivy, the hero in Wednesday’s win over Patterson, scored 22 despite fouling out with a minute left in the fourth quarter. Foothill (24-7) got 22 points from Jonny Cruz, 20 from Thurman Knowles and 11 apiece from Zach Reuter and Josiah Hutt.
#4 Central Catholic 49, Half Moon Bay 44
Joshua Hamilton scored 19 points for the Raiders, who led by 12 at halftime and opened that lead to as much as 16 before a late surge by Half Moon Bay (25-6). The Cougars got a game-high 21 points from Sam Treanor and Ethan Menzies added 17, while Dayton Magana added nine for Central Catholic (30-2).
Division IV
#9 Stuart Hall 55, #1 Santa Cruz 51
After seeing a 14-point lead slip away, the Knights fought back from down four in the fourth quarter to pull out the road win over the top-seeded Cardinals. Stuart Hall (21-11) trailed 50-46, but tied the game on baskets by Nigel Burris and Miles Amos before Tomas Wolber’s floater gave the Knights for the lead. Santa Cruz (25-6) had two free throws to tie the game with 30 seconds left, but the second was negated by a lane violation, and Burris, who scored a team-high 16, sank three from the line to put the game away for Stuart Hall. Alex Byrd added 13, while Amos scored 12. The Cardinals got 18 from Max Dehart, 12 from Javier Felix and 10 from Robert Bishop.
#12 Liberty Ranch 85, #4 Placer 80
A Liberty Ranch team that had thought two weeks ago that its season had ended is now two wins away from playing for a state title. The Hawks, who had five players move on to spring sports under the impression that they wouldn’t receive a state tournament bid, got 27 points from Jalen Patterson. Placer (24-9) got 37 from Kai Huntsberry, who went out with a bang in his final high school game.
Division V
#2 Gridley 74, #10 Bradshaw Christian 68
The Bulldogs got 26 points from Tyler Little and 13 from Wyatt Dreesman to win at Farmer’s Hall, a venue normally known for hosting the Gridley Invitational in December rather than playoff basketball in March.
