The state basketball tournament is a whirlwind, with the entire thing wrapping up in less than two weeks. With how fast everything progresses, it's easy to get lost in all the ruckus. Here’s a roundup of everything that happened over the first three days.
First Round
Open Division
No. 4 Dublin 73, No. 5 Bellarmine 69
Trailing by as much as 11 in the second half, the Gaels used a 16-0 run to take control of the game and got 19 of Anthony Roy’s 22 points in the second half. Nick Costello hit four 3-pointers and scored 18, T.J. Meagher had nine off the bench and Malik Jackson had eight points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Bellarmine (23-5) got 20 points from Quinn Denker, 16 from Ian Elam, 14 from Kyle Lewis and 12 from Ryan Kiachian in the losing effort.
Division I
No. 1 Riordan 82, No. 16 Modesto Christian 51
Riiny Riiny scored a career-high 21 points while both Bryce Monroe and Je’Lani Clark scored 15 apiece as Riordan rolled to a blowout victory. Michael Pearson led the visitors with 13 and Jaden Phillips scored 11, but Modesto Christian made just three of 25 free throws.
No. 2 Capital Christian 76, No. 15 Clovis North 61
No. 3 Salesian 80, No. 14 Rocklin 28
Jaden Lazo scored 17 points, Demarshay Johnson Jr. scored 13 and Shane Bell had 10 as the Pride played their best defensive game of the season. Darrius Kendall had nearly half of the Thunder’s scoring, finishing with 13.
No. 4 De La Salle 67, No. 13 San Joaquin Memorial 52
Miles Daniels scored 19 points, Chris Bunch had 15 and Noah Clifford had 13 points and eight rebounds as the Spartans opened up a 25-point lead by the end of the third quarter and emptied the bench in the closing minutes to remain undefeated at home. Joseph Hunter and Kevon Travis each had 16 points for the Panthers in the losing effort.
No. 5 Menlo-Atherton 57, No. 12 Dougherty Valley 54
Spencer Lin scored a team-high 17 points, including a huge 3-pointer to put Menlo-Atherton up five with two minutes left, as the Bears fought off a Dougherty Valley team that put up an inspired effort after losing Ryan Beasley to a knee injury. Donovan Sevilla scored 20 to lead the Wildcats while Beasley scored nine in less than two quarters. Justin Anderson had 14 points and a game-high 11 rebounds for the Bears.
No. 6 Grant 74, No. 11 San Leandro 54
No. 7 Campolindo 65, No. 10 Serra 57
Freshman Logan Robeson hit five 3-pointers and scored a game-high 19 points as the Cougars won a rematch of last year’s Northern California Division II Championship. Aidan Mahaney scored 17 and Emmanuel Callas added 14, while Dimitri Koutsogeorgas scored 13 for Serra. Julius Alcantara and Ryan Wilson each added 11 in their final game for the Padres.
No. 9 Vanden 101, No. 8 Clovis West 93
In the highest-scoring game of the night across the entire state, I’saac Montgomery scored 30, Agjanti Miller had 29 and Teiano Hardee added 20 as the Vikings made their visit to the Fresno area a successful one. Cole Anderson had a game-high 31 in defeat and Jarren Carr added 15 for the Golden Eagles.
Division II
No. 2 St. Patrick-St. Vincent 58, No. 15 San Ramon Valley 57
Jalen Scott scored 17, including the go-ahead basket with 3.2 seconds to go as the Bruins rallied from a 14-point deficit in the final six minutes to win at home. Jaden Alexander scored a game-high 24 for SPSV, including two free throws to bring the hosts within two with 1:04 left. Dishon Jackson scored just eight, but his free throw with 45 seconds remaining made it a one-point game, and his block on the ensuing Wolves possession set up Scott’s game-winning drive. Michael Santich led San Ramon Valley (20-11) with 23 points and Tyler Isaak scored 13, but a 27-5 free throw differential proved costly.
No. 3 Sacred Heart Prep 61, No. 14 Alameda 40
The Gators rolled in the second half on their home floor, outscoring Alameda 39-16 across the final two quarters for their first state tournament victory since 2015. Charlie Selna scored a game-high 16 on a night where Sacred Heart Prep (22-5) utilized a balanced attack, getting 10 points from Jai Deshpande, nine from Aidan Braccia and eight apiece from Everett Banks and Emmer Nichols. Josh Niusulu led Alameda (19-11) with 15, and the Hornets also got nine from DeJon Marks and eight from Elijah Caliz.
No. 4 Weston Ranch 79, No. 13 Piedmont 74 (OT)
A 12-point deficit with four minutes remaining wasn’t enough to stop the Cougars, who turned the end of the fourth quarter into a constant parade to the free throw line and then took control in OT. Donjae’ Lindsey scored a game-high 29 points and Jordahn Johnson was unstoppable in the post for Weston Ranch (21-12), with 23 points and 24 rebounds. The hosts also got 21 points from Gavin Wilburn, including an and-1 with 8.8 seconds left in regulation that also served as Luke Barrett’s fifth foul. Barrett scored 14 for Piedmont (24-6), Luke Harris led the Highlanders with 28 and JoJo Murphy finished with 15 in the final game of his excellent sophomore season.
No. 5 Oakland Tech 56, No. 12 Menlo 48 (OT)]/bold]
Despite trailing by 11 after three quarters and facing an eight-point deficit with three minutes left, the Knights managed to take things to overtime before falling short. Cole Kastner scored 16 in his final game for Menlo (23-7) and junior point guard Davis Mead scored nine, including a layup to tie the game at 41 late in regulation.
No. 6 Branson 51, No. 11 Jesuit 43
An early 12-point deficit wasn’t enough to stop the Branson Bulls on Tuesday night, getting the go-ahead 3-pointer from Peyton Mullarkey (11 points) with 2:56 left. Jake Beere added 10 off the bench and Miles Keeffe scored eight, while the defense managed to limit star Jesuit point guard Isa Silva to 16. The Marauders also got 13 points from Chris Holley
No. 9 St. Mary’s-Stockton 73, No. 8 Clovis East 71
Grant Jory scored 22 points, Devan Thomkins added 16 and Jamar Marshall finished with 15 as the Rams knocked off the Timberwolves on the road.
No. 10 De Anza 65, No. 7 St. Francis 56
Trevor Leon scored 18 points, but the Lancers fell before a sparse crowd at home.
No. 16 Whitney 71, No. 1 Granada 65
Jake Fink scored 29 points and Ryan King had a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds as the Wildcats proved they deserved better than a 16 seed, closing on a 17-5 run to upset the Matadors.
Division III
No. 2 St. Ignatius 52, No. 15 Bullard 50
The Wildcats escaped a whistle-filled affair with a two-point win, overcoming 22 points from Omarion Thomas-Marshall and a five-point deficit after three quarters. King-Jhsanni Wilhite scored 18 to lead St. Ignatius (12-16), Kourosh Kahn-Adle scored 13 to extend his SI career and GC Toledo Rivera finished with eight.
No. 4 St. Mary’s-Albany 72, No. 13 Half Moon Bay 50
The Panthers dominated the middle quarters for a home victory, outscoring the Cougars 44-15 over the second and third periods to turn a tight game into a rout. St. Mary’s (23-10) got a game-high 25 points from Leo Tillson, 19 from Jason Roche and 13 from George Anders, while junior-heavy HMB had 23 points from Mykola Ediger and eight from Ben McKnight.
No. 5 Sacred Heart Cathedral 60, No. 12 Lowell 57
The Fightin’ Irish held on for a tight win in a crosstown battle, with Darnay McPherson scoring 20 points to lead the way. Sacred Heart Cathedral (12-16) also got 14 from sophomore Ray-John Spears and 12 apiece from Kyle Crawford and Kori McCoy, while Cal Ladine scored 28 and Rishi Raghavan added 18 in their final games with the Cardinals.
No. 7 Carmel 56, No. 10 Marin Catholic 53
The combination of J.T. Byrne (17 points), Kai Lee (16) and Max Carr (11) did enough to hold off the Wildcats’ triumvirate of Jack Greenwood (14), Nick Greenwood (11) and AJ Rohosy (11).
No. 8 Pleasant Valley 58, No. 9 Central Catholic 55
Aaron Gomez had 15 points and four blocks, with two rejections in the final minute as the Vikings held off the Raiders in a rematch of the 2018 Northern California Division III Championship. Pleasant Valley (20-12) also got 14 from Ned Joyce and 12 from Jake Kremer. Dayton Magana scored a team-high 15 points in his final game in a Raiders uniform. Arvind Sandhu added 14 for Central Catholic (24-9).
No. 11 Foothill-Palo Cedro 68, No. 14 Palma 51
A five-hour trip was no problem for the Cougars, who led 35-10 at halftime and rolled over a young Palma team.
No. 14 Sequoia 67, No. 3 Sonora 57
Leading by 18 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Ravens held off a frantic charge for their first state tournament victory in program history.
No. 16 Wood 40, No. 1 Palo Alto 33
Landon Seaman scored 14 of his 15 points in the second half after spending much of a first half in which the Wildcats allowed just 10 points on the bench with foul trouble. Ryan Purpur led Palo Alto (23-5) with 12 points and seven rebounds.
Division IV
No. 1 Stuart Hall 55, No. 16 Santa Cruz 54
A 13-point deficit early in the fourth quarter wasn’t enough to take down the Stuart Hall Knights, who got a buzzer-beating three from the corner by Jackson Jung, a JV callup who had burst onto the scene with a stellar game in the BCL West Tournament Championship.
No. 2 Lincoln 67, No. 10 Union Mine 60
No. 3 University 60, No. 14 Oakland 55 (OT)
An early 13-point deficit and serious foul trouble gave the University Red Devils trouble, but they rallied and went on to win in overtime, where Raki Cabrera-Scarlata scored six of his 11 points. Christian Heng scored a team-high 12 points and Ren Zanze added 11, with Cabrera-Scarlata picking up the slack after both fouled out. The hosts also got 11 points from Charlie Kennedy, while Maurice Freeman scored 17 to lead Oakland (17-14).
No. 4 Hoover 66, No. 13 Liberty Ranch 64
No. 5 Hillsdale 78, No. 12 Urban 77 (2 OT)
What once looked like a comfortable win for the Hillsdale Fighting Knights turned out to be one of the best games of the entire year after Urban (20-12) erased a 19-point deficit by scoring 31 in the fourth quarter. Bryce Smith nearly willed the Blues to victory all by himself, scoring 53 points, but Oliver Crank’s offensive rebound and pair of free throws with 1.5 seconds left in the second overtime made the difference for Hillsdale (21-7). Crank led the Fighting Knights with 20 and point guard Junior Cotton scored 19 before fouling out. Calvin Mader-Clark had 15, and Reece Nobida extended the game to a second overtime by making one of two free throws with 1.5 left in the first extra period. On a night ultimately decided by free throws, Smith was impeccable at the line, making all 13 of his attempts.
No. 6 Golden Valley 61, No. 11 Santa Teresa 41
Aurrion Harris had 25 points and 15 rebounds as the Cougars overcame a slow start with a 16-4 second quarter and 15-4 run in the third. Mahmoud Fofana scored nine points in the final game of an illustrious career for Santa Teresa (20-8).
No. 8 Brookside Christian 49, No. 9 University Prep 43
An early 11-0 hole didn’t stop the Knights, who got a game-high 24 points from Geronimo De La Rosa to not only extend their season, but continue the legacy of their program as Brookside Christian is set to close at the end of the school year.
No. 10 Clear Lake 66, No. 7 Kingsburg 53
Jaron Mertle scored 27 and Tyler Cerini added 15, including a two-handed dunk midway through a 19-8 third quarter to give the Cardinals complete control and make their five-and-a-half-hour trip a successful one. Mertle also had 11 rebounds, while Darius Ford and Donovan Valadez scored eight points apiece.
Division V
No. 1 Pierce 61, No. 16 Durham 46
No. 2 Bradshaw Christian 67, No. 15 Los Molinos 49
A year removed from a 10-19 season, the Pride scored 44 points in the second half to down the Bulldogs. Jaylen Patterson scored 23 to lead the hosts, and Bradshaw Christian (19-13) also got 17 from Jeremiah Capel and 12 from sophomore Ethan Patterson.
No. 3 San Domenico 75, No. 14 East Nicolaus 22
No. 4 Christopher 55, No. 13 Mt. Shasta 46
A 16-8 fourth quarter allowed the Cougars to pull away to win their first state tournament game in program history, with Duncan Ellis scoring a team-high 12 points. Sophomore point guard Tobenna Ezeokeke added 11 and both Rickey Becker and freshman Chris Naulls scored nine apiece, with Naulls shooting 4-of-5 from the floor. Mt. Shasta (19-10), last year’s Northern California Division V Champion, got 12 points from Anthony Pigioni and 11 from Darius Smith.
No. 5 Eastside 62, No. 12 Oroville 48
No. 6 Gridley 76, No. 11 Argonaut 60
The Bulldogs got 28 points from Tony Murrillo and 21 from Grant Tull as they opened their state tournament run with a victory at Farmers’ Hall.
No. 7 Pacific Bay Christian 47, No. 10 Denair 44
Diego Sotto scored 17 points, center Dwight Bumgarner added 16 behind 7-of-9 shooting and Khalil Smith added 10 as the Eagles locked down on defense to overcome a 2-for-16 performance on free throws.
No. 9 Calaveras 64, No. 8 Fresno Christian 63
Division VI
No. 1 Weed 54, No. 8 South Fork 35
A 23-8 fourth quarter propelled the top-seeded Cougars to a home win, with Grant Lane scoring 17 points, Angel Nicholas adding 15 and Tripp Rodriguez dropped in nine.
No. 2 Ripon Christian 64, No. 7 California School for the Deaf 41
Cousins Jacob and Braden Van Groningen combined for 38 points as the Knights raced out to a 36-17 halftime lead and rolled from there, letting the reserves play the fourth quarter. Sophomore Enos Zornoza scored nine to lead the Eagles.
No. 3 Fall River 60, No. 6 St. Bernard’s 49
No. 4 Ferndale 67, No. 5 Stockton Christian 65
Jay Araya scored 41 points for the Eagles, but Emmitt Albee’s 30 points kept the Wildcats’ season alive.
Second Round
Division I
No. 1 Riordan 76, No. 9 Vanden 62
Bryce Monroe scored 32 points as the Crusaders capitalized on Teiano Hardee’s absence after the Sacramento State commit broke his hand on a foul in the second quarter. Monroe’s elbow jumper gave Riordan (23-5) a 48-47 lead after three quarters, part of a 25-4 run bridging those final two periods as the hosts pulled away before a small but passionate crowd.
No. 3 Salesian 62, No. 6 Grant 45
A 23-4 first quarter, with Jaden Lazo scoring 16 of his 24 points during those eight minutes, provided enough of a cushion for the Pride that the Pacers could never launch a full comeback. Salesian (25-6) also got 10 points and 10 rebounds from Te’Jon Sawyer and Shane Bell scored seven, bringing him to exactly 1,000 career points. He became the 11th player in program history to reach the mark.
No. 4 De La Salle 53, No. 5 Menlo-Atherton 43
Trailing by four in the third after Menlo-Atherton (23-5) had launched a 7-0 run, the De La Salle Spartans answered with seven straight points of their own. Only they didn’t stop at seven. They didn’t even stop after scoring 17 straight to close the quarter.
In all, it became a 21-0 run to take a 44-27 lead, and De La Salle (24-7) hardly had to worry the rest of the way to close out one of the only teams that could mimic such a high level of defensive intensity. Skyler Thomas scored a game-high 19 for the Bears, but the DLS sophomore combo of Jeremiah Dargan (15 points) and Chris Bunch (14) was too much to overcome. The Spartans also got nine from Jack Byers, while JD Carson scored nine off the bench in his final game for M-A.
No. 7 Campolindo 60, No. 2 Capital Christian 58
Emmanuel Callas had already become known as a postseason performer during last year’s state championship run, but he took things to a new level on Thursday night in Sacramento with 33 points. Sophomore Aidan Mahaney added 13 to offset 21 points from Darrion Williams and 11 from Craig McMillan, both of whom are also members of the class of 2022.
Division II
No. 2 St. Patrick-St. Vincent 85, No. 10 De Anza 66
After a quiet first round game against San Ramon Valley, Dishon Jackson imposed his will on the Dons on Thursday night, with 29 points and 11 rebounds as the Bruins controlled the first and fourth quarters to continue their roll. Leading 24-9 after one but nursing just a three-point lead after three, SPSV played a great fourth quarter, outscoring the Dons 28-12 over the final eight minutes. Jackson and Jaden Alexander (18 points, 11 rebounds) both posted double-doubles, while Daniel Fagan scored 22 for De Anza (22-9), including 13 in the second quarter.
No. 3 Sacred Heart Prep 55, No. 6 Branson 53 (2 OT)
A 12-point lead in any game involving the Branson Bulls is typically comeback-proof, but that sure wasn’t the case on Thursday night in one of the strangest and most memorable games the Gators have ever won. A traveling call with 2.5 seconds left set up Lukas Prongos’ game-tying layup to keep the Bulls alive, and after neither team scored throughout the entirety of the first overtime, Sacred Heart Prep (23-5) held the lead through much of the second OT before another basket by Prongos tied it. On a night where so many crazy and confusing things had happened, the Gators kept it simple on the final possession, feeding senior center Charlie Selna in the post for the game-winning basket as the final seconds ran off the clock.
Aidan Braccie scored 13 for the hosts, while Selna and Jai Deshpande each finished with 10. Prongos led Branson (30-3) with 21.
No. 4 Weston Ranch 63, No. 5 Oakland Tech 50
Gavin Wilburn scored a game-high 18 points and Donjae’ Lindsey scored seven of his eight in the fourth quarter as the Cougars beat a second straight Alameda County team. Weston Ranch (22-12) also got 11 points from Mi’Son Coilton and nine from Favor Pitts, while Robel Zemmo led Oakland Tech (27-5) with 11.
No. 9 St. Mary’s-Stockton 89, No. 16 Whitney 67
It was just another night at the office for Jamar Marshall, who scored 34 points as the Rams put an end to Whitney’s Cinderella run. St. Mary’s (25-9) also got 23 from Grant Jory and 10 from Jadyn Marshall, plus eight from Rylan Guendert. Whitney (26-7) trailed by 17 at halftime and could never launch a substantial comeback. Ryan King led the Wildcats with 18, Jake Fink added 17 and Dom Spence chipped in nine.
Division III
No. 4 St. Mary’s-Albany 68, No. 5 Sacred Heart Cathedral 64
Late foul calls, including a possible charge that was ruled a block, drew the ire of the Fightin’ Irish as they fell to a Panthers team coached by former Riordan boss Rich Buckner.
No. 7 Carmel 59, No. 2 St. Ignatius 42
J.T. Byrne scored 17 points, Kai Lee had 16 and Max Carr added 11 as the Padres took a 19-9 lead after one quarter and never let St. Ignatius (12-17) go on a run, with Ethan Fletcher’s off-balance three to beat the shot clock midway through the fourth putting the game away. King-Jhsanni Wilhite scored 11 in the losing effort to cap off an excellent freshman year while Daniel Webster, a senior, scored nine.
No. 11 Foothill 67, No. 14 Sequoia 58
Leading 25-23 after a wild first quarter, the Cougars played much stronger defense over the remaining 24 minutes, riding a balanced scoring attack to victory. Luke Lindsey and Josiah Palumbo each scored 18 to lead Foothill (27-5), Bekdoo Lewis added 16 and center Brandon McCracken added 11 by shooting 5-of-6 from the floor.
No. 16 Wood 56, No. 8 Pleasant Valley 50
Landon Seaman and the Wood Wildcats continued to reinforce that there was no logic behind handing them a 16 seed, playing stellar defense yet again for another road win. Seaman scored a game-high 19 points, while Jake Kremer led Pleasant Valley (20-13) with 15.
Division IV
No. 2 Lincoln 79, No. 10 Clear Lake 42
Even by their fast-paced, high-flying standards, the 38 points the Lincoln Mustangs scored in the second quarter would be considered outstanding. Jordan Aquino had a double-double, with 18 points and 10 steals, with 16 of those points and eight takeaways in the first half. The hosts also got 14 points apiece from Justin Aquino and James Walsh, with Walsh also pulling down 10 rebounds. Tyler Cerini led Clear Lake (27-5) with 15 points and Jaron Mertle added eight.
No. 3 University 64, No. 6 Golden Valley 55
Balance once again propelled University (24-8) to victory, with Raki Cabrera-Scarlata scoring 15 points off the bench while starters Christian Heng and Charlie Kennedy each added 13. Kennedy scored six of his points during a 12-0 run in the third, while Aurrion Harris led Golden Valley (23-8) with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
No. 4 Hoover 60, No. 5 Hillsdale 58
Jamar Bowers’ block at the buzzer saved the day for the Patriots, who held on for a victory despite a sizeable contingent of Hillsdale fans making the trek down to Fresno.
No. 8 Brookside Christian 68, No. 1 Stuart Hall 63 (OT)
Everyone who faces Brookside Christian is tasked with stopping Geronimo De La Rosa. His excellence is no surprise, but even with teams fully prepared to face him, he still manages to piece together one big game after another. On Thursday, he had 24 points and eight rebounds in a win at Kezar Pavilion, knocking down the go-ahead three to jumpstart a decisive 7-0 run in overtime. Luke Moore scored 14 of his team-high 15 in the first half for Stuart Hall (25-8), while the Knights also got 14 points apiece from Kyle Jasper and Jay-Henry Ryan. Tomas Wolber finished his high school career with a solid all-around game, totaling up 12 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
Division V
No. 1 Pierce 56, No. 9 Calaveras 50
Colton Buckholz knocked down seven 3-pointers, but it wasn’t enough to knock off the top-seeded Bears. Calaveras (23-8) also got 15 points from Tim Van Damme and eight from Kaleb Orlandi.
No. 2 Bradshaw Christian 58, No. 7 Pacific Bay Christian 57
Jaylen Patterson’s 27 points saved the day for the Pride, who won despite 22 points from Dwight Bumgarner, Pac Bay’s senior center. The Eagles also got 16 points from Diego Sotto and eight from Dietrich Bumgarner, Dwight’s sophomore brother.
No. 3 San Domenico 68, No. 6 Gridley 55
Aleksa Milentijevic scored 20 points as the Panthers, in just their third year as a varsity program, advanced to the NorCal semifinals. San Domenico (19-12) also got 12 points from Grey Snyder and 10 from Max Ray, while Grant Tull led Gridley (22-9) with 22.
No. 5 Eastside 51, No. 4 Christopher 49
Another 24 points from Raymond Reece helped the Panthers reach the NorCal semifinals for the second year in a row, leading by double-digits for much of the second half and then fighting off a late Cougars charge. Eastside (21-7) also got 11 points from Jack Morton, while Rickey Becker led Christopher (19-11) with 19, but couldn’t get a foul call on his final shot attempt as the visitors held on. The hosts also got 13 points from Duncan Ellis, while Owen McCarry added 10.
