PINOLE, Calif. – High school basketball fans have waited two years for the usual bevy of preseason tournaments that fall in mid-late November, and those who showed up for the 2nd annual Pinole Valley Tip-Off Classic at Pinole Middle School were not disappointed.
In the marquee matchup, Cardinal Newman brought a taste of North Bay rain by dropping a dozen three-pointers in a victory over Miramonte, host team Pinole Valley cruised past Campolindo, Alhambra pulled off a nail-biter, and St. Patrick-St. Vincent and Swett also walked away winners. Here’s a rundown of the day’s action:
Cardinal Newman triumphs over Miramonte
For Monica Mertle and her Cardinals, it was a sweet return to the court as a barrage of three-pointers and a solid defensive effort earned them a 50-36 win against Miramonte in the night’s penultimate matchup.
Sophomore guard Leah Martinez poured in 19 points – 15 coming from beyond the arc – and Reese Searcy had a fine all-around game with 11 points, seven boards, six steals, and three assists for Cardinal Newman (2-0).
Karena Eberts paced Miramonte (0-1) with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
Cardinal Newman came out of the gates strong, burying eight three-pointers in the first half. In fact, 27 of the team’s first 29 points were from three-point land. When the effectiveness from there wore off in the third, the Cardinals drove it inside more often. And it was Martinez who kept Newman in front in the fourth, when she accounted for 10 of the team’s 13 points in the quarter.
“We tried to mix up the way taht we attacked the zone,” Mertle commented. “We want to be versatile, we want to score in different ways. We have a young group and they’re getting better every single day.”
The Mats, who lost a handful of seniors including Jordan Allred at the end of a succesful but all-too brief 2021 season, will look for new talent to emerge this year.
“We decided if they’re going to beat us, they’re going to beat us with threes,” Miramonte coach Vince Wirthman stated. “We held them to 50 points, we just turned the ball over too many times. We’re going to have some growing pains, but we have some good pieces.”
Cardinal Newman elected not to play in the truncated previous season which started in late April 2021; in 2019-20 the Cardinals went 29-4 overall and dominated the North Bay League with a 10-0 mark.
Pinole Valley dusts Campolindo
A trio of Pinole Valley juniors – Deadriana Prim, Imani Johnson, and Faith Dumlao – came up big as the Spartans trounced Campolindo, 75-53. Prim led the way with 26 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, two steals, and a block. She helped push Pinole Valley (1-0) out to a 22-16 first quarter lead, and spurred the fourth quarter when the Spartans doubled the lead they had at the end of three. Johnson added 19 points, and Dumlao chipped in 15 by going five-for-seven from deep.
Camille Yabu carried the offensive load for Campolindo (0-1) with 21 points.
Prim, standing at 5-11, enters the season with career averages of 14.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.0 steals, and 2.4 assists per game.
“Everything’s starting to fall in place. We still had some mess-ups, but we’re getting there," Prim said. "We just (need to) learn how to communicate and be a team."
The last full year for Pinole Valley was very successful for coach Brian Gaither and his squad, as they ran the table in the Tri-County-Stone Division and finished 24-7 overall.
Moreau Catholic holds off San Leandro
Dymonique Maxie played a starring role for Moreau Cahtolic and the Mariners survived heavy foul trouble in a 59-54 win over San Leandro. Maxie totaled 14 points, eight assists, seven rebounds, six steals, and two blocks for Moreau Catholic (1-0). Teammate Madison Thomas looked electric as well but fouled out early in the fourth. She finished with 13 points, five boards, and three steals. Jasmine Beltran and Maddy Bader chipped in 15 and 13 points, respectively.
The Mariners first took control in the second quarter, outscoring the Pirates 18-12 to take a four-point advantage into the second half. It was tied at the end of three, however, and at the start of the fourth San Leandro was already in the double bonus. That translated to five points for the Pirates, all from the line, to begin the period. Beltran then netted consectuive baskets, including a three, and another long distance dial up with 2:30 remaining. A basket by Bader, and a Madison Mathewson layup off a full court pass from Maxie finished off the Pirates.
“It was tough to follow the game plan because we got into foul trouble so early so some of our key players had to sit more than they’re used to (but) it did give the opportunity for some of these other girls,” Moreau coach Jose Alvarez said. “They did a good job of following the secondary game plan which was not to foul as much, protect the ball, and try to get as many shots as possible.”
Maya Pollard paced San Leandro (0-1) with 14 points, five rebounds, and four steals. Lyndsey Marrujo, Jayonnah Carter, and Geriah Bradley added nine points apiece.
In other games...
Alhambra edged Eureka, 42-39, as Lexie Lipary scored 13 points, including the Bulldogs’ last five. Lipary’s three-point play made it 40-36, but after a Payton Goodman three, Alhambra staved off the Loggers’ final efforts, including a three-point heave at the buzzer.
Also earlier, St. Patrick-St. Vincent triumphed over Head Royce 43-31, with Aiani Prater scoring 15, and Swett upset Oakland 49-42 behind Farzenah Moss-Fields’s 17.
Most Outstanding Players
At the end of each game, one player earned the Most Outstanding Player award and presented with a plaque.
The winners were as follows: Moss-Fields, Prater, Lipary, Maxie, Prim, and Martinez.
Note: the final game, scheduled between Bishop O’Dowd and Oakland Tech, was canceled when one team withdrew.
