ORINDA, Calif. — The Miramonte Matadors weren’t gracious hosts on Saturday.
Welcoming in a San Ramon Valley team less than 20 hours removed from a marquee win over Dougherty Valley, the Mats jumped out to an early 24-7 lead and rolled to a 66-41 victory over the Wolves at the Matadors’ inaugural Martin Luther King Jr.-John Lewis Memorial.
“We knew they had a big win last night, so we just had to come out with a lot of intensity,” said Tyler Dutto, who scored 15 points and dished out seven assists. “We thought we’d be able to get an early lead, and we did, and we tried to stay with it.”
In a game that was appropriately billed as a matchup of two upper-tier North Coast Section programs representing two of the NCS’ best leagues, Miramonte (15-1) never let up, taking a double-digit lead late in the first quarter and never giving it back. The Matadors led 33-19 at halftime, extended the advantage to 19 on three occasions in the third quarter and finished on a 7-2 run to account for the final 25-point margin.
“We have so many guys that can break out for little 5-7 point runs,” said Ben Murphy, who finished with 13 as one of four Miramonte players in double figures. “It’s nice to have James (Frye) and Tyler facilitating the offense to open up opportunities. I’ve been playing with these guys since I was in fifth grade. I have such good chemistry with all of them.”
Murphy was responsible for Miramonte’s first seven points in the third quarter, answering a long Mason Thomas jumper with a 3-pointer off a Marcus Robinson assist and scoring off a feed from Dutto to make it 40-21. He and Dutto were joined in double figures by Frye, who finished with 16 points and eight rebounds, and Caden Breznikar, who scored 10.
“We’re trying to show ourselves that we have what it takes to be the last team standing,” Miramonte head coach Chris Lavdiotis said of the effort. “If we get a stop, they go. Attack the basket, make a play, set a screen, come off curl, backdoor, whatever.”
With five starters all capable of scoring in double figures, Miramonte not only can trust a variety of players to score, but to distribute. Dutto’s found a groove as an exceptional passer, averaging 6.3 assists per game.
“I just do anything I’m asked to do,” said Dutto, a two-sport standout who also plays wide receiver on the football field. “We have a lot of 6-3, 6-5 guys on this team, so I’m able to play point guard. That’s what I grew up playing. I’m a facilitator and I can score when they need me to.”
San Ramon Valley (8-3) never really got going on offense, save for a brief 8-3 run in the second that marked the only time the Wolves scored on more than two consecutive possessions. Sophomore Seamus Deely scored four of his nine points during the stretch.
“I don’t have any concern with our effort. We were just exhausted,” SRV head coach Brian Botteen said. “That’s not an excuse, that’s a good team. But back-to-back against Dougherty and Miramonte is gonna be a daunting task.”
While the Mats had four players with at least 10 points, Parker McClaughry was the only one to reach 10 for the Wolves. Miramonte, meanwhile, operated with the crisp offensive execution that has come to define the senior-heavy team through 16 games.
“(Our coaches) chase perfection,” Murphy said. “We’ll break down plays for a really long time so we can get the timing down really well. I think that separates the great coaches from the good. Taking their advice is the best thing you can do.”
Bishop O’Dowd 56, Moreau Catholic 53
Playing three straight games after taking the court just once over the prior 23 days, the Bishop O’Dowd Dragons opened the fourth quarter on a 10-2 run and held off Moreau Catholic down the stretch for their fourth straight win, 56-53.
Matthew Villanueva scored a game-high 23 points for the Mariners, but Cameron Brown led Bishop O’Dowd (5-4) with 18, 6-foot-9 center Cahal Connolly scored 13 and Amos Hodgson added nine, including a pair of big buckets during the critical run to open the fourth quarter. Point guard Trey Knight added 10 for Moreau Catholic (11-4).
Both teams will play at the 24th Martin Luther King Jr. Classic on Monday at De La Salle. The Mariners face Vanden (7-9) in the opening game at 11 a.m., and the Dragons play in the 12:30 p.m. game against University (10-7).
Saratoga 51, Monte Vista 33
The SCVAL’s negligence to realign divisions after a COVID-altered season was clearly a mistake, because the Saratoga Falcons belong in the top division of any power league.
They outscored Monte Vista 32-11 in the second half on Saturday afternoon in the opening game of the Martin Luther King Jr.-John Lewis Memorial for a convincing 51-33 win over the Mustangs, proving that they can hang not only with upper-tier Central Coast Section teams but quality North Coast Section programs as well.
Trailing 27-26 midway through the third quarter after Joshua Matthew made one of two free throws, Saratoga (12-2) embarked on a 15-0 run. Som Teymouri hit a 3-pointer from the wing, Giulio Morini hit a pair of free throws and Mateusz Palusinski scored off a steal and layup as Patrick Judge called on his team for a full-court press. Palusinski scored again a minute later, Bryan Wang scored on a drive and Teymour scored off a Palusinski assist and on a steal to give the Falcons a 41-27 lead before Monte Vista (7-7) finally stopped the bleeding on a basket by freshman point guard Kasen Krueger.
Teymouri, who scored a game-high 22, put his team up 15 with a 3-pointer just over two minutes into the fourth, and the last of his points extended the lead to its largest at 19. He also dished out five assists and collected five rebounds. Morini finished with 11, including a one-handed transition dunk in the first quarter, and Palusinski scored eight. Matthew was Monte Vista’s high scorer with just seven, all coming in the second half.
