OAKLAND, Calif. – In the old-time basketball lingo long before the three-point shot was made the fancy by being incorporated as a staple of basketball strategy, the term nip-and-tuck was used to describe a close back-and-forth, grind it out, defensive affair with no team being to get any separation.
The match-up between host and state CIF Northern Regional Division I second-seeded Bishop O’Dowd and No. 4 seed Carondelet in an all CIF North Coast Section title-game tilt was more like an out of control see-saw with as many times it went back and forth.
It almost took an abacus to add up all the lead changes and ties, but after 22 lead changes and 13 ties, and in a game where no team led by more than three points, O’Dowd sophomore standout Devin Cosgriff pulled up and hit a mid-range floater with 3.5 seconds left and after the final tally created the 22nd lead change the Dragons escaped with a 48-47 victory.
O’Dowd led 13-11 after one quarter, it was tied 26-26 at the half, and the Dragons had a 34-32 advantage heading to the final period.
The triumph sends Bishop O’Dowd (24-6) into the CIF Division I state championship this Friday at 6:00pm in the state capital at the home of the Sacramento Kings on the hardwood at the Golden 1 Arena. The Dragons will meet Southern Regional Division I top-seeded Bishop Montgomery-Torrance. The Lady Knights were a 71-68 winner over Brentwood-Los Angeles in the SoCal D1 title game.
It’s doubtful the game could have been closer but based on the Cal-Hi Sports state rankings that had O’Dowd at No. 14 and Carondelet at No. 15, the razor thin margin of victory was pretty much expected by analysts despite the fact Bishop O’Dowd was a 51-37 victory in the CIFNCS Open Division third-place game. The difference was in this game, and unlike the prior match-up where a big third quarter run propelled the Dragons to victory, the biggest run either team was able to make was only four straight points.
“Back and forth all game and I expected nothing less tonight. “I knew it was going to be a close one,” O’Dowd head coach Malik McCord remarked. “Nobody could get away. I thought we might starting in the second half like the last game, but no. Carondelet played an excellent game tonight.”
“The scary thing is this wasn’t close to our best game, but the girls will to win was there,” McCord continued. “We missed too many chippies around the basket and too many free-throws. To win state on Friday we’re going to need to clean that up.”
Senior guard and floor general Savannah Jones led O’Dowd with 16 points and four assists, senior Nyah Greenwood did miss al lot of what McCord called “chippies” but more than made up for it with 21 rebounds to go with 14 points. Besides the game winner Cosgriff added eight points and 13 rebounds.
While baskets were at a premium the entire game there was no lack of defense by either team Jones in particular played a huge role. Her scrappy, physical style of defense limited Carondelet’s top player, Lehigh-committed Keshia Vitalicio, to seven points and none in the fourth quarter.
“Defense wins games,” Jones said. “That’s what the coaches have stressed to me since my freshman year and it’s been a huge part of my game.”
“Even when shot aren’t falling for me or I can’t get to the basket I know I can help my team by playing defense. Whatever I can do, 94-feet, the whole court, I’m going to play defense,” Jones continued. “We weren’t playing our best game from the start but it was our will to win for each other that got us there.”
The final two and a half minutes of the game was like a whirlwind.
With the score tied 40-40 junior Madison Gordon made one of two free-throws to give O’Dowd a 41-40 lead. Greenwood got a rebound and a put back and the Dragons had their final three-point lead of the game at 43-40.
Vitalicio then hit her lone three-pointer of the night at it was tied at 43-43 with 1:50 left. Sophomore Layla Dixon scored to give Carondelet a 45-43 lead at the 1:26 mark.
From there neither team was able to score until sophomore Jayla Stokes (seven points) connected on her only three-point of the night off a kick out by Cosgriff, and the crowd went wild as the Dragons took a 46-45 lead with only 28 seconds remaining.
Senior Katie Kostolansky got loose under the basket and scored with 17.4 seconds on the clock, but Cosgriff broke the hearts of the Cougars and sent the Dragons and their fans into a frenzy.
Senior Kamil Reid led Carondelet (29-7) with 14 points, Kostolansky had 11 points and sophomore Layla Dixon added 10 points.
In facing Bishop Montgomery the Dragons will be up against a talented line-up led by junior D1 prospect Jordin Blackmon, senior Tiara Jones, sophomore Sophia Dignadice and freshman Armanyie Reed.
“We’re going to have to pick it up on Friday,” McCord said. “Our defense is fine but we have to execute better on the offense end. If we do that we should be fine.”
“It’s going to take focus and practice the next couple of days, and just trusting and having faith and confidence each other,” Jones added to what it’s going to take to win the D1 state championship.
Bishop O’Dowd will be seeking its fourth CIF state championship and is currently 3-2 in state title-game appearances. Bishop Montgomery will look to add to its six state CIF championships, including four straight from 2000-03 and two straight in 1996-97 and comes in with a 6-1 record in state CIF title games.
