NorCal playoff basketball quarterfinal roundup: McClymonds pulls out a wild one

Now it should really get interesting.

There were no truly big upsets in the first two rounds of CIF State Northern California playoffs. Eight of the 10 divisions have at least three of the top four seeds alive heading into Tuesday's semifinals.

The top four seeds will face off in Division I boys and Division II girls. The top two seeds are alive in nine of the 10, with the one exception Lowell girls in Division I.

All that say, there were some exceptional terrific games on Saturday, topped off with a couple of high-scoring, old-fashioned overtime barn-burners.

The best of the night was at Laney College in Oakland, where host McClymonds (Oakland) fought back from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Deer Valley (Antioch) 87-79.

Dulani Robinson had 29 points, Lawrence Otis 25 and Eric Jones 16 for McClymonds (19-10), which now travels to Sheldon-Sacramento in Tuesday's semifinals.

Marcus Lee, Deer Valley's talented 6-9 junior center, had 22 points but fouled out with 3:58 left in regulation. Teammates Kendall Smith and Olajuwon Garner each had 16 points.

What made this score so interesting was that McClymonds defeated Deer Valley by 40 during the regular season. The Wolverines have been up-and-down all season, but tonight they were up.

If not for Lee's departure, they likely would have pulled the upset. But that's why they keep track of fouls.

The other fight to the finish was in Division IV boys, where host Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton) simply would not be denied in an 80-78 over win over arch-rival St. Patrick/St. Vincent (Vallejo), a team that had eliminated SHP the previous two years.

Both those times were also in Atherton.

This time the hot hand of Cole McConnell (33 points, eight 3-pointers) was just too much to overcome as Sacred Heart Prep reached the NorCal semifinals for a first time.

St. Patrick (20-12) got 32 points from Jason Webster and 25 from Jalen Canty.

In other Northern California action:

BOYS

Division I

De La Salle (Concord) two-man scoring barrage of Elliott Pitts and Amadi Udenyi continued in a convincing 54-40 Northern California Division I quarterfinal playoff win over visiting Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove).

Pitts, a long, sharp-shooting 6-foot-5 junior guard, scored 16 of his game-high 26 points in the first nine minutes as the top-seeded Spartans (28-2) from Concord won their 21st straight game and moved into Tuesday's semifinal against Jesuit-Carmichael. When Pitts slowed down somewhat, Udenyi, a rugged, quick 5-11, 190-pound point guard, tallied 15 of his 19 in the second half.

The duo has averaged more than 60 percent of De La Salle's offense, which could be a concern, except for one thing, Pitts said. "Our defense," he said. "No matter if we both go cold we always have our defense to keep us in games and turn into offense."

Besides, Udenyi said, "if one of us has an off night the other seems to be on. Tonight I could tell Elliott was hot so I just laid low and waited until the second half."

Udenyi had just four free throws at halftime, but hit a 3-pointer to start the second half setting off a 10-point third quarter, helping the Spartans take complete control. De La Salle outscored Pleasant Grove (24-7) 19-6 in the third to take a 44-24 lead into the final frame.

Pleasant Grove, which beat De La Salle in a summer league game, never backed down and cut the lead to nine in the fourth quarter thanks to a combined 18 points from Colfax Nordquist and Cody Demps, but it wasn't nearly enough. "That's a very good, tough, well-coached team we just beat," De La Salle coach Frank Allocco said.

In other Division I action, four-seed Jesuit (Carmichael) defeated Castro Valley 73-53 and No. 2 Sheldon knocked off Piedmont Hills 64-44. Jesuit got a big games from Bryce Pressley (26 points) and Akachi Okugo (15) while Sheldon (Sacramento) rode the efforts of Kyi Thomas (19 points), Dakarai Allen (nine points, seven rebounds, six assists) and Nate Iese (10 points).

Division II

Top-seed Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) (28-3) once again showed it’s not nearly the Aaron Gordon show with a 77-50 win over Windsor. Neil Vranicar had 18 of his game-high 20 points in the second half and Jack Biebel added 17 in the first half. Gordon, one of the nation’s top juniors who lead Mitty to a state title as a sophomore, had just eight points, saddled with foul trouble. … Second seed Newark Memorial (Newark) advanced past Bella Vista 75-64 despite 20 points apiece from K.J. Logue and Ahmad Smith. ... Host and third-seed Serra (San Mateo) (24-6) opened with a 17-4 run and cruised to a 66-43 victory over Las Lomas-Walnut Creek as Henry Caruso (18 points, 10 rebounds) and Andre Miller (20 points) led the way. Christian Lawson led Las Lomas (20-11) with 12 points. ... The biggest news in the Division - and perhaps the boys tournament - was Chico's 66-58 win at No. 4 Antelope, breaking a 28-game win streak. Jesse Holmes had 25 points for Chico which was eliminated last season by Antelope. Some were calling it the biggest win in Chico High School basketball history.

Division III

Taylor Johns had 26 points, Herman Pratt 16, Tyler Petroni 15 and Josh Fox 10 as top-seed and host Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco) (26-5) defeated Miramonte-Orinda 90-57. Kirah Shastri had 18 for Miramonte (20-10). … Christopher Smith had 30 points leading Center (Antelope) to a 63-57 win over Foothill-Palo Cedro. … Kelly Bender had 17 points and Anthony Williams and Michael Bryson 12 apiece as Foothill (Sacramento) got past El Cerrito 50-46. ... Second-seed Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) scored a 63-50 home win over Lindhurst.

Division IV

Top-seed Salesian (Richmond) (31-2) ended Half Moon Bay's Cinderella season with a 70-34 win at Pinole Valley High. Jermaine Edmonds had 14 points, Jabari Bird 13 and Davion Mize and Markel Leonard 10 apiece for Salesian (31-2), which advanced to a semifinal against Arcata, a 63-51 win over Ripon. Logan Marshall had 11 points for Half Moon Bay (24-7), which was making its first NorCal playoff appearance. ... Second seed and host Modesto Christian hung on to beat a tough Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) squad 87-81, behind 30 points from Raymond Bowles, 20 by freshman Anthony Townes and 19 from Tyras Rattler. It helped offset a 36-point performance by Newman's Kenny Love. ... Arcata got big games from Tom Witzel (11 points, 11 blocks) and Will Taylor (16 points), while Jake McCreath had 12 points and 13 rebounds for Ripon.

GIRLS
Division I

At Kezar Pavilion, Gunn (Palo Alto) recorded a 34-24 win over second-seed Lowell (25-5). Catherine Perez had 12 points and Zoe Zwerling nine for Gunn (21-6), which lost to Lowell earlier in the year. ... Jessica Lauderdale had 17 points and Amayla Geer 15 as Kennedy (Sacramento) outlasted Deer Valley 58-52. … Jenna Klein had 10 points leading a balanced scoring as Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills) throttled Heritage-Brentwood 44-29. ... Top seed Berkeley (28-2) had little trouble with Pleasant Grove 51-33 as Arizona State-bound Elisha Davis had 13 points and four steals.

Division II

Second-seed Carondelet (Concord) drilled 13 3-pointers including four by sophomore Natalie Romeo, who scored a game-high 22 in a 74-53 win over McNair (Stockton) (28-5), which was led by Jasmine Sales with 14 points. Utilizing a big size advantage and good shooting of its own – it made seven 3-pointers – McNair closed to 53-47 with 6:21 remaining, but the second-seeded Cougars (28-5) went on a 13-3 run aided by three 3-pointers, two by MaKenzie Cast to put it away. Three of McNair's losses have come to top-seed St. Mary's-Stockton. ... Third-seed St. Ignatius (San Francisco) (26-5) got a combined 37 points from freshmen Sydney Raggio and Josie Little in a 65-49 win over Casa Grande-Petaluma (31-3). … Second-seed Archbishop Mitty (26-5) breezed past Pleasant Valley 64-26 behind Kelli Hayes and Kalyn Simon with 13 points apiece. ... Top seed St. Mary's (Stockton) rolled to a 77-48 win over Dougherty Valley as Charise Holloway had 24 points and 12 rebounds and Courtney Range added 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Division III

Janine Loutzenhiser had 16 points, Carly Gill 15 and Taylor Kizziee 14 as visiting Miramonte (Orinda) scored a 76-61 win over third-seed Sacred Heart Cathedral, which got 16 points from GeAnna Summers-Lualu and 12 by Jerrieiza Enriquez. Miramonte improved to 30-1 and two-time defending CCS champion Sacred Heart Cathedral finished 14-14. ... Second-seed Sacramento Briana Womack had 21 points including five 3-pointers, sophomore Zonyia Cormier 12 and Allie Green made a stirring return from a season-long knee injury in a 72-34 win over San Marin-Novato. ... Oderah Chidom had 25 points leading top-seed Bishop O'Dowd (27-3) to a 68-39 win over Christian Brothers. ... Valerie Moore had a game-high 20 points and VeAnne Navarro 15 as Modesto Christian (27-6) went on the road to defeat Terra Nova 63-61. Terilyn Moe had 15 and Ivonne Cook-Taylor 14 for the Tigers.

Division IV

Salesian's Mariya Moore almost had a triple-double on Saturday.

File photo by Dennis Lee

Top seed Salesian (Richmond) (29-4) got 22 points, 11 assists and eight steals from Mariya Moore and 20 points by MaAne' Mosley in a 77-46 win over West Campus. ... Gabby Green had 22 points, Shannon Mauldin 19 and Mikayla Cowling 14 as No. 2 seed St. Mary's (Berkeley) rolled to a 75-32 win over Bear River. ...  ... McKinleyville defeated host Soquel 46-44 in the other quarterfinal game. ... Third seed Calaveras (San Andreas) squeaked past Marin Catholic 33-31.

Here are the scores from Saturday night and Tuesday night semifinal matchups:

Boys

Division I
De La Salle 54, Pleasant Grove 40
Jesuit 73, Castro Valley 53
McClymonds 86, Deer Valley 79 (OT)
Sheldon 64, Piedmont Hills 44

Tuesday 7 p.m. semifinals
No. 4 Jesuit (26-6) at No. 1 De La Salle (28-2)
No. 3 McClymonds (19-10) at No. 2 Sheldon (27-5)

Division II
Mitty 77, Windsor 50
Chico 66, Antelope 58
Serra 64, Las Lomas 43
Newark Memorial 75, Bella Vista 64

Tuesday’s 7 p.m. semifinals
Chico (27-3) at No. 1 Mitty (28-3)
No. 3 Serra (24-6) at No. 2 Newark Memorial (27-4)

Division III
Sacred Heart Cathedral 90, Miramonte 57
Center 63, Foothill Palo Cedro 57
Foothill 50, El Cerrito 46
Bishop O’Dowd 63, Lindhurst 50

Tuesday’s 7 p.m. semifinals
Center (23-8) at No. 1 Sacred Heart Cathedral (26-5)
No. 3 Foothill-Sacramento (29-3) at No. 2 Bishop O’Dowd (25-5)

Division IV
Salesian 70, Half Moon Bay 34
Arcata 63, Ripon 51
Sacred Heart Prep 80, St. Patrick 78 (OT)
Modesto Christina 87, Cardinal Newman 81

Tuesday’s 7 p.m. semifinals
Arcata (26-5) vs. No. 1 Salesian (31-2), site, time TBA
No. 3 Sacred Heart Prep (22-6) at No. 2 Modesto Christian (27-5)

Division V
St. Joseph Notre Dame (Alameda) 73, St. Francis 29
Central Catholic (Modesto) 59, Sacramento Waldorf 39
Branson (Ross) 44, Capital Christian 42
Pinewood (Los Altos Hills) 79, University 64

Tuesday’s 7 p.m. semifinals
Central Catholic (26-6) at No. 1 St. Joseph (27-4)
Branson (26-9) at No. 2 Pinewood (26-2)

GIRLS
Division I
Berkeley 51, Pleasant Grove 33
Oak Ridge 44, Heritage 29
Kennedy 58, Deer Valley 52
Gunn 34, Lowell 24

Tuesday’s 7 p.m. semifinals
No. 4 Oak Ridge (24-8) at No. 1 Berkeley (27-2)
Gunn (21-6) at No. 3 Kennedy (24-8)

Division II
St. Mary’s 77, Dougherty Valley 48
St. Ignatius 63, Casa Grande 49
Mitty 64, Pleasant Valley 26
Carondelet 74, McNair 53

Tuesday’s 7 p.m. semifinals
No. 4 St. Ignatius (26-5) at No. 1 St. Mary’s (29-3)
No. 3 Mitty (25-5) vs. No. 2 Carondelet (26-3) at TBA

Division III
Bishop O’Dowd 68, Christian Brothers 39
Modesto Christian 63, Terra Nova 61
Miramonte 76, Sacred Heart Cathedral 61
Sacramento 72, San Marin 34

Tuesday’s 7 p.m. semifinals
Modesto Christian (27-6) at No. 1 Bishop O’Dowd (27-3), time TBA
Miramonte (30-1) at No. 2 Sacramento (26-6)

Division IV
Salesian 77, West Campus 46
McKinleyville 46, Soquel 44
Calaveras 33, Marin Catholic 31
St. Mary’s 76, Bear River 35

Tuesday’s 7 p.m. semifinals
McKinleyville (24-7) vs. No. 1 Salesian (29-4), site, time TBA
No. 3 Calavaras (29-3) at No. 2 St. Mary’s (25-7)

Division V
Brookside Christian (Stockton) 74, International 54
Pinewood (Los Altos Hills) 51, Hamilton 41
St. Joseph Notre Dame (Alameda) 61, Turlock Christian 57
Eastside College Prep (East Palo Alto) 47, Ripon Christian 26

Tuesday’s 7 p.m. semifinals
Pinewood (20-12) at No. 1 Brookside Christian (27-4)
No. 3 St. Joseph-Notre Dame (21-10) at No. 2 Eastside Prep (16-13)

Report compiled from both live reports and information obtained from the San Francisco Chronicle, Contra Costa Times, San Jose Mercury News, Sacramento Bee, SanFranPreps.com, Modesto Bee, Chicoer.com and the Stockton Record.






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