Greetings from Dublin!

[kiddman32]

am I back? Oh, there I am…

Now it’s 53-47 Branson with 5:56 left in the game.

Okay, now my phone says it doesn’t likemy keyboard.

4:56 left, 56-48 Branson.

 

[kiddman32]

Hmmm…. now I’m back. Is there a full moon tonight??

Branson leads 58-48, 3:05 left…

Mitty with a putback, Tyler Jones. Branson answers, didn’t see who…. 60-50.

Branson takes advantage of Mitty’s trap, easy pass to Butler for a score…. 62-50. 2:06 left.

 

[kiddman32]

Nice pass to Jones for a Mitty 3…. 62-53.

1:20 left now, Mitty calls time…. Branson has ball on offensive end.

Mitty gets a stop, forcing a Branson travel…

Ripp plays bullyball and scores. 62-55.

Mitty unable to score, Joaquin Aguilar fouled, at line for Branson. FT’s split... 63-55. 25 seconds left, Mitty needs to find an 8-point play.

There’s a 3…. 63-58, 16.6 left.

 

[kiddman32]

Carr fouled, sinks 2…. and that’s the ballgame. 65-58 Branson.

Player of the game: Jase Butler. 22 points and a bunch of other goodies…. Quite the player!

 

[kiddman32]

Last game of the evening, De La Salle faces SoCal power Centennial.

This is DLS’s first game, and Centennial is 2-1 after losing a close one to Arizona power Sunnyslope.

 

[kiddman32]

Just noticed that Cen10 has seven sophs on the roster.

 

[kiddman32]

two of those sophs start, and senior Eric Freeny is headed for UCLA.

 

[kiddman32]

So, yeah…. these guys will be a challenge for DLS.

 

[kiddman32]

Cen10 starts with a swat by Carter Bryant followed by a 3 by the same dude…

Blair scores right back, 3-2 Cen10.

Drive and score for DLS by Ibrahim Monowar…. 4-3. Cen10 turns it over…

Goaltend, DLS scores…. 6-3 DLS. Cen10 with another turnover…

Blair turnaround, no go… but DLS rebounds a miss…Leo Ricketts nails a 3! 9-3 DLS.

Blair foul…. Shot goes off the clock for Cen10.

Blair for 3, in and out…

DLS steal and runout by Anthony Pelosi.. I think…. DLS and their white unis with white numbers…. at least they have an outline…. Nearly unreadable. 11-3 Spartans, 2:53 left 1st.

 

[kiddman32]

Eric Freeny on the board…. 11-5.

Great pass for a DLS inside score…. 13-5.

Cen10 another turnover…

Monawar nails a 3 from Venus! 16-5.

Tariq Iscandari hits a corner 3 for Cen10…. 16-8.

Blair inside move DENIED by Bryant, who goes the length of the floor with it and scores… and is fouled, FT good. 16-11.

Blair with a try at the buzzer, no go…. 16-11 after 8 minutes. Sparty in front.

 

[kiddman32]

Freeny with a short J in the paint, 16-13…

Sparty with a travel in the paint.

Ricketts nails a 3! 19-13.

Great pass from Ricketts after a rebound and runout…. Couldn’t see who scored. 21-13 Spartans. 4:53 in the half.

 

[kiddman32]

Freeny fouled on the way up. FT’s good, 21-15 Spartans.

Spartans with a travel, under the 4-minute mark.

Soph Justice Griffith scores on a break for Cen10, but DLS hits a 3! 24-17.

Ricketts breaks ankles, hits a 3!! 27-17.

Blair drives after a stop, fouled on the way up…. FT’s split. 28-17.

Blair with a steal and an incrediblt move to the hoops for a score! 30-17. 1:19 left in the half.

Freeny fouled on the way…. FT’s good. 30-19.

Blair drives, gets a charge.

DLS rebounds a miss…. last-shot try…

Ball knocked away, but Spartans have it with 0.6 left…. Ricketts try no good. 30-19 DLS at the half.

 

[kiddman32]

Ricketts is quicketts!! Drives base and hits a reverse layup…. but Cen10 scores, but DLS scores…. 34-21, 6:50 left 3rd.Terrific move by Justice Griffith for a Cen10 score…

Monowar nails a 3 for the Spartans! 37-26 now after a 3-point play by Cen10…. Ricketts nails a 3!! 40-26.

Full-cort drive by Carter Bryant…. 40-28, 5:01 left in the 3rd.

 

[kiddman32]

Still 40-28, 4:15 left 3rd…

Great pass by Justice to Zack Mendenhall for a score…. 40-30.

Blair 3 just misses, knocked off a Spartan…. but DLS gets a stop.

Moving screen…. 2:32 left. Blair’s 4th.

Bryant nails a stepback 3…. 40-33.

1:51 left 3rd.

Ricketts for 3, nope.. tipped out by a Spartan..

Wild pass by Cen10, totally unforced…

DLS runs a play to a cutting Ricketts, he’s fouled, on the floor.

Darell Cenido fouled, two Spartan freebies…. both good. 42-33.

Nice pass to Markee White for a Cen10 score…. 42-35, and that ends the 3rd stanza.

 

[kiddman32]

Cen10’s Freely scores inside…. 42-37.

Nice spin move by a Spartan for a score, couldn’t see who…. 44-37.

Freely fouled, FT’s good…. 44-39.

Nice inside dish for a Sparty score, they rebound a miss…. 46-39…. 3-ball nope…. Isaiah Rogers gets inside and scores…. fouled, but FT missed.. 46-41.

Inside try, in and out…. Bryant scores on the other end…. time out, 5:13 to go, Sparty hanging onto a 46-43 lead.

 

[kiddman32]

Blair goes back in with 4 fouls…

3-ball bounces off, Freely scores quickly…. 46-45, but Braddock Kjellesvig scores for the Spartans. 48-45, 4:34 left, Cen10 ball.

 

[kiddman32]

Freely 3 try, nope…. DLS rebound, but held ball…. DLS keeps it.

Monawar nails a 3!! 51-45.

Freely answers on a putback. 51-47.

Ricketts nails a 3!!!! 54-47.

Bryant with a putback…. but Blair scores in the paint.

Rebound Spartans…. 2:25 to go.

Blair shot, nope, but Kjellesvig with the offensive board! Time out Spartans! 2:13 to go.

 

[kiddman32]

Scoop shot by Monawar for a score…. 58-49.

Give and go to Ricketts works perfectly! 60-49, and Ricketts was fouled! Missed FT.

Griffith with a quick Cen10 score, they call time. 60-51, 1:04 left.

 

[kiddman32]

Spartans break the press, try to use up time, Cen10 fouls after a near steal…

Another foul…. Another foul, but under 30 seconds left now. Ricketts fouled again, has 2 shots. Both good, people are flooding the exits…. Spartans rebound a long try, and grab the win! 62-51, player of the game is….

Leo Ricketts! 21 points, 5 boards… and a number of assists.

Good night now…

 

[rwccaptain42]

wow what a day!!! Thanks very much

 

[ayalar09]

DLS leading from start to finish against Centennial is very impressive. I still think Harvard Westlake will be the team to beat in SoCa, but I think this is the first year in awhile we can honestly say Norcal has a chance in Open against the Socal team. DLS, Salesian and even Riordan once they are healthy, will provide some quality basketball for us fans this season!

Btw Blair is going to have a tough choice between baseball and basketball. With NIL the way it is, maybe a school will pay him 4 years to do both.

 

[kiddman32]

I wonder about that, since basketball overlaps heavily with baseball, even in HS... Must be even worse in college.

 

[george_george_george]

Not only is Blair getting national interest in both sports, but he is a two-way player in baseball. Blair's baseball stock seems to rising higher than basketball showing up on top 50 HS prospect lists for the 2025 MLB draft.