#6 Bishop O’Dowd 70, Bishop Montgomery 63
For the third straight year, a Northern California team pulled an upset of an out of area power as Bishop O’Dowd turned a 17-1 deficit into a 70-63 win. The Dragons led by 19 in the third quarter and were led by junior guards Elijah Hardy (29 points) and Naseem Gaskin (21 points).
It started poorly for the Dragons, which used two timeouts in the first five minutes. Oregon State signee Ethan Thompson scored 11 of the Knights’ first 17 points as a rout looked to ensue. However, the Dragons closed the first on a 10-3 run and then used a 16-6 spurt to start the second quarter to take a lead (27-26) they would never give back.
Bishop O’Dowd was +11 from the foul line (25-14) and got good production off the bench from sophomore Raymond Hawkins (10 points, seven rebounds). He also produced the highlight of the day on a coast to coast take that finished in a physical dunk.
Outside of Thompson, the only other Knight in double figures was junior Jordan Schakel with 11 points, but most of his production came late in the fourth quarter.
The Knights were without three players, including nationally ranked junior David Singleton.
#2 Woodcreek 80, Newark Memorial 52
A year after losing to Newark Memorial in this same event, Woodcreek earned a measure of revenge with a convincing win on Saturday night. Junior national recruit Jordan Brown finished with 27 points and 25 rebounds in showcasing his footwork, agility and versatility.
Woodcreek won the first quarter by six, second quarter by seven and the third quarter by nine to take a commanding 22 point lead after 24 minutes. The Timberwolves shot 55 percent and outrebounded Newark Memorial 52-22.
Joining Brown in double figures were Jackson Hughes (14), Chris Cagle (11), Tyrell Roberts (10) and Truman Sharp (10).
The Cougars got 28 points from senior point guard Decaurey Brown, who scored the team’s 13 points. Brown went 11-for-23 from the field with four made three pointers.
#5 Capital Christian 82, Alemany 71 (Overtime)
The expected game of the day lived up to its billing, but took a different course to get there. Capital Christian was down 14 points in the first and second halves, but ended regulation on a 22-8 run to force four more minutes. From there, they scored 17 of the final 23 points to earn a major season opening win.
No. 2 junior Zach Chappell was tremendous with 38 points on 11-for-22 shooting, He scored the Cougars’ final five points in the fourth quarter and six more in overtime. Nine rebounds, three assists and two steals rounded out his line.
The Cougars, who were without Tolu Jacobs, are a young team with just two seniors (Austin Alexander and Conner Jefferys). Alexander, ranked No. 9 in the class, had 14 points and seven rebounds, and sophomore watch list member Trey Jones had 10 points. Freshmen Kendall Munson and Fred Burton, who made a big three in the final minutes of regulation, combined for 11 points.
After shooting 40 percent in the first half, the Cougars went 18-for-31 (58 percent) over the final 20 minutes thanks in part to an increased pressure defense that forced 12 second half turnovers.
Alemany was paced by 31 points from junior DJ McDonald, and a double-double from Brandon Davis (14 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists). The Warriors made one more three pointer than Capital Christian, but needed 15 more attempts to do so (6-for-24 compared to 5-for-9).
#7 Moreau Catholic 72, Immanuel 63
When you can line up and have the best two players on the floor most nights, success should follow. That is the formula Moreau Catholic is utilizing in 2016-2017 with senior Damari Milstead (Grand Canyon) and freshman Kyree Walker.
Walker, who was named Player of the Game, finished with 27 points on 11-for-15 shooting with nine rebounds and three assists. He made numerous pull-up jumpers and had a personal 9-0 run in the first half as part of his high school regular season debut. Milstead had 27 points in front of his future head coach Dan Majerle while adding seven rebounds, five assists and three steals to key the fourth quarter run (13-2). Milstead, ranked No. 2 in 2017, is a big play defender.
They scored 75 percent of the Mariners’ points and took 38 of the team’s 55 shots.
Immanuel was led by Cal State Bakersfield signee Darrin Person Jr. (22 points, 10 rebounds) and Nate Kendricks (20 points, three 3-pointers).
Staples for this Moreau Catholic squad will be its pressure defense and getting penetration for buckets or free throws. The Mariners forced 29 turnovers against 14 of their own and outscored the Eagles 22-11 (+11) from the free throw line.
Christian Brothers 70, Berkeley 59
An up and down game was settled by a second half run for Christian Brothers, whose football team made the section finals on Friday night. The Falcons put four players in double figures led by 18 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks from Elias King. Andre Albason was also very sound with 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
After trailing much of the first half, Berkeley took a brief lead early in the third quarter on a three point play from Ben Baker. Christian Brothers outscored the Yellowjackets 21-7 the rest of the quarter and led by as much as 17 points in the final frame.
Rounding out the top scorers for the Falcons was reserve Brandon Wiggin with 14 points (11 in the first half) and Will Warner with 10. They shot 57 percent overall, including 6-for-11 from three point range.
Berkeley was effective when it could play fast and attack off the dribble. However, the driving lanes closed up in the second half as Christian Brothers switched up to a zone. Sean Spikes had 22 points on 8-for-13 shooting, but the rest of the Yellowjackets went 15-for-49 (30 percent). Baker was also in double figures with 17 points.
The Yellowjackets were without 2018 point guard Kyree Brown, who is sitting out the 30 day transfer period after coming over from St. Mary’s-Berkeley.
#15 Dublin 75, Las Lomas 64
The game looked like a mismatch early, but Dublin needed a fourth quarter run to hold off Las Lomas in an old Diablo Foothill Athletic League matchup. The Gaels put together a 17-4 spurt spearheaded by freshman guard Robby Beasley, who scored nine of his 14 points in the final frame.
Las Lomas, behind strong play from No. 31 junior Robert Prince and good shooting, closed an early 11 point deficit to two points going into halftime (41-39). The Knights ended the third quarter on a 12-0 run to take a 57-53 lead before the final Gaels’ push.
Dublin had the size advantage led by junior Jack Nielsen, who had 17 points and eight rebounds in making all eight of his field goal attempts. Steven Houston had 12 points and 14 rebounds and Conner Jackson finished with 12 points after a good first quarter. Montana signee Timmy Falls had eight points.
The Gaels were +9 rebounding.
Prince, the best player on the floor, had 23 points on 17 shots in scoring from all three levels. Tanner Wallace was also in double figures with 14 and made two of Las Lomas’ nine three pointers.
#9 Monte Vista 68, #16 St. Patrick-St. Vincent 58
The opening game of the showcase was close throughout, but runs at the end of each half (6-1 in the second quarter and 9-0 in the fourth quarter) provided the difference for the Mustangs.
Monte Vista shot 8-for-20 from three point range (four different players with makes) led by three from junior Mark Castro. The Mustangs outscored the Bruins by 15 points from beyond the arc with the Bruins ending 3-for-17. St. Patrick-St. Vincent relied on driving for points in the paint and getting to the foul line (15-for-23).
It was a two man game for the Bruins with No. 20 senior Tavian Henderson (25 points on 8-for-13 shooting) and No. 27 senior BJ Standley (16 points on 6-for-23 shooting) accounting for 70 percent of their points.
The Mustangs were led by No. 14 senior Austin Fadal (18 points, seven rebounds) and Castro (17 points). Senior Ashton Rust had 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting with a number of successful post-ups in the second half. He also drew the Henderson assignment. Rust’s versatility will be very important throughout the season.
For the third straight year, a Northern California team pulled an upset of an out of area power as Bishop O’Dowd turned a 17-1 deficit into a 70-63 win. The Dragons led by 19 in the third quarter and were led by junior guards Elijah Hardy (29 points) and Naseem Gaskin (21 points).
It started poorly for the Dragons, which used two timeouts in the first five minutes. Oregon State signee Ethan Thompson scored 11 of the Knights’ first 17 points as a rout looked to ensue. However, the Dragons closed the first on a 10-3 run and then used a 16-6 spurt to start the second quarter to take a lead (27-26) they would never give back.
Bishop O’Dowd was +11 from the foul line (25-14) and got good production off the bench from sophomore Raymond Hawkins (10 points, seven rebounds). He also produced the highlight of the day on a coast to coast take that finished in a physical dunk.
Outside of Thompson, the only other Knight in double figures was junior Jordan Schakel with 11 points, but most of his production came late in the fourth quarter.
The Knights were without three players, including nationally ranked junior David Singleton.
#2 Woodcreek 80, Newark Memorial 52
A year after losing to Newark Memorial in this same event, Woodcreek earned a measure of revenge with a convincing win on Saturday night. Junior national recruit Jordan Brown finished with 27 points and 25 rebounds in showcasing his footwork, agility and versatility.
Woodcreek won the first quarter by six, second quarter by seven and the third quarter by nine to take a commanding 22 point lead after 24 minutes. The Timberwolves shot 55 percent and outrebounded Newark Memorial 52-22.
Joining Brown in double figures were Jackson Hughes (14), Chris Cagle (11), Tyrell Roberts (10) and Truman Sharp (10).
The Cougars got 28 points from senior point guard Decaurey Brown, who scored the team’s 13 points. Brown went 11-for-23 from the field with four made three pointers.
#5 Capital Christian 82, Alemany 71 (Overtime)
The expected game of the day lived up to its billing, but took a different course to get there. Capital Christian was down 14 points in the first and second halves, but ended regulation on a 22-8 run to force four more minutes. From there, they scored 17 of the final 23 points to earn a major season opening win.
No. 2 junior Zach Chappell was tremendous with 38 points on 11-for-22 shooting, He scored the Cougars’ final five points in the fourth quarter and six more in overtime. Nine rebounds, three assists and two steals rounded out his line.
The Cougars, who were without Tolu Jacobs, are a young team with just two seniors (Austin Alexander and Conner Jefferys). Alexander, ranked No. 9 in the class, had 14 points and seven rebounds, and sophomore watch list member Trey Jones had 10 points. Freshmen Kendall Munson and Fred Burton, who made a big three in the final minutes of regulation, combined for 11 points.
After shooting 40 percent in the first half, the Cougars went 18-for-31 (58 percent) over the final 20 minutes thanks in part to an increased pressure defense that forced 12 second half turnovers.
Alemany was paced by 31 points from junior DJ McDonald, and a double-double from Brandon Davis (14 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists). The Warriors made one more three pointer than Capital Christian, but needed 15 more attempts to do so (6-for-24 compared to 5-for-9).
#7 Moreau Catholic 72, Immanuel 63
When you can line up and have the best two players on the floor most nights, success should follow. That is the formula Moreau Catholic is utilizing in 2016-2017 with senior Damari Milstead (Grand Canyon) and freshman Kyree Walker.
Walker, who was named Player of the Game, finished with 27 points on 11-for-15 shooting with nine rebounds and three assists. He made numerous pull-up jumpers and had a personal 9-0 run in the first half as part of his high school regular season debut. Milstead had 27 points in front of his future head coach Dan Majerle while adding seven rebounds, five assists and three steals to key the fourth quarter run (13-2). Milstead, ranked No. 2 in 2017, is a big play defender.
They scored 75 percent of the Mariners’ points and took 38 of the team’s 55 shots.
Immanuel was led by Cal State Bakersfield signee Darrin Person Jr. (22 points, 10 rebounds) and Nate Kendricks (20 points, three 3-pointers).
Staples for this Moreau Catholic squad will be its pressure defense and getting penetration for buckets or free throws. The Mariners forced 29 turnovers against 14 of their own and outscored the Eagles 22-11 (+11) from the free throw line.
Christian Brothers 70, Berkeley 59
An up and down game was settled by a second half run for Christian Brothers, whose football team made the section finals on Friday night. The Falcons put four players in double figures led by 18 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks from Elias King. Andre Albason was also very sound with 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
After trailing much of the first half, Berkeley took a brief lead early in the third quarter on a three point play from Ben Baker. Christian Brothers outscored the Yellowjackets 21-7 the rest of the quarter and led by as much as 17 points in the final frame.
Rounding out the top scorers for the Falcons was reserve Brandon Wiggin with 14 points (11 in the first half) and Will Warner with 10. They shot 57 percent overall, including 6-for-11 from three point range.
Berkeley was effective when it could play fast and attack off the dribble. However, the driving lanes closed up in the second half as Christian Brothers switched up to a zone. Sean Spikes had 22 points on 8-for-13 shooting, but the rest of the Yellowjackets went 15-for-49 (30 percent). Baker was also in double figures with 17 points.
The Yellowjackets were without 2018 point guard Kyree Brown, who is sitting out the 30 day transfer period after coming over from St. Mary’s-Berkeley.
#15 Dublin 75, Las Lomas 64
The game looked like a mismatch early, but Dublin needed a fourth quarter run to hold off Las Lomas in an old Diablo Foothill Athletic League matchup. The Gaels put together a 17-4 spurt spearheaded by freshman guard Robby Beasley, who scored nine of his 14 points in the final frame.
Las Lomas, behind strong play from No. 31 junior Robert Prince and good shooting, closed an early 11 point deficit to two points going into halftime (41-39). The Knights ended the third quarter on a 12-0 run to take a 57-53 lead before the final Gaels’ push.
Dublin had the size advantage led by junior Jack Nielsen, who had 17 points and eight rebounds in making all eight of his field goal attempts. Steven Houston had 12 points and 14 rebounds and Conner Jackson finished with 12 points after a good first quarter. Montana signee Timmy Falls had eight points.
The Gaels were +9 rebounding.
Prince, the best player on the floor, had 23 points on 17 shots in scoring from all three levels. Tanner Wallace was also in double figures with 14 and made two of Las Lomas’ nine three pointers.
#9 Monte Vista 68, #16 St. Patrick-St. Vincent 58
The opening game of the showcase was close throughout, but runs at the end of each half (6-1 in the second quarter and 9-0 in the fourth quarter) provided the difference for the Mustangs.
Monte Vista shot 8-for-20 from three point range (four different players with makes) led by three from junior Mark Castro. The Mustangs outscored the Bruins by 15 points from beyond the arc with the Bruins ending 3-for-17. St. Patrick-St. Vincent relied on driving for points in the paint and getting to the foul line (15-for-23).
It was a two man game for the Bruins with No. 20 senior Tavian Henderson (25 points on 8-for-13 shooting) and No. 27 senior BJ Standley (16 points on 6-for-23 shooting) accounting for 70 percent of their points.
The Mustangs were led by No. 14 senior Austin Fadal (18 points, seven rebounds) and Castro (17 points). Senior Ashton Rust had 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting with a number of successful post-ups in the second half. He also drew the Henderson assignment. Rust’s versatility will be very important throughout the season.
