Seems the revamped round-robin format for the Central Coast Part Open Division basketball playoffs solely elongated the await de-facto semifinals.
The highest-four seeds in each the girls and boys brackets took care of enterprise Monday evening, although one staff obtained greater than it bargained for.
Right here’s a have a look at an eventful evening within the Bay Space:
SACRED HEART PREP SURVIVES SCARE
The one boys’ basketball staff within the Open Division not from the West Catholic Athletic League seemed in dire straits close to the top of a disastrous first quarter as second-seeded SHP, taking part in at residence in Atherton, trailed 25-6 towards upset-minded St. Francis, the No. 6 seed.
Gators coach Tony Martinelli might really feel the gray hairs rising by the minute earlier than his staff stormed again to win 69-55.
“They had been sprouting up a bit of faster than regular,” Martinelli stated with amusing. “I don’t know, with this staff you understand the offensive firepower is there, so so long as it didn’t get too far out of hand and it was early sufficient within the sport you felt like if we might tighten issues up defensively we might get again within the sport.”
Trailing 41-27 on the half, SHP went on a 22-5 run within the third quarter and by no means seemed again.
Belmont College-bound Aidan Braccia led the staff with 17 factors, and fellow senior Emmer Nichols added 16 factors.
Kevin Carney pitched in 10 factors for the Gators (23-3), and Jake York sank a trio of 3-pointers off the bench in entrance of a packed crowd.
“Simply the extent of faculty spirit during the last yr has actually simply proven us what COVID did to everyone,” Martinelli stated. “Everyone seems to be simply so excited to be out and simply watching something at instances.”
Wednesday’s semifinal in Atherton will likely be a rematch of SHP’s 57-47 victory over Archbishop Riordan on Dec. 4.
The third-seeded Crusaders (18-8) crushed No. 7 Bellarmine 75-33 to earn an opportunity to qualify for the championship sport.
A good 10-9 contest after the primary quarter, Riordan led 34-18 on the half and rolled from there.
King-Njhsanni Wilhite led all scorers with 20 factors, because the Crusaders search a return to the CCS Open Division title sport after falling to Archbishop Mitty in time beyond regulation final yr.
To get there Riordan should avenge a loss to SHP, which obtained its wake-up name on Monday.
“We’re positively going to must be higher beginning the sport,” Martinelli stated. “That goes with out saying, nevertheless it’s one other staff that we beat already and that comes with a bit of extra depth from the opposite staff’s finish and we now have to be prepared for that.”
He added: “Now we have to grasp what’s on the road. A visit to the Open remaining, that’s what we’ve been taking part in for and speaking about all yr. To not simply get there, however to win. And to try this we now have to beat a very good staff, and fortunately it’s in our place.”
PINEWOOD PREVAILS AT PALO ALTO
When the CCS workplace decided Pinewood’s gymnasium inadequate in measurement to host an Open Division women sport towards lower-seeded Palo Alto, it meant the Los Altos Hills-based faculty would play a street sport.
It didn’t matter because the third-seeded Panthers shot 16-of-27 from past the arc en path to a 77-45 rout at No. 7 Paly.
“We’re not going to lose any video games taking pictures that nicely,” Pinewood coach Doc Scheppler stated.
Washington-bound Elle Ladine led the best way with 34 factors and 10 rebounds in entrance of her future coach within the Pac-12.
“Her greatest sport as a Pinewood participant,” Scheppler stated. “Not even shut, definitely. By way of effectivity, how she obtained her pictures, simply performed an important all-around sport.”
He added: “She’s the perfect participant in Northern California, it’s not shut when she performs like that. The entire package deal.”
Pinewood (21-1), final yr’s Open Division champion, will journey Wednesday to San Francisco for a rematch with St. Ignatius, the one staff to defeat the Panthers throughout the common season – 59-54 on Dec. 11.
The second-seeded Wildcats (18-7) cruised previous Sacred Coronary heart Cathedral 61-36. Sabrina Ma paced the Wildcats with 20 factors, and Claire Untalan contributed 10.
Scheppler understands why his staff should hit the street Wednesday as a decrease seed, type of.
“It was deserved,” he stated. “The primary standards must be head-to-head. Though our document is healthier, their losses are two to Mitty, two to Carondelet, throw in a St. Mary’s of Stockton. They deserve that.
“Now, in a standard yr, I wouldn’t give a crap if we had been the three seed. This yr I care, as a result of what it does it imply? House court docket. This yr it’s totally different. Most CCS Open years you’re taking part in at Piedmont Hills or Santa Clara or wherever … and it doesn’t matter.”
MITTY SET FOR ANOTHER DOUBLEHEADER
The No. 1 seeds within the Open Division brackets will as soon as once more pull double-duty on their campus Wednesday.
On the boys’ aspect, Mitty didn’t blink throughout a 57-42 victory over No. 5 Serra.
The Monarchs (22-4) comfortably led 36-20 at halftime.
“The fellows had been centered tonight and got here out with some drive to start out the sport,” Mitty coach Tim Kennedy stated. “We had been taking the fitting pictures and sharing the ball. The ball had some good pop and vitality to it, so we had been getting some nice appears to be like and knocking them down. And defensively we had been fairly related. Only a nice general efficiency from our guys.”
Three gamers cracked double digits in scoring – Derek Sangster (16), Jaiden Paran (13), Isaiah Cabebe (12).
Subsequent up is one other matchup towards fourth-seeded St. Ignatius, which obtained 24 factors and 5 3-pointers from GianCarlo Toledo-Rivera in a 68-49 romp over No. 8 Valley Christian.
“We’re excited for the chance,” Kennedy stated. “We all know that we now have an enormous, robust problem battling S.I. as a result of they’ve given us two nice video games and it’s all the time robust to beat a staff 3 times, so we all know we now have our work lower out for us.”
On the ladies’ aspect, Mitty didn’t waver in a 69-39 conquer No. 5 St. Francis.
The Monarchs (25-1) had been led by senior guard Sienna Guttadauro with 20 factors. Sophomore Morgan Cheli added 11 and junior Elle Hanson chipped in 10.
Wednesday, Mitty will host No. 4 Valley Christian (20-6), which routed eight-seeded Half Moon Bay 74-23.