SAN RAMON — High-seeded Dougherty Valley can thank Ryan Beasley for getting off to a quick begin in addition to a powerful end.
Within the interim, Moreau Catholic gave the Wildcats all they may deal with after which some. The host Wildcats prevailed 68-65 Tuesday night time in a North Coast Part Division I playoff sport, however not earlier than seeing a 15-point lead at halftime flip right into a five-point deficit with lower than two minutes to play within the fourth quarter.
It was then that Beasley hit eight straight free throws within the ultimate 1:28 to complete with 43 factors and the Wildcats got here up with some key defensive stops to prevail in a sport that seemed to be slipping away.
Dougherty Valley (21-5) will play host to Clayton Valley Constitution (20-9), the No. 2 seed, within the title sport Saturday night time. Clayton Valley beat Bishop O’Dowd 68-58 within the different semifinal.
Jordan Silva added 9 factors for Dougherty Valley, which has received three straight video games after a four-game dropping streak on the finish the East Bay Athletic League season. For Moreau, its season is probably going over at 24-5, Trey Knight scored 29 factors and Matthew Villanueva added 16.
It was the second straight sport Beasley completed off an opponent on the line, additionally going 8-for-8 late in Dougherty Valley’s second-round win over Mt. Eden.
Whereas Beasley carried the majority of the scoring load, coach Mike Hansen preferred the way in which his staff stored its composure after Moreau’s stifling protection started forcing turnovers and making the Wildcats look drained and susceptible.
“These guys are going to struggle,” Hansen stated. “As coaches, we’re dropping our minds, freaking out, they usually simply keep calm and play. If you’ve bought Ryan, it form of retains you in each sport as a result of he can hit massive pictures, however I beloved how the opposite guys stored attempting to make performs.”
Beasley had an electrifying first quarter, hitting 5 3-point pictures as Dougherty Valley jumped to a 19-8 lead. These had been the one 5 3-pointers Beasley would make, however he added 11 extra within the second quarter because the Wildcats led 39-24 at halftime.
Moreau’s urgent protection started to show the tide within the second half, though the Wildcats nonetheless took a 51-40 lead into the fourth quarter. With Knight scoring on an array of drives and making 11 of 12 free-throw makes an attempt, the Mariners went on a 16-4 run to open the fourth quarter to tie the rating 56-56, then took their first lead on Villanueva’s basket with 3:37 to play.
Moreau led by as a lot as 63-58 after Knight scored with 1:30 to play earlier than Beasley restored order on the line to place the Wildcats again on high.
“We bought down, dug a gap,” Moreau coach Frank Knight stated. “We ended up being up six after being down 15 — that’s a 20-point swing. Simply couldn’t maintain them off on the finish. I informed the youngsters, ‘I really like y’all, you battled again, however we simply weren’t adequate tonight.'”
Dougherty Valley once more performed with out its second-leading scorer in Conner Sevilla, out with a thigh harm. The dropping streak on the finish of the EBAL season is now a distant reminiscence.
“Moreau has nice teaching and gamers, an amazing program. I knew they had been going to return out and struggle,” Beasley stated. “We’ve bought quite a lot of coronary heart and coaches that hold us going. You possibly can’t get down after a few losses. We’ve received three in a row and now we wish one other one.”