Boys: Protection lifts Alameda into semifinals
Alameda knew what to do when it grabbed the lead within the second half of its North Coast Part Division II quarterfinal Saturday evening at Redwood.
It needed to maintain standout Jake Vasquez from taking cost.
So Alameda coach Miles Tarver dialed up a “box-and-one” protection that labored higher than anybody might have imagined.
The guests held second-seeded Redwood to 1 level within the fourth quarter, turning a three-point deficit after three durations right into a 44-32 triumph.
As an alternative of a somber journey house, seventh-seeded Alameda will now prepare for a semifinal recreation on Wednesday evening at third-seeded Las Lomas, a winner over Montgomery on Saturday.
“It did work,” Tarver stated of the late-game protection. “It appeared prefer it sort of caught ’em off guard. They sort of handed the ball round and after they couldn’t get it to their fundamental man who play-makes — No. 12 (Vasquez) — it was like a sizzling potato.”
Redwood will be an intimidating place for guests, provided that the house scholar part is about up behind one of many baskets.
Saturday, the fitness center wasn’t all that imposing.
“I don’t know if it was due to the vacation weekend or what,” Tarver stated. “However the group I noticed after they performed Branson a number of instances — individuals trying prefer it was Cameron Stadium at Duke — that was non-existent tonight. We’ll take it.”
Gabe Garcia scored 14 factors and level guard Jackson Yep added 10 to guide Alameda. The Hornets additionally obtained stable contributions off the bench from Tariq Grant (two 3-pointers within the first half) and Zion Moore (large performs down the stretch).
“The scoring was fairly unfold out,” Tarver stated. “It was a well-rounded effort.”
Ladies: Teaching change hasn’t stopped Moreau
Moreau Catholic superior to the semifinals of the NCS Division II playoffs, cruising at house previous a well-known foe, Newark Memorial, 74-27. The Mariners had already crushed Newark twice in league play, so the consequence wasn’t sudden.
What was sudden: Moreau had a training change in January, with assistant principal Toni West taking on after the varsity parted methods with the earlier coach for causes not made public.
The Mariners will convey an eight-game successful streak into their semifinal Wednesday evening at house towards third-seeded Miramonte.
West provides all of the credit score to the gamers.
“They may have chosen to simply throw the season away,” she stated. “However as an alternative they dug in.”
Within the victory on Saturday, Madeline Bader and Madison Thomas every completed with 17 factors and Dymonique Maxie had 16. The Mariners additionally performed sturdy protection.
Now they're two wins from a 3rd consecutive part championship. Moreau captured Division III titles in 2020 and final season. The NCS didn't maintain playoffs in 2021 due to the pandemic.
What makes Moreau so good?
“I’ve solely been a part of the staff for a couple of month,” West stated. “However being an assistant principal and watching them for 4 years, I actually imagine the power is the muse that the teaching workers put in place after which the (gamers’) chemistry collectively is definitely actually enjoyable to look at. They simply know the place the opposite individual is meant to be. They impart rather well.”
Boys: Las Lomas finds a approach to advance
Las Lomas didn’t play its model Saturday evening at house towards Montgomery however met the one goal presently of the season.
“We survived,” coach Sly Hunter stated after a 67-60 victory. “We discovered a approach to get the job executed tonight. Our guys have been scrappy. Their guys have been scrappy. It was a really bodily recreation.
“We are able to play bodily, however the tempo wasn’t as quick as I would love. We’re not the very best half-court staff. We like to attain in transition.”
Hunter credited Montgomery, including that the sixth-seeded Santa Rosa faculty is well-coached.
“It was a battle for us,” Hunter stated.
As typical, Jake Davis, Jack Halpin and Mike Wooden led the Knights.
Ladies: Miramonte’s Karena Eberts leads playoff push
Miramonte junior Karena Eberts has been a prolific scorer since Day 1.
She has averaged at the least 10 factors per recreation in her first three varsity seasons and is scoring 17.8 factors per contest in 2022-23.
When the Matadors want an enormous efficiency, as they did in Saturday’s 54-46 NCS Division II quarterfinal win over Redwood, the 6-foot-2 ahead has stepped up.
She scored a game-high 24 factors towards Redwood.
However on the evening Eberts surpassed the 1,000-point mark for her profession, it was her newfound management qualities, not her shotmaking, that had coach Vince Wirthman raving.
“She’s our captain, and she or he’s actually taken over the staff,” Wirthman stated. “She’s simply the center and soul of the entire staff, and offers every little thing she has each evening.”
On a squad with a seven-player rotation, Eberts is commonly requested to play large minutes. She has responded by scoring in double figures in all however one recreation and can be averaging 12.3 rebounds per recreation.
“She’s sort of a quiet child on the whole, however when she’s on the courtroom, she’s telling individuals what to do, actually operating the staff on the market,” the coach stated. “She’s a coach on the ground.”
Except for Eberts’ 24 factors, Courtney Scheingart scored 12 factors, and her sister Katherine Scheingart scored all eight of her factors within the second half to assist No. 3 seed Miramonte keep forward late.
“We stored making an attempt to tug away, and we couldn’t get away from them,” Wirthman stated. “It was only a typical match recreation the place you simply wish to survive and advance. It was a grind of a recreation, that’s for certain.”
Ladies: O’Dowd content material in Division II
The best way during which Bishop O’Dowd has breezed by means of the primary two rounds of the NCS Division II playoffs makes one surprise: Ought to the Dragons have been chosen for the Open Division?
Longtime coach Malik McCord says no.
“We haven’t crushed an Open staff all 12 months,” he stated after top-seeded O’Dowd rolled previous No. 8 seed Ukiah 58-23 on Saturday. “It made sense. Had we crushed an Open staff, we must always have been within the Open. However we misplaced to Acalanes, we misplaced to Cardinal Newman. We’re at the place we have to be.”
Due to accidents, O’Dowd began three freshmen Saturday. Two of them, Lizzy Quinteros and Devin Cosgriff, have been the Dragons’ main scorers. Cosgriff had 15 factors and Quinteros completed with 11.
The sport was performed with a operating clock within the fourth quarter.
“The ladies performed effectively,” McCord stated.
Ladies: Piedmont’s Trinity Zamora working her means again
Because of an NCS bylaw that solely permits Divisions I by means of III groups to be positioned into the elite Open Division, undefeated Piedmont is caught enjoying overmatched competitors in Division IV.
After receiving a first-round bye, the top-seeded Highlanders defeated Lick-Wilmerding 81-29 on Saturday. Natalia Martinez had 25 factors and 5 assists, and Eva Levingston and Perseas Gioukaris mixed for twenty-four factors and 22 rebounds.
But when there is a bonus to having an eight-day layoff and a slate of mismatches on the schedule, it’s that star senior ahead Trinity Zamora will in a position to play her means again into recreation form.
The San Diego State commit missed virtually a month due to a knee harm she suffered towards Bishop O’Dowd on Jan. 18.
Zamora returned for the common season finale towards Berkeley on Feb. 10, and her coach stated the staff doesn't need her to do an excessive amount of too quick.
“She says she feels good and wholesome, however I don’t know if she is 80 or 90 p.c wholesome, or 95 p.c,” Piedmont coach Bryan Gardere stated. “However she’s been cleared by the coach, and she or he’s working across the clock.”
Saturday, Zamora had 10 factors, 12 rebounds and 6 assists in restricted minutes. Each obtainable participant on Piedmont’s roster performed.
“There have been alternatives for everybody to get some courtroom time, so we tried to benefit from that,” Gardere stated.
Piedmont will play host to No. 5 McKinnleyville within the semifinals on Wednesday.