NCS basketball playoffs 2024: Thursday’s top storylines, surprises, game recaps
The higher seeds sweep the opening round of NCS Open games, Bishop O'Dowd rolls at Acalanes, CVC gives Branson everything it can handle
TOP STORYLINE: SRV SIZZLES AT LINE
Word of caution for anyone that plays the San Ramon Valley boys in the playoffs: Don’t fall behind by a large enough margin in the fourth quarter that fouling becomes the only option. These guys don’t mess around at the free-throw line. In their 77-68 victory at home over Granada on Thursday night in the first round of the North Coast Section Open Division playoffs, the Wolves took 28 foul shots. They made 25. That’s 89.2 percent — as a team. Mason Thomas went to the foul line 10 times in the final quarter. He made nine. Luke Isaak took five trips to the line over the final eight minutes. He didn’t miss. “That’s a pretty impressive free-throw performance,” said Seamus Deely, who had 11 points for SRV.
INSPIRATIONAL RETURN
When San Ramon Valley guard Jack Moxley went down with a knee injury last month, it was uncertain if the senior would make it back before the season ended. Well, he is back. Cleared to play last week, Moxley came off the bench to provide solid defense and score six points in the victory on Thursday over Granada, his first game action since the injury. “That guy is super human,” SRV coach Brian Botteen said. “This injury is supposed to be four to eight weeks. That’s a huge lift for us. He must feel good about tonight.” Added Deely: “When he went down against Livermore, we were very, very scared. Thankfully it’s the best-case scenario. Having him back is going to be all we need.”
SURPRISES
Surprises? What surprises? The higher seed won all four Open Division matchups on Thursday. Three of those games were won by double-digits, and SRV was one point off the mark. Not even home-court advantage could save No. 5 Acalanes and No. 6 Piedmont from being routed.
GAME DETAILS
Open Division boys
No. 3 Branson 62, No. 6 Clayton Valley Charter 50: The teams were tied at the end of three quarters, but a nine-point run by host Branson at the start of the fourth was too much to overcome for the visiting Ugly Eagles. Illinois-bound guard Jase Butler scored a game-high 20 points for the Bulls (22-6), six coming in that run. Elijah Perryman led CVC (22-8) with 17 points, and Vince Ellis and James Moore scored 11 apiece for the visitors. Clayton will play at Granada on Wednesday in the fifth-place game.
No. 4 San Ramon Valley 77, No. 5 Granada 68: Luke Isaak poured in 28 points for No. 4 San Ramon Valley to surpass the 1,000-point milestone and lead the Wolves to a win over Granada. The visiting Matadors still put up a fight even while missing senior wing NaVaughn Long. Darren Sabedra was in Danville and has the full story here.
Open Division girls
No. 3 Carondelet 83, No. 6 Piedmont 53: No. 3 Carondelet used its superior depth and aggressive defense to stymie No. 6 Piedmont and secure a Wednesday semifinal berth at No. 2 Cardinal Newman. Layla Dixon led a balanced Carondelet scoring attack with 19 points, while Natalia Martinez put Piedmont on her back and scored 38. Nathan Canilao was in Piedmont and has the full story here.
No. 4 Bishop O’Dowd 63, No. 5 Acalanes 46: It took a minute for O’Dowd’s potent offense to find its groove at Acalanes, scoring just eight points in the opening quarter. But once the Dragons got going, there was no stopping them as they ran away with the 63-46 victory and guaranteed a matchup with top seed San Ramon Valley. Savannah Jones led O’Dowd (19-5) with 17 points, and Myella Chapman was right behind her with 16 points while Devin Cosgriff and Jayla Stokes scored 12 and 10 respectively. Acalanes was playing at home because it won the Diablo Athletic League. Karyss Lacanlale tried to carry the Dons, scoring 24 points as the team’s only double-digit scorer. Acalanes (25-5) will play host to Piedmont in the fifth-place game on Wednesday.
OAKLAND ATHLETIC LEAGUE: BUZZER-BEATER
ArDarius Grayson lived out every high school basketball player’s dream this week.
Oakland Tech’s senior guard made a heavily-contested 3-pointer at the buzzer on Wednesday night to give the Bulldogs a 63-60 victory at home to secure the OAL regular-season title.
Final: Oakland Tech 63, Oakland 60
UNREAL!@justAD___ buries a crazy contested 3-pointer as time expires and Oakland Tech wins the @OALAthletics regular season title! pic.twitter.com/SwNZi7Apz6
— Ethan Kassel (@KasselMedia) February 15, 2024
Grayson scored a game-high 27 points, and Tech teammate Asher Kramer poured in 16 points. Meanwhile, Anthony Lacy led Oakland with 21 points, and guard Anthony Chapple put in 14.
ON TAP FOR FRIDAY
Central Coast Section play begins for both boys and girls teams. Archbishop Mitty, ranked No. 1 in the nation, will open an inevitable romp through its pool by playing host to No. 8 St. Francis. The No. 5 Riordan girls will travel to No. 4 Pinewood, and No. 2 Los Gatos will take a trip up to San Francisco to play No. 2 seed Sacred Heart Cathedral. … On the boy’s side, high-flying top-seeded Archbishop Riordan will welcome a Bellarmine team it defeated 74-51 last week, and No. 4 Serra will duke it out with Sacred Heart Prep. No. 2 Mitty plays host to Half Moon Bay, while Branham, the other public school in the Open, must travel to No. 3 St. Ignatius. … NCS Division I boys play sees No. 1 Bishop O’Dowd play host to No. 8 Foothill, which defeated rival Amador Valley in the first round. No. 4 Dougherty Valley, which won the section Open title a year ago, will try to replicate that success in Division I when it plays host to No. 5 Monte Vista. Dougherty edged out the Mustangs 56-53 in EBAL play in league competition in January. … No. 6 Campolindo, two seasons removed from winning NCS Open, will travel down to No. 3 Dublin to play the hot-and-cold Gaels. … Heritage girls will stay in Brentwood after being awarded the No. 2 seed in NCS Division I, and will welcome No. 7 James Logan (22-5). No. 3 Salesian will play host to No. 6 Monte Vista, and No. 1 California will play host to EBAL rival Dublin. … The No. 9 Cupertino boys will play host to Salinas in CCS Division I after a 23-1 regular season.