CIF NorCal basketball semifinals: Saturday’s top storylines, surprises, more
PALO ALTO, TKA BOYS TO MEET FOR D-III CROWN
Palo Alto is one win from appearing in its third state championship game – and first since 2006 – after going on the road Saturday night and returning home with a 63-52 victory over Christian Brothers-Sacramento.
Standing in the Vikings’ way of the NorCal Division III title – and state final appearance – is another team from Santa Clara County, top-seeded The King’s Academy.
TKA defeated Carlmont 75-69 in the other NorCal semifinal on Saturday, eliminating the opponent that beat Palo Alto 66-62 in the Central Coast Section Division I final last week.
Jorell Clark had another huge game for Palo Alto on Saturday, scoring 29 points – none larger than the off-balanced, shot-clock-beating 3-pointer he sank with about four minutes left and the score tied 50-50.
Palo Alto locked down defensively the rest of the way to reach the sixth NorCal final in program history.
Gavin Haase added 17 points and Nicholas Feitzinger finished with eight for the Vikings, who won their third game in a row since the Carlmont loss.
“Very proud of our team’s competitive spirit and their effort,” Palo Alto coach Jeff LaMere said. “This team competes on every play. And Jorell Clark is a special player.”
TKA controlled the entirety of Saturday’s game against Carlmont as the defensive-minded Scots were no match for the Knights.
Karan Kolappa had a team-high 20 points, Xavier Barnett totaled 18 and senior Caedmon Dickson had 15.
The Knights played in front of a sold-out crowd at their home gym in Sunnyvale.
“Today was the most amount of people I’ve ever seen in that gym for a basketball game at one time,” TKA coach Cameron Bradford said. “People were standing along the baselines, the doors were open and people were watching from outside. The atmosphere was great.”
Bradford said the main focus for his team will be figuring out how to stop Clark and Palo Alto’s offense.
“I’ve heard nothing, but great things about him,” Bradford said of Clark. “From what I’ve heard, he’s a tremendous athlete and a great player. We’re going to have our hands full.”
– Darren Sabedra, Nathan Canilao
SRV GIRLS’ STORYBOOK SEASON COMES TO END
The San Ramon Valley girls, with no seniors on the roster, wildly overachieved this season.
The Wolves won the East Bay Athletic League regular-season and tournament titles, captured their first North Coast Section Open Division crown in a stunning 76-43 rout of Acalanes and rolled past Pinewood in the first round of the NorCal Open Division regional.
But the run ended Saturday night in the Fresno area as undefeated Clovis West advanced to the NorCal final with a 69-62 victory.
“We were right there, up two with a little over three minutes to play, and couldn’t hold it,” SRV coach John Cristiano told the Bay Area News Group. “It was a tough locker room, and they still want to play, but the focus shifts to next year. We won’t let it diminish a terrific season and accomplishment no one except these girls and our coaches thought possible.”
Kaitlyn Mills led SRV with 27 points, Alyssa Rudd scored 16, Ella Gunderson added nine and Hania Bowes put in six for the Wolves (28-4). All are expected to be back next season.
“I was in the first row of the bus, and as the girls loaded up and filed in, one of them says to me, ‘Coach, can we start open gyms next week,’” Cristiano said. “How lucky I am to have had these girls and this team.”
– Joseph Dycus
SALESIAN GIRLS ON DOORSTEP OF STATE AGAIN
The Salesian girls made their trip to Hanford a pleasurable one as they advanced to the NorCal Division II final with a 61-51 victory over Sierra Pacific.
It will be the Pride’s eighth appearance in a regional final.
Vanessa Parilla (20 points), Janiya Sawyer (16) and Jamia Sawyer (12) scored in double figures for Salesian, which last won a regional title in 2022 (Division I).
Saturday, Salesian led by two at halftime and three heading to the fourth quarter.
Jamia Sawyer had nine rebounds and Oriannah Birden pulled down seven rebounds and blocked three shots as sixth-seeded Salesian advanced to play at top-seeded Caruthers on Tuesday.
– Darren Sabedra
PRIORY BOYS OUST BERKELEY IN D-IV
Priory continued to show why it was seeded No. 1 in the Division IV bracket with an easy 69-48 victory over fifth-seeded Berkeley. Kasten Eggers led the way with 19 points and made all eight of his free throws, and Teddy Xanthopoulos scored 15 points.
The Panthers will face third-seeded Santa Cruz in Portola Valley for a spot in the D-IV state title game.
Priory (24-6) won the CCS Division V title over Palma last week and then took down Washington-San Francisco 64-53 and outlasted Natomas 66-65 to reach Saturday’s semifinal.
Berkeley’s NorCal run included wins over Ripon Christian and Palma.
Noah Miller scored 15 points and Deonte Joseph added 10 for the Yellowjackets.
– Joseph Dycus
HMB GIRLS ONE WIN FROM HISTORY
Second-seeded Half Moon Bay started slow on its home court in a Division IV girls semifinal against third-seeded Rio Linda. But when things got rolling for the Cougars, there was no turning back.
HMB outscored the visitors 21-8 in the second period to erase a five-point deficit at the end of the first quarter. The Cougars went on to advance to the final at home on Tuesday against ninth-seeded Lowell, which beat Castilleja 39-31 in the other semifinal.
Xochitl Nieves led HMB with 15 points. The Cougars also got 14 from Zoey Lemoge and 13 from Delaney Dorwin.
HMB will be making its first appearance in a NorCal final.
— Darren Sabedra
CARONDELET CRUISES INTO NORCAL FINALS
Carondelet made it look easy.
The Cougars outscored visiting Cardinal Newman in every quarter to cruise to a 64-46 victory.
The Concord school will now head to its second consecutive NorCal Division I title game. Last year, the Cougars fell to Bishop O’Dowd on a last-second shot but avenged that loss when they beat the Dragons on Thursday.
Carondelet will host No. 4 seed St. Mary’s-Stockton on Tuesday for the right to go to the state title game.
– Nathan Canilao
JETS FLY INTO D-V GIRLS FINAL
Encinal was too much for Washington-San Francisco to handle from the get-go as the Jets rolled to a 59-37 victory in a game that was never competitive.
Jazzy Alcantar scored a game-high 26 points for the Alameda program, which is one win away from its first appearance in a state title game.
Surina Castro also scored eight points for Encinal, and Isabelle Lu and Haley Huynh both had seven points. Encinal (22-9) will play Woodland Christian for the NorCal title on Tuesday.
“It’s super exciting, just to know that we’re making history with each win,” Encinal coach Juanita Lyons said. “And to be doing it during women’s history month makes it that much sweeter.”
– Joseph Dycus
CORNERSTONE GIRLS AVOID UPSET IN D-VI
Playing host to a Fall River team that had just upset No. 1 seed Ferndale, Cornerstone Christian did not underestimate the No. 8 seed on Saturday night.
Kenenna Amaijoyi led the way with 17 points, Laila Alexander finished with 11 and Kayli Bertrand chipped in with 14. Danielle Balogun added seven points and 10 rebounds.
Cornerstone will travel to Faith Christian-Yuba City for the title on Tuesday. Because Division VI does not have a state title game, Tuesday’s final will be Cornerstone Christian’s final game of the season.
– Joseph Dycus