SoCalHoops High School News

CIF NorCal State Regional Boys' Semifinals:
Game Scores & Details--(March 10, 2000)

All of the boys' state semifinal games (with the exception of the Division I games) were played last night; the finals are all on Saturday for the Northern Regional titles, and the right to represent the Northern California region in Sacramento in the State Finals a week from this weekend.  For a look at the entire State Tournament brackets (including the Southern Regional results), use this link.

Division I Boys' NorCal Regional Semifinals
(Played Friday, March 10)

De La Salle 67, SF Lincoln 25-- The Spartans, using that nasty, relentless man-to-man defense that had suffocated all previous postseason foes, pummeled Lincoln of San Francisco, 67-25, in the NorCal semifinals at St. Mary's College on Friday night.  The Spartans (29-1) now get what they've worked all year for, another shot at the NorCal title. De La Salle, which fell to eventual champion Fremont last year, takes on Jesuit of Sacramento (31-3) in tonight's 7:45 final at Arco Arena.  Jesuit won a nail-biter over Bishop O'Dowd, 53-51, in the other semifinal.   After missing their first five shots, the Spartans reeled off 13 unanswered points to take a 13-2 lead into the second quarter. That ended an hint of drama before it had time to develop.   With Joe See rediscovering the shooting touch he's been missing the last few games, De La Salle pumped it up to 30-10 at intermission.   See missed his first three shots, but then made six of his next seven en route to a game-high 18 points. He scored 10 in the second quarter.  See said he never really worried about his scoring. After leading the team all year, he's broken into double figures just twice in the last several games.  Lincoln (24-12) was simply off its game. After getting a follow shot by Geormel Benson to take a 2-0 lead, the Mustangs went the next 7:07 without scoring a point. By the time Lincoln scored again on another shot by the 6-foot-61/2 Benson -- who was pretty much handled inside by De La Salle's 6-7 Chris Schlatter -- De La Salle owned a comfortable lead.  Defense did in Lincoln, said Jacobs. His top scorer, Alex Galloway (17.2 points this season) only got off one shot. Guard Ryan Davis, who averaged 14 points for the year, scored just six on 1-for-15 shooting.  See scored three straight buckets on two drives a 3-pointer to ignite a 9-0 run that ended with a layup by Demetrius Williams. When it was over, the Spartans owned a 24-4 second-quarter lead.  See was the only De La Salle player in double figures, but Williams chipped in nine. Five other players scored four or more.   Lincoln (24-12)2 8 6 2--25 De La Salle (29-1)13 17 21 16--67 LINCOLN (fg ft-a tp)--Davis 1 4-5 6, Edwards 1 2-2 4, Benson 5 1-4 11, Joyner 2 0-0 4. Totals 9 7-11 25.   DE LA SALLE--Brown 1 2-2 4, Hodoh 3 0-0 7, Schlatter 2 1-2 5, Kuhle 2 1-3 6, See 6 3-5 18, Williams 3 3-4 9, Cashman 1 0-0 2, Gutierrez 1 0-0 2, Rich 4 0-0 8, Hansen 2 0-0 4. Totals 26 10-16 67.  3-point goals--Hodoh, Kuhle, See 3. Fouled out--Benson.

Jesuit 53, Bishop O'Dowd 51-- The second-seeded Marauders pulled off the win 53-51 and advanced to the Northern California Division I championship game at Arco Arena.  Jesuit (31-3) will challenge No. 1 De La Salle. The anticipated showdown between the sporting superpowers was evaporating in the third quarter as the Dragons of Oakland chipped away with put-backs and sheer determination. Joe Elftmann's NBA three-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer gave the Marauders a 43-41 lead and a sign of the high drama to come. Phil Rasmussen was magnificent in the first half, helping the Marauders take a 36-25 halftime lead by hitting all six of his shots, including four three pointers. He came back to earth with a thud on two misses, but like his teammates, he kept his composure. The junior forward had a tip-in and a drive in traffic for a 53-47 advantage with 2:55 to play to finish with a game-high 20. When Jesuit turned it over with 14 seconds left, Bishop O'Dowd had its last chance. The Marauders seniors, Cedric Barrow and Roy Stigall struggled a bit against Bishop O'Dowd's zone, finishing with 10 and four points, respectively. Barrow averages 24 points, about the total the Spartans have been kind enough to allow in the last week. De La Salle has surrendered 38, 26, 26 and 25 points in their post-season march, including 26 to Bishop O'Dowd. But here's Jesuit, liking the underdog role for a change and feeling optimistic since the showdown is at Arco.  Rebounds certainly help. Jesuit post Maurice Tyree was handled in the first half by the Dragons' duo of Will Bonner and Garry Hill-Thomas, who combined for 35 points and 21 rebounds. Tyree had a season-low two rebounds.

Division II Boys NorCal Regional Semifinals
(Played Thursday, March 9)

Newark 82, Woodside 69--Thursday night, Matt Rassmussen, the 6-foot-5 forward scored 34 points in the Cougars' 82-60 victory over Woodside in a NorCal Division II semifinal at Chabot College in Hayward. Rasmussen, a senior, scored 21 first-half points. His 6-6 senior teammate Marquin Chandler finished with 29 points as the Cougars' inside game proved to be too much for the Wildcats to handle. The win advances the Cougars (31-0) to the NorCal final against St. Francis at Sacramento's Arco Arena at 4:15 p.m. Saturday. Newark Memorial outscored Woodside 18-3 in the first quarter, putting the Wildcats in a hole they couldn't dig themselves out from. Chandler scored the first basket with a baby hook from the right baseline and scored again seconds later with a tip-in. Chandler transferred from Oakland's Skyline High School as a junior, and Rasmussen is a transfer from Napa High School. Rasmussen broke away for a dunk to end the first half, giving the Cougars a 43-26 lead. With 3:05 left in the game, Rasmussen threw a full-court pass to Chandler, who slammed the ball home. Woodside (28-7) made a brief run to start the second half but never got closer than 13 points. The Wildcats were led by Tyrone Rucker's 14 points. Robert Powell added 13 and Luis Patina 12.   Rasmussen had three fouls when he came into the game with just under two minutes in the first half and he hit two baskets, including a dunk which ignited the crowd and carried over to the second half to lead the Cougars  Against the Farmers (28-7),Rasmussen scored a game-high 34 points, including 14 of 20 shots from down low on the blocks. When Rasmussen wasn't doing the damage, Marquin Chandler was, scoring 29 points and 13 rebounds, while Rasmussen added 10 boards. Woodside was led by Robert Powell's 15 points from the point and Tyrone Rucker's 14. The Cougars, who are ranked 12th overall in the state and third in Division II, will meet St. Francis, a team that matches them more closely in height, and who will be playing without without 6-9 center Pat Dennehy, who was recently declared academically ineligible and missed the game against the Farmers. Newark Memorial 82, Woodside 60 Woodside  3 23 22 12--60 Newark Memorial  18 25 19 20--82 Woodside (28-7) -- Powell 5-1-13, Kirkendoll 2-1-6, Rucker 5-4-14, White 1-0-3, Patina 5-1-12, Lewis 0-1-1, Jackson 2-0-5, Speiser 3-0-6. Totals 23-8-59. Newark Memorial (31-0) -- Erickson 0-1-1, Rasmussen 13-6-32, Hoffman 3-1-7, Chandler 12-4-29, White 5-1-11, Hunter 1-0-2. Totals 34-13-82. Three-point goals -- Powell 2, Kirkendoll, White, Patina, Jackson; Chandler.

St. Francis 71, Hayward 69--The Lancers (27-4) went down to the wire against Hayward. Chase Lyman recovered a loose ball and converted it into a layup at the final buzzer to extend St. Francis' season. Ryan Hensel led St. Francis with 12 points, followed by 11 each from Jermel Gilliard and Troy Bienneman and 10 from Lyman. After St. Francis' Troy Bienemann blocked a Hayward shot with 19 seconds remaining in a tie game, the Lancers' frenzied home crowd knew a trip to the NorCal Division II final was one basket away. Moments later, St. Francis got the look it wanted, but the shot bounced off the rim. All 10 players frantically fought for the ball, which was tipped around underneath the basket for several seconds. But when St. Francis' Chase Lyman elevated above the mass of bodies and sank his shot as the horn sounded, all eyes focused on the referee. Once the referee signaled that Lyman beat the clock and his shot counted, hundreds of fans poured onto the floor Thursday night to celebrate St. Francis' thrilling 71-69 victory.  The Lancers (27-4) advance to the NorCal final against top-seeded Newark Memorial (31-0) on Saturday at 4:15 p.m. at Arco Arena in Sacramento.  The Lancers seemed to have the game in hand when Jermel Gilliard sank his second three-pointer to give St. Francis a 65-56 lead with 4:46 left. But Hayward (28-5) responded with an 11-point run capitalizing on a St. Francis technical foul. Hayward cut the Lancers' lead to 65-62 with 3:38 remaining and regained possession. St. Francis senior guard Billy Leiva fouled Ricky Williams, who was awarded two shots. As Leiva walked away, the referee hit him with a technical foul. The Farmers sank 3 of 4 free throws and also had possession. Although Hayward did not score directly after the technical, it took a 67-65 lead with just over two minutes remaining. Lyman scored from underneath and drew a foul. He converted the free throw to give the Lancers a one-point lead with 1:58 left. Jamar Tatum countered with a field goal with 45 seconds left, giving Hayward a one-point lead. Lyman was fouled while driving to the basket with 38 seconds left and sank 1 of 2 free throws, tying the score at 69. Then, on a shot by Williams, Bienemann delivered the biggest block of his career. Hayward  16 18 14 21--69 St. Francis  18 14 22 17--71 Hayward (28-5) -- Shavies 2-0-4, Gaffney 3-2-8, Williams 5-5-15, Ja. Tatum 5-1-11, Jer. Tatum 8-1-17, Peterson 3-0-6, Ward 4-0-8. Totals 30-9-69. St. Francis (27-4) -- Lyman 4-2-10, Lemos 2-0-4, Hensel 5-0-12, Shaw 1-0-2, Leiva 2-1-6, J. Gilliard 4-1-11, H. Gilliard 2-1-5, Bienemann 4-3-11, Auclair 5-0-10. Totals 29-8-71. Three-point goals -- Hensel 2, J. Gilliard 2, Leiva.

Division III Boys NorCal Regional Semifinals
(Played Thursday, March 9)

Natomas 55, Del Norte 48-- Natomas' Brian Videau made two free throws after getting thrown to the floor to provide the top-seeded Nighthawks the lead, and eventually the game against No. 5 Del Norte of Crescent City 55-48 in a Northern California Division III semifinal at Natomas. Natomas (30-5) will return to Arco Arena on Saturday for the final against Foothill of Pleasanton at 12:45 p.m.  Videau, a 6-foot-3 sophomore swingman scored five of his seven points in the fourth quarter, including the game's biggest play. After Charles Webster made two free throws to bring the Warriors to 50-48 with 20 seconds to play, the 6-5 center body-slammed Videau, who was attempting to go baseline. An intentional foul was called at about the time Videau jumped up and charged Webster. He never got near him because the other four Nighthawk players restrained him with a wall of Natomas purple. A moment later, Videau made the free throws for a 52-48 lead. Mareceo Rutledge finished matters with a steal and dunk. Webster destroyed Natomas in the first half, displaying all sorts of nifty post moves. That allowed the Warriors to take leads of 12-2 and 18-8. Natomas clawed to within eight at the half and set the tone instantly in the third when Rutledge hit a three. Playing inspired defense, Natomas limited Del Norte to 18 second-half points in winning its 10th straight game. Webster scored 20 points, but he managed only one second-half field goal. Jermaine Gibson, the team's emotional leader, hit a three-pointer and scored on a baseline reverse to give the Nighthawks their first lead at 38-36 with 6:56 to go. Gerald Johnson had 17 for Natomas, including a soft 15-footer with 36 seconds to play for a 50-46 lead. 

Foothill 79, Archbishop Mitty 67--E.J. Costello pumped in 25 points and Mike Hoefs added 20 as host Foothill of Pleasanton (28-4) downed Mitty of San Jose (17-15), 79-67. The Falcons face Natomas of Sacramento at ARCO Arena for the championship.They didn't want to talk about it before, although it was always in the back of their minds.   The Falcons sank 12 of 17 free throws in the fourth quarter. Foothill will play top-seed Natomas-Sacramento, who beat Del-Norte-Crescent City in the other semifinal, in the NorCal final at Arco Arena on Saturday. Unlike their previous games in the postseason, the Falcons shot extremely well in the first quarter. They hit 8 of their first 10 shots to take a 20-6 lead with 3:08 left in the quarter. Foothill eventually led 24-12 at the end of one. But the Monarchs fought their way back, thanks to the play of sophomore guard Brandon Worthy. Worthy scored 11 points in the second quarter and 19 in the first half, mainly through his ability to drive the lane uncontested. His efforts contributed to a 10-0 Monarchs run that gave them a brief 36-35 lead with 1:25 left. Foothill eventually took a 40-36 lead into the locker room. Part of that challenge was trying to control Worthy. Matt Burkholder, charged with defending Worthy, tried to do it by playing a step off him to force some outside jump shots. The strategy worked. Worthy still had 14 points in the second half, but mainly through perimeter shots Worthy had 19 in the first half. Foothill maintained a slight advantage for most of the third and the start of the fourth. But with 5:49 left, the Falcons finally made their run to build a more comfortable lead. Leading 57-56, Foothill went on a 10-2 run to take a nine-point lead with 3:11 left. The Monarchs were never closer than seven points after that. Forward Mike Hoefs had eight of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, and Chess and Costello each hit 5 of 6 free throws. Mitty was only 4 for 16 from the field in the fourth quarter. The game marked Mitty's first appearance in the NorCal tournament since 1993. Mitty  12 24 17 14--67 Foothill   24 16 15 24--79 Mitty (18-15) -- Worthy 15-3-33, Scott 0-2-2, J. Armon 3-1-7, Christensen 1-0-2, Hayes 2-4-6, M. Armon 5-1-11, Toomey 1-2-4. Totals 26-13-67. Foothill -- Stewart 3-1-7, Chess 4-5-15, Costello 7-7-25, Burkholder 4-1-10, Hoefs 7-6-20, Patak 1-0-2. Totals 26-20-79. Three-point goals -- Worthy 2; Chess 2, Costello 4, Burkholder.

Division IV Boys NorCal Regional Semifinals
(Played Thursday, March 9)

Modesto Christian 83, St. Mary's 75 (OT)--Modesto Christian (32-4), an 83-75 winner against visiting St. Mary's of Berkeley (26-7) despite 24 points from the Panthers' Chase Moore. They'll talk about Richard Midgely's 3-point shot that danced three times on the back of the rim before dropping as time expired to send the game into overtime, then talk about how Modesto Christian took charge in overtime for an incredible 83-75 victory over St. Mary's of Berkeley in a CIF Northern California Division IV semifinal.  If there was any time MC's basketball team was looking to the heavens for a big thank you, this was it. The Crusaders (32-4), out- hustled and outslicked for most of the game, rallied from as far down as 14 points late in the third quarter to shock the Panthers (26-7).  MC's 6-foot-7 star Chuck Hayes overcame a sluggish start to take charge in the second half and finish with 29 points, 21 rebounds and four assists. One thing is certain. The Crusaders, the state's top-ranked Division IV school, are headed to San Joaquin Delta College on Saturday to meet Tamalpais (31-2) for the NorCal championship. Tipoff is 8 p.m.  The Crusaders went on a 14-7 tear in the overtime, including scoring the first six points of the period, to wear down a St. Mary's team that couldn't recover from the dramatic finish in regulation.  For most of the game, however, MC's season was on the verge of extinction. St. Mary's 2-3 zone defense, coupled with its explosive guards and big plays on the offensive boards, gave MC a migraine. The Crusaders led 2-0 on Brad Watkins' bucket, and never led again until Midgely's shot at the buzzer.   Each time MC threatened to make a run at St. Mary's, the Panthers always found a way to answer, with DaShawn Freeman blowing by the Crusaders' guards and dishing to either Kellen Dixon (16 points) or Chase Moore (24 points) underneath.  But the Panthers' foul trouble eventually caught up to them, losing Venters and Dixon in the fourth quarter. St. Mary's still had a 68-63 lead with 19 seconds left before MC capped its amazing comeback.  Midgely was fouled and hit two free throws with 13 seconds to go to cut it to 68-65, and on St. Mary's ensuing possession, Ebon Glenn missed a dunk off an alley-oop pass for the second time in the quarter.  After a wild scramble, Hayes came up with the loose ball and called timeout after crossing midcourt with six seconds left. What unfolded next was stunning.  The Crusaders designed a play for guard Jeff Porter, but when he was unable to break free, Midgely launched his shot off-balance from the top of the key and was fouled by James Harris. With the overflow crowd holding its breath, the ball bounced wickedly on the back of the rim before falling through. It was the first bucket Midgely scored all night.  It took the officials nearly five minutes to clear the floor as delirious MC fans poured onto the court. Midgely missed the free throw, but it didn't matter. The Crusaders, riding a wave of momentum, were unstoppable in the overtime period. 

Tamalpais 60. Palma 55 --In front of 1,700 at the Redwood High gym, No. 2 Tamalpais used superior guard play to seize control early en route to a 60-55 victory. Palma, the No. 3-seeded team, came up one victory short of the championship game for the fourth consecutive year. But unlike in their past three attempts in which the Chieftains lost by a total of seven points, they were down by that much after the opening couple of minutes. The reasons weren't what one would expect from a team with an average height of 6-foot-4. It was the outside game that put the Chieftains (25-3) in trouble early and kept them there throughout, as 6-10 center Jair Veldhuis took on a mere supporting role. The Red-tailed Hawks (31-2) opened the game with a 5-0 run. Point guard Michael Tabb, who came off a season-low five points in Tuesday night's first round, scored his sixth only 2:32 into the first quarter on a three-pointer that put the Hawks up 11-4. A minute later, the Hawks improved the lead to 16-6 on a running shot by shooting guard Brian DeFares, who was fouled on the play. DeFares, who finished with a game-high 24 points, made the free throw. By the end of the first quarter, the Chieftains had as many turnovers as points -- nine -- and the miscues continued in the second quarter. Coupled with a nearly four-minute scoreless streak, Palma allowed the Hawks to pull away further, trailing at halftime 38-21. The game ends the season for the Chieftains, who faced adversity. Forward Jordan Watkins was lost for the season when he broke his neck in a January snowboarding accident. The accident robbed the Chieftains of their leading scorer (17 points per game) and their tallest player (6-foot-7).  At Redwood High of Larkspur, Tamalpais of Mill Valley (31-2) defeated Palma of Salinas, 65-50, with point guard Bryan Defares scoring 24 points. The second-seeded Red-tailed Hawks advance to Saturday's title game at Stockton's Delta College against No. 1 Modesto Christian. In front of 1,700 at the Redwood High gym, No. 2 Tamalpais used superior guard play to seize control early en route to a 60-55 victory. And so the glass ceiling that is the semifinal round of NorCals continued for the No. 3-seeded Chieftains. They came up one victory short of the championship game for the fourth consecutive year. But unlike in their past three attempts in which the Chieftains lost by a total of seven points, they were down by that much after the opening couple of minutes. The reasons weren't what one would expect from a team with an average height of 6-foot-4. It was the outside game that put the Chieftains (25-3) in trouble early and kept them there throughout, as 6-10 center Jair Veldhuis took on a mere supporting role. The Red-tailed Hawks (31-2) opened the game with a 5-0 run. Point guard Michael Tabb, who came off a season-low five points in Tuesday night's first round, scored his sixth only 2:32 into the first quarter on a three-pointer that put the Hawks up 11-4. A minute later, the Hawks improved the lead to 16-6 on a running shot by shooting guard Brian DeFares, who was fouled on the play. DeFares, who finished with a game-high 24 points, made the free throw. By the end of the first quarter, the Chieftains had as many turnovers as points -- nine -- and the miscues continued in the second quarter. Coupled with a nearly four-minute scoreless streak, Palma allowed the Hawks to pull away further, trailing at halftime 38-21. The game ends the season for the Chieftains, who faced adversity. Forward Jordan Watkins was lost for the season when he broke his neck in a January snowboarding accident. The accident robbed the Chieftains of their leading scorer (17 points per game) and their tallest player (6-foot-7).

Division V Boys NorCal Regional Semifinals
(Played Thursday, March 9)

Hoopa Valley 78 , Calvary Temple 73--Hoopa Valley High took one look at Calvary Temple on Thursday night and knew it had but one option.  Hoopa's Joe Smith hit four 3-pointers and scored 25 points as Hoopa Valley staged a wild comeback to beat Calvary Temple 78-73 in the semifinals of the NorCal Division I boys basketball tournament.   It was a finish no one would have predicted after watching the first half. Calvary Temple built an 18-point lead and Hoopa's two stars -- Smith and Adam Ponikvar -- went into the locker room at halftime with four fouls each.  Ponikvar fouled out 1:30 into the second half; but Smith took over the game, scoring 19 points in the second half to lift Hoopa (30-3) into Saturday's NorCal Championship game.  The game was tied 16-16 late in the first quarter, but Chris Armstrong (13 points) and Earl Jackson (17) put Calvary Temple in control. Jackson scored eight points and Armstrong had seven during a 16-3 run that gave Calvary a 32-19 lead with 5:49 remaining in the first half.  Jesus Jasso fed Armstrong for a dunk that put Calvary in front 41-23 with 2:30 left and brought the crowd to its feet. But instead of folding like Calvary's previous playoff victims, Hoopa Valley spent the next two quarters slowly climbing back into the game.  Just before the half, Smith hit a 3-pointer to spark Hoopa to a 9-1 run that helped cut the halftime lead to 45-34.  The teams played even to start the third quarter. With Calvary in front 60-49 with 3:25 to play in the third quarter, Smith -- a 5-foot-10 guard -- hit a 3-pointer to start a 9-0 spurt that cut the lead to two at 60-58.  Jackson ended the run with a driving layup, but Smith sank a 3-pointer to bring Hoopa within 62-61 to start the fourth quarter.  David Paris, who led Calvary with 19 points, made a layup and Armstrong stole the inbounds pass and made a layup to extend Calvary's lead to 66-61.  But Hoopa roared back with 11 straight points to put the game away. Smith scored eight of those points. 

Branson 66, Brookside 36 --Branson of Ross and Hoopa Valley will meet for the third time this season in the championship game at Delta. The Bulls (28-1) advanced with a 66-36 win over visiting Brookside Christian (22-8). The Bulls have two wins against the Warriors, including a 74-66 win in last weekend's North Coast Section championship.

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