SoCalHoops State Tournament

D-I SoCal & NorCal Regionals:
1st Round Results & Brackets--(Mar. 7, 2002)

We've updated the bracket (below) and are posting complete results from last night's games, in both SoCal and the NorCal regionals, so that everyone gets a better perspective on the teams that won, the teams that lost and the upcoming matchups which will happen this Saturday in the regional semifinals.   We obviously couldn't be everywhere at once, but we've managed to cull together the highlights from just about every game, with links back to the original newspaper sources in the event you want to see other background stories and results on a particular team.

No. 1 Westchester 89, Thousand Oaks 52--

From the LA Times:

Hassan Adams scored 21 points for Westchester (29-2), which woll play the Eisenhower/Clovis West winner in the second round. Keith Everage and Trevor Ariza each added 12 points for Westchester, which led, 73-31, after three quarters. Kevin Rex had 14 points for Thousand Oaks (27-5). The Comets held Ben Olson to four points and Dave Anderson to five.

From the Daily News
Westchester is simply a wonder
By Vincent Bonsignor
Staff Writer

Ben Olson says he plays basketball at Thousand Oaks High to pass the time between football seasons. Olson generally is regarded as the top high school football player in the nation, a 6-foot-5 quarterback who will play at quarterback factory Brigham Young University next fall. In his part of the sports landscape, Olson is the best.  But that's football. This is basketball season, and the best at this time of year is Westchester High of Los Angeles. Maybe not individually but definitely collectively. The Comets spent much of the regular season as the top-ranked team in the country, then steamrollered their way to the L.A. City Section title before opening the first round of the Division I Southern California regional Wednesday by whipping Olson and Thousand Oaks 89-52 at Westchester High. "That's just an unbelievable team," Olson said. "Just pure athletic ability. We knew what kind of team they were coming in, but to see it up close, you understand why they're considered one of the best teams in the country." Westchester took control from the outset, jumping to a 26-10 lead at the end of the first quarter and leading 48-21 by halftime. The Comets (29-2) had the advantage at every position, and even when they went to their bench -- which extends five deep -- they were quicker, faster, bigger and more athletic than the Lancers. Westchester has four players going to Division I colleges next year, led by 6-4 guard Hassan Adams, who's headed to Arizona. Adams, a shooting guard, was part of two memorable plays, first taking the ball baseline and throwing down a left-handed power dunk, then rising above the rim to finish off an ally-oop dunk. Thousand Oaks (27-5) guard Dave Anderson, another football player playing basketball, has played against some of the Westchester players during the summer club circuit, so he knew what the Lancers were up against. "They're an outstanding team, you know that coming in," Anderson said. "It's actually fun to play against a team that good. You just don't want to get posterized." Kevin Rex had 14 points to lead Thousand Oaks, but nobody else scored in double figures. Westchester, in contrast, got 21 points from Adams, 12 apiece from Trevor Ariza and Keith Everage and 11 from Brandon Bowman. Bowman, a 6-9 forward, will play at Georgetown. Ashanti Cook, who had four points, is going to New Mexico, and Brandon Heath, who finished with nine points on three 3-pointers, will play at San Diego State. "They just have so many guys who can play," said Olson, who had four points. "And every one of them is a great athlete. You just come out here and try to do the best you can. But I mean, that's a great team."

From the Daily Breeze
Comets erase a memory
Damian Calhoun, Correspondent

For the Westchester High boys basketball team, what a difference a year makes.  In last year's first-round game of the Southern California Regional playoffs, Westchester was knocked out by Centennial of Corona in overtime.  But this time, with that loss still on their minds, the Comets (29-2) used a suffocating defense and dismantled Thousand Oaks, 89-52. Westchester will next face Clovis West (28-3) of Fresno on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Westchester.  “This game meant a lot, especially with our loss last season,” Westchester guard Hassan Adams said. “We came out feeling a little tense, because we wanted to avenge our loss.  “We knew that if we could jump on them early, then we could get it.” From the outset, Westchester controlled the tempo on both offense and defense. Brandon Bowman started the onslaught with a 3-pointer, a steal and block and Westchester never looked back and went on a 15-6 run to take a 24-9 lead on Brandon Heath's second 3-pointer of the period.  In the second period, Westchester went on an early 7-0 run that extended the cushion to 36-15 and forced Thousand Oaks (27-4) to call a timeout. It didn't help because Westchester's defense again caused Thousand Oaks point guard Kasey Myers to cough up the ball three consecutive times with the last one resulting in a dunk by Adams. Westchester went into the half with a 47-21 lead.  “Our entire premise of the game was to use our pressure to force them into our style of play,” Westchester head coach Ed Azzam said. “We didn't want to let the game get into a half-court game. We didn't want to give up any easy scoring opportunities and if they did get a chance to score, we had some hands in their face.”  At the start of the third period, Adams made sure that any second-half adjustments that Thousand Oaks might have tried wouldn't work.  After a missed free throw, Adams got his own rebound and put it back in and followed that with six points in a 15-5 run that put Westchester up, 61-26. He made 10 of 12 shots for a game-high 21 points. “He's a terrific athlete who plays real hard,” Azzam said of Adams. “Tonight he shot the ball well and he got out on the break well and when that happens, you're not going to stop him.”  For the remainder of the third period and the final quarter, the only challenge that Westchester had was trying to increase its lead. Its biggest lead was 73-31 at the end of the third period. “Every game, Coach tells us to win the third period,” Adams said. “Basically, we came out and played our game and that was it.”  Azzam played the entire team and all but two Comets scored. “Our energy wasn't there in the second half because we were up by so much, but this was a real big win for us,” Azzam said.

From the Ventura County Star
T.O. is buried by L.A. City power
Westchester rolls to convincing 89-52 win.
By By Loren Ledin, Staff writer

WESTCHESTER - All that, and inspired too.  The powerhouse Westchester High boys’ basketball team, ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 6 nationally used its usual array of high-pressure defense and high-level offense to overwhelm game but outgunned Thousand Oaks, 89-52, in the first round of the state tournament’s Division I Southern Regionals Wednesday night.  Hassan Adams scored 22 points, Trevor Ariza had 13 and Brandon Bowman scored 11 poin ts as Westchester, the champions of the L.A. City Section, improves to 29-2 and preserves its run at a state championship. Thousand Oaks, led by Kevin Rex with 14 points, ends its season at 27-5.   As if Westchester’s talent-laden roster wasn’t enough - with as many as six Division I players headed by Arizona-bound Hassan Adams - it seems these Comets are duly motivated too.  Westchester last season was upset by Corona-Centennial in the first round of the state tournament.   The painful memory was not lost on the Comets.    "Exactly," said Adams, a 6-foot-4 guard. "That was the big motivation for us tonight. Everybody remembers what happened to us last year. We want the chance to win a state championship.  Thousand Oaks knows a class act when it sees one.  "They’re awesome," Rex said of Westchester. "They pass the ball, play great defense. They’re even better than I thought they would be."   For Thousand Oaks, the loss couldn’t erase a season to remember. It also was a poignant farewell.  As youngsters, Rex, Ben Olson, Dave Anderson and Kasey Myers often played at Westchester High, sometimes against the future Comets.  "It’s kind of sentimental for us to play on the same court where a lot of us began," said Rex. "It’s been a great run for us, winning the Marmonte League undefeated and going to the CIF championship game."  Westchester wasted no time in playing up to its No. 1 seeding against the Lancers.  Nor in   showing off its breath-taking versatility.  On the Comets’ first two possessions, Brandon Bowman buried a 3-pointer from the baseline, and Trevor Ariza followed with a thunderous dunk.  Kevin Rex answered with a 3-pointer for Thousand Oaks, which was as close as the Lancers would get.  Anderson finished with five points, while Olson had four points.  Westchester’s swarming defense and full-court speed served up thunderous dunks, led by the versatile Adams, and high-percentage jump shots.  The Comets, who went over the 100-point mark five times in the regular season, also excelled in the half-court game.  The lead swelled to 11-3 and 24-9 with 2:16 left in the first quarter.  Leading 28-15 in the second quarter, balanced Westchester embarked on a 12-0 run, puntuated by whirling Adams dunk.   Westchester, hitting 19 of 29 shots, opened up the lead to 47-21 by halftime. Thousand Oaks was 8 of 31 in the first two periods. Thousand Oaks (52) -- Mazza 0, Anderson 5, Rex 14, Olson 4, Myers 7, Handlos 7, Carr 8, Grosslight 7, Sletten 0, Evans 0, Maximous 0.  Westchester (89) -- Heath 9, Cutley 5, Ariza 13, Adams 22, Bowman 11, Everage 12, Brown 5, Cook 4, Johnson 7.  Thousand Oaks 10 11 31 21--52 Westchester 26 24 26 16--89 3-Point goals -- Thousand Oaks 3 (Anderson, Rex, Olson). Westchester 5 (Heath 3, Johnson 1, Bowman 1). Fouled out -- None. Total fouls -- Thousand Oaks 18, Westchester 17. Team records -- Thousand Oaks 27-5, Westchester 29-2.

No. 4 Clovis West 69, Eisenhower 58--

From the LA Times:

Tyrese McDaniel had 22 points for fourth-seeded Clovis West (27-3). Nick Debban contributed 19 points in the win and Tyson Parker had 18 points. Eisenhower finished 27-3.

From the Fresno Bee
Clovis West circles and strikes
A collision between two players awakens the Eagles, who beat Eisenhower 69-58 in the opening round.
By Marek Warszawski, The Fresno Bee

Sharks strike when they sense blood.  Even when it's gushing from one of their own.  Attacking with the ferocity of a school of hammerheads, Clovis West advanced to the second round of the Southern Regional boys basketball playoffs Wednesday with a 69-58 victory over visiting Eisenhower of Rialto. Senior Tyson Parker provided the spark -- or in this case, blood -- after a nasty collision with teammate Brian Thurman early in the first quarter. Blood pouring from his mouth, Parker wobbled off the floor to a nervous murmur from the capacity crowd. Not to worry. Parker returned minutes later, transparent bandages holding his right cheek together, and drove through traffic for a layup that foreshadowed the rest of the game. "I could feel it, but I had to just play through the pain," Parker said after scoring 18 points. "We knew this could've been our last game, and we had to play with everything we had." Junior Tyrese McDaniel led Clovis West (28-3) with 22 points and senior Nick Debban added 19. Both gave away several inches to Eisenhower's huge front line. But it was the inspired play of Parker and Thurman (aka The Human Floor Burn) that made the biggest difference. "Tyson's a stud," Clovis West coach Vance Walberg said. "You'd have to break both his legs before he comes out of the game." As a reward, the Golden Eagles face Westchester, the state's top-ranked team, on Saturday night in Southern California. Westchester routed Thousand Oaks 89-52 in another first-round game.  The Southern Section Division 1-AA runner-up, Eisenhower came in with an impressive pedigree of its own. But coach Steve Johnson admitted afterward his team hadn't faced defensive pressure like Clovis West's all season.  "Not like this," Johnson said. "They pursue the ball, they work hard, and if there's one weakness we have it's guard play and handling the press."  With a starting frontcourt standing 6-foot-8, 6-7 and 6-6, Eisenhower dominated the low post. But getting the ball underneath to its big people was trickier than it sounds. Especially with Thurman lurking. The senior stole the ball on Eisnhower's first possession, drew a charge on the second and forced a turnover on the third.  In fact, Thurman drew more charges in the first quarter alone (three) than he scored points in the entire game (two). "We just wanted to go out, get pressure on their guards and be all over the court," Thurman said. Clovis West led 19-14 after one quarter and 41-32 at halftime. But Eisenhower didn't scare easily, scoring the first six points of the third quarter and eventually slashing the deficit to 44-43 with 3:10 left in the period. That's as close as the visitors got. McDaniel scored five points in the final 1:57, including a turnaround jumper in the key, to keep Eisenhower at bay.  Clovis West led by as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter before Eisenhower began fouling. Sweet-shooting forward Sean Marshall almost single-handedly kept Eisenhower in the game, scoring seven straight points on his way to a game-high 25. Debban made four straight free throws in the final minute. "We knew their Achilles' heal was handling the ball, while ours is [rebounding]," Walberg said. "We just hoped we could hurt them more than they hurt us."  A little bloodshed didn't hurt either.

From the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
By Pete Marshall
Eagles' rally falls short

[The same story by Pete Marshall can also
be found at the San Bernardino Sun]

FRESNO -- After a disappointing loss to Long Beach Poly in the CIF-Southern Section Division 1AA championship game Saturday, there was some question as to whether Eisenhower's boys basketball team would pack it in for the state playoffs. Eisenhower didn't, but then again, neither did Fresno Clovis West. The Clovis West Golden Eagles withstood an Eisenhower third-quarter rally and went on to beat the Eagles 69-58 Wednesday in a CIF Division 1 Southern Regional First Round game at Clovis West High School. The loss ends Eisenhower's season at 27-4, while the Central Section-champion Eagles advance to play Los Angeles Westchester in the second round Saturday. "Those were the two best teams we played all year," Eisenhower coach Steve Johnson said of Poly and Clovis West. "Other than A.B. Miller, we weren't really tested in league. It's hard when you don't play teams like that." The problem for Eisenhower all night was the Eagles' inability to beat the Golden Eagles' pressing defense. Eisenhower turned the ball over 12 times in the second and third quarters alone. "That's been one of our weaknesses all year," Eisenhower coach Steve Johnson said. "We knew that they would press and trap us. That's their strength and our weakness. "When we did beat the press, we got some easy baskets." Those did not come as often as Johnson would have liked, however. Clovis West got off to a quick start, leading 8-2 three minutes into the game, and then opening the game up to lead by as many as 11 points in the first half. The Golden Eagles led 41-32 at halftime. The Eagles made their move in the third quarter, scoring the first eight points to cut the deficit to 41-40 on Cory McJimson's short jumper less than two minutes into the second half. Eisenhower got within one point twice more in the third quarter and had the ball with a chance to take the lead, but could never tie the game up. "Some of those possessions, we had good looks at the basket, but we turned it over," Johnson said. "I thought if we could get over that hump, we could break it open." But it was the Golden Eagles that broke the game open with a 12-2 run late in the third and early in the fourth to take a 58-47 lead. Tyrese McDaniel scored six of his team-high 22 points in the run as Eisenhower had difficulty defending against Clovis West's back-door layups. After the Golden Eagles' run, Eisenhower couldn't get closer than seven points. Junior Sean Marshall led Eisenhower with 25 points, but his teammates did not share his aggressiveness on the offensive end of the floor. Johnny Dukes had only 10 points and McJimson had only six. "That's the problem. Sean was one guy," Johnson said. "We needed other players to be aggressive. You can't win with one guy." Clovis West, on the other hand, had three guys. Nick Debban scored 19 points and Tyson Parker added 18 for the Golden Eagles. While it was a disappointing end to the season for the Eagles, Johnson remains optimistic for next year. "We've got three pretty good guys - Sean, Jarel Perry and Deonte Nelson coming back," Johnson said. "I definitely think we could be just as good. We just won't be as big."

No. 3 Long Beach Poly 80, Loyola 58--

From The LA Times
By Ben Bolch, Sports Writer

Long Beach Poly High Coach Ron Palmer didn’t need John Wooden’s basketball acumen to figure out how his Jackrabbits should go about beating a Los Angeles Loyola team whose post players were three inches shorter on average . Look for the open man down low. Pound the ball inside. Score easy baskets. Poly executed its plan to perfection Wednesday night as the third-seeded Jackrabbits hammered Loyola, 80-58, at Long Beach City College. Poly (29-3) advanced to play second-seeded Fairfax, a 65-49 winner over Carlsbad, in a Saturday semifinal. Fairfax (30-4) will be the host team, but the site won’t to be determined until Thursday. Against Loyola, Jackrabbit forward Marcedes Lewis scored 21 of his career-high 30 points in the first half as guards Carlos Rivers and Barry Barnes continually fed the 6-foot-7 senior for effortless baskets. “I told the guys to look for me on the inside,” said Lewis, who muscled past Loyola’s Chris Rucker for rebounds and layups. “[Rucker] was overplaying me.” Jackrabbit forward Bobby Jones added 24 points and Reggie Butler had 10. Poly scored the game’s first 13 points before the Cubs (27-4) finally scored with 3 minutes 13 seconds to go in the first quarter on a basket by Rucker inside. The Jackrabbits maintained a comfortable lead until the third quarter, when Loyola made its only real push of the game to pull within seven points. Josh Flynn-Brown got the Cubs going with a basket, a three-pointer and a pair of free throws. Rucker scored inside off an inbounds pass and then Terence Balagia scored off a steal forced by Loyola’s full-court press to end an 11-0 run, making the score 41-34. “We didn’t handle the ball well,” Palmer said. “All you need is a couple of mistakes and they can get back in it in a hurry.” But Poly responded with 17-6 run to close the quarter and retake the momentum. Rucker finished with 13 points, Flynn-Brown added 12 and Omar Wilkes had 11. Wilkes, Loyola’s star, was a nonfactor for most of the game, missing a two-handed dunk in the fourth quarter as Poly put the finishing touches on the victory. Ben Bolch

Jackrabbits open strong in regional
Boys basketball: Lewis gets 30 points, 13 rebounds in Poly win.
By Ted Kian
Staff writer 

Poly and Loyola both won CIF-Southern Section Division I boys basketball titles this year, but that's where the similarities stop.  Poly starts three players who are 6-foot-7. Loyola's tallest player is 6-5. The Jackrabbits have several outstanding athletes who can perform a variety of acrobatic dunks, while only two Cubs have dunked in games this season.  Those differences in size and athleticism were clearly evident Wednesday night as the Jackrabbits opened up a 13-0 lead and never looked back in an 80-58 win over the Cubs in a CIF Southern California Regional Division I quarterfinal at Long Beach City College.  Poly two-sport star Marcedes Lewis scored six of his team's first eight points. Lewis had 21 points and 7 rebounds in helping the Jackrabbits (29-3) build a commanding, 39-23 halftime lead.  Lewis, who plans to play both football and basketball for UCLA, finished with a career-high 30 points and 13 rebounds. But it was Bobby Jones who silenced a Loyola run in the third quarter that cut Poly's lead to 41-34.   Jones had 9 points and 5 rebounds in the third quarter alone, finishing with 24 points and a season-high 20 rebounds, as Poly out-rebounded the Cubs, 55-23.  "I think Marcedes Lewis set the tone with his play early. I'd say he's in basketball shape now," joked Poly coach Rod Palmer, whose team hosted a state tournament game for the first time since 1990. "Bobby Jones gave a tremendous effort rebounding the basketball. It was real nice to play at home after all the years of traveling to places like San Diego."  Chris Rucker had 13 points to lead Loyola, while Cubs junior standout Omar Wilkes was held to 11 points.  The Jackrabbits led 20-7 after a first-quarter that ended with Jones scoring on a putback just before the buzzer. The Cubs (27-4) could not get closer than 14 points in a second quarter that ended with Lewis scoring on a putback to put Poly ahead, 39-23.  But Loyola took advantage of four Poly turnovers early in the third quarter to embark on an 11-0 run that culminated with Terence Balagia's layup with 5 minutes, 14 seconds remaining in the third quarter. But Jones responded with a dunk on a break-away to spark a 6-0 run that increased Poly's lead to 47-34.  Davis Cantor's 3-pointer cut Loyola's deficit to 53-40 with 38 seconds left in the third quarter. But Jones answered 5 seconds later with a 3-pointer and then ended the third-quarter by grabbing a rebound, dribbling the length of the floor and throwing down a thunderous dunk that put Poly ahead, 58-40. Loyola would not get within 16 points again. "I've been in a lot of big games over the years and I was determined to come out and make an impact early," Lewis said. "The way we're playing right now, we feel like we're going all the way."

No. 2 Fairfax 65, Carlsbad 49 --

From Tim Dermody
LA Times

Fairfax played without its tallest player and leading, but it didn't matter, as the Lions bounced host Carlsbad in front of 2,000 in the opening round of the Southern California Regionals. Evan Burns, a 6-foot-8 forward, headed to UCLA, is averaging 23 points a game and has established himself as one of the City Section's most dominant players. He cut his finger Tuesday night on a glass, opening two cuts that required 14 stitches. He watched the game from the bench, a thick wrap of tape and gauze webbing covering his entire right hand. Burns suffered the injury less than 24 hours before Fairfax was to open at Carlsbad, leaving the Lions in lurch, however his teammates picked up the slack. Freshman Jamal Boykin came off the bench to score a team-high 13 points, Kevin Bell and Thomas Woods had 11 points each and Jahsha Bluntt finished with 10. "We had confidence in our other games because we've played nine deep all year," said Fairfax coach Harvey Kitani. "The other guys showed tonight that they were ready to go out and pick up the slack." The Lions trailed, 20-15, at the end of the first quarter and were behind by one with four minutes to play in the first half. A 13-2 run over a three minute span turned the Lions' deficit into a 38-28 lead. Fairfax benefited from the fact that Carlsbad's leading scorer Derek Stockalper played most of the second half in foul trouble, picking up his fifth with 6:50 to play. Stockalper, who averaged 23 points per game and scored 41 in his team's victory in the San Diego section final, scored a game-high 19 points, but only four in the second half. Greg Nelson, who averages 18 points, managed only nine for Carlsbad (27-5). Fairfax (30-4) may have Burns back for Saturday's second-round game. Tim Dermody

From the San Diego Union Tribune

Los Angeles Fairfax 65, Carlsbad 49: Fairfax played without 6-foot-8 standout Evan Burns but still managed to defeat Carlsbad.  Burns, who has orally committed to UCLA, spent the entire game on the bench, his right hand wrapped to protect 14 stitches from a freak accident involving a glass door Tuesday at school.  Meanwhile, Carlsbad's Derek Stockalper spent half of the third quarter on the bench in foul trouble and fouled out with 6:50 to play in the game.  It wasn't a fair trade-off, even though Stockalper finished with 19 points as the Lancers' season came to an end before a sellout crowd of 2,000 at Lancer Arena.  Without Burns, Fairfax (30-4) had four players score in double figures, including two off the bench. L.A. FAIRFAX 65, CARLSBAD 49  Fairfax 15 24 15 11 – 65 Carlsbad 20 10 8 11 – 49  L.A. Fairfax – Shipp 8, Bell 11, Sampson 2, J. Bluntt 10, Gilzene 3, Bausley 7, Woods 11, Boykin 13. Carlsbad – Stockalper, Martinez 19, Nelson 8, McDonnough 2, Brandow 2, Sammons 2, Austin 2, Alkazin 4. Three-point goals – Martinez 3, Stockalper 2, Bell, Nelson, Boykin.

From the North County Times
Carlsbad can't stay with No. 3 Fairfax
David Hammel,  Staff Writer

CARLSBAD ---- In a span of 10 minutes on Wednesday night, everything changed for the Carlsbad High boys basketball team. That much was evident as coach Scott Ogden gathered his team during a timeout, knelt and began aggressively shouting instructions.  Early in the team's contest with Los Angeles Fairfax, the Lancers bore the looks of zealous overachievers intent on showing Southern California they could compete with the third-best team in the state as Ogden guided them. During a timeout minutes later, their expressions were blank, lost as visiting Fairfax showed Carlsbad just how good the state's third-ranked team can be in a 65-49 victory in the first round of the Southern California Regional playoffs.  A 25-8 run early in the second quarter gave the second-seeded Lions (30-4) an advantage they never came close to relinquishing ---- and left Carlsbad's seven seniors to graduate without having won a state playoff contest.  However, it seemed the Lancers (27-5) had their opportunities.  "I thought we had an opportunity to do something great tonight," Ogden said. "But we let it slip away....We've been (into the state playoffs) before. We thought, 'OK, this is Fairfax. We can handle this.' "I'm full of joy at what we accomplished this year. I hate to see it end."  What the Lancers accomplished was their second CIF-San Diego Section title in three seasons and a masterful run through the Avocado League and Division I playoffs. What they encountered Wednesday was a team far more athletic than anyone San Diego County has to offer. And Fairfax played without its best player, senior forward Evan Burns (hand injury).  Derek Stockalper scored a game-high 19 points in his final high school contest to lead Carlsbad. But he spent the majority of the third quarter in foul trouble and fouled out early in the fourth. Greg Nelson and Ricky Martinez each finished with nine points.  Carlsbad held the lead through much of the first quarter, thanks to its proficient perimeter shooting. Brad Alkazin's layup in the waning seconds of the first quarter gave the Lancers their largest lead at 20-13.  But then Fairfax exposed Carlsbad's defense. The Lions made 10 of their next 12 shots from the field during a 25-8 run that ended with Fairfax leading 38-28. Carlsbad never pushed the lead below six points the rest of the way.  "All we were asking for was a chance to win it in the fourth quarter," Stockalper said. "Our defense and rebounding slacked off. I'm really proud of our team. I'm really proud of our season. The characters on this team are really the best." Fairfax 65, Calrsbad 49  FAIRFAX (65) ---- Shipp 8, Bell 11, Bausley 9, Sampson 2, Bluntt 10, Boykin 11, Woods 11, Gilzene 3. FG 28. FT 7-14.  CARLSBAD (49) ---- Stockalper 19, Nelson 9, Martinez 9, McDonnough 2, Brandow 2, Sammons 2, Alkazin 4, Austin 2. FG 20. FT 6-11.  Fairfax 15 24 15 11 ---- 65  Carlsbad 20 10 8 11 ---- 49  Total fouls ---- Fairfax 15, Carlsbad 16. Fouled out ---- Stockalper (C), McDonnough (C). Technical fouls ---- None. 3-point goals ---- Bell (F) 1, Bausley (F) 1, Martinez (C) 3, Stockalper (C) 2, Nelson (C) 2.  Records: Carlsbad 27-5.

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NorCal Division I Regionals

Oakland Tech 80, Vallejo 61
Berkeley St. Mary’s 74, San Jose Oak Grove 58
Oakland 64, Modesto Christian 63
Concord de la Salle 57, San Francisco Lincoln 33

Oakland Tech 80, Vallejo 61--

From the San Francisco Chronicle
Oakland Tech knocks out Vallejo
Mitch Stephens, Special to The Chronicle

Oakland Tech High's star player shook off an early slump and led the top- seeded Bulldogs (26-3) to an 80-61 victory over Vallejo in the first round of CIF Northern California Division I boys basketball playoffs last night at Kaiser Arena in Oakland.   Leon Powe -- a 6-foot-8 post player rated the second-best junior in the country by CBS SportsLine.com -- was nowhere to be found in the first half, going 2-for-8 from the field with just four rebounds.  He sat out the final two minutes of the first half, and his teammates went on an 8-1 spurt to take a 38-32 halftime lead.  Ken Smith, a 6-3 forward, and reserve Nicholas Bullock combined for 16 first-half points to keep the Bulldogs in front. Oakland Tech's other big gun, 5-11 point guard Armondo Surratt, who already has committed to Fresno State, was just 3-for-12 in the first half.  "We know teams are going to to key on Leon and Armondo, so we need to pick things up," Smith said. "We just need to make plays."  Those plays gave Powe and Surratt a chance to heat up in big ways in the second half. Powe took passes from Surratt and Quentin Thomas for fastbreak dunks to start things, and the rout was on. Powe went on to score 17 third- quarter points and finished with a game-high 27 points and 15 rebounds.   Surratt made three straight jumpers in the fourth quarter and finished with 15 points as the Bulldogs moved into semifinal play Saturday at Cal State Hayward against St. Mary's of Berkeley.  "My teammates picked up the slack for me, so I had to do something for them, " Powe said. "I was rushing things in the first half. When I sat down, I got to just catch my breath and watch things for a while."  Vallejo (27-7), the Sac Joaquin Section runner-up, had the Bulldogs on their heels early, thanks to sophomore DeMarcus Nelson, who scored 15 of his team-high 22 points in the first half.   "They obviously have a lot of weapons and are a great team," Vallejo coach Duke Brown said. "Sooner or later, you knew Leon was going to get his. We just were hoping it wouldn't come in such bunches." 

From the Vallejo Times-Herald
Apaches' season over
By Tom Zulewski, Times-Herald sports writer

OAKLAND -- They call him "The Show" at Oakland Tech High School for a very good reason. Leon Powe showed the Vallejo High School Apaches that his team was through messing around. Powe poured in 17 of his game-high 27 points in the third quarter as Oakland Tech pulled away to a convincing 80-61 rout over Vallejo Wednesday night in the quarterfinal round of the Northern California regional playoffs at Kaiser Arena. For Apache players like DeMarcus Nelson, the game turned sour once Powe, a 6-foot-8 junior, kicked his show into high gear. "We came out and played our style of ball, but once the game shifted, (Oakland Tech) took us away from our game plan," said Nelson, who led Vallejo (27-7) with 19 points, 15 in the first half. "They came out and played a better ballgame than we did and they wanted it more." After Nelson hit two free throws to give the Apaches their last lead of the night at 31-30, the top-seeded Bulldogs used an 8-1 run in the final two minutes of the first half to take a 38-32 lead into halftime. Powe then went to work in the third quarter with two dunks on consecutive possessions to start Oakland Tech on its way to the win. The Bulldogs led by as many as 23 points in the second half. "I was getting frustrated in the first half because I was trying to draw the foul. Second half, I told myself that I can't give up, got to turn this up, and show my team the win," said Powe, who was 5-of-5 from the free-throw line. The Apaches went without a field goal for the first three minutes and managed just three in the third quarter, including one of Warner West's three 3-pointers at the horn. By then, Oakland Tech led 61-41. With more than 300 bus miles logged late last night after Vallejo beat Pleasant Valley High, Powe knew the opportunity was there for Oakland Tech to seize the day. "When you play us, you got to keep running," Powe said. Bulldogs coach Hodari McGavock knew that one added element helped his team improve to 26-3 and advance to face St. Mary's of Berkeley at Cal State-Hayward on Saturday night. "We needed some defense and we got it," McGavock said. "Defense picked us up in the second half. And it never hurts to have Leon. Never, ever, ever." Vallejo coach Duke Brown wouldn't offer excuses for his team's dropoff in the second half, but praised the collective effort throughout. "Bottom line is we came here to play and we were glad to be here. We showed emotion in the first half, but it didn't carry over to the second half," he said. "Tonight, Oakland Tech was the better team." D'Angelo Mack was the only other Apache in double figures with 10 points. Armondo Surratt added 15 points for Oakland Tech and Kenneth Smith had 10. With 11 players returning next year, Brown is confident about the future of Vallejo High basketball. "The one thing I'm glad about is we played Oakland Tech. If we lose, let's lose to one of the better teams," he said. "It'll give us something to work on for next season."

Berkeley St. Mary’s 74, San Jose Oak Grove 58

From the Contra Costa Times

At San Jose, St. Mary's forward Chase Moore spent most of the game in foul trouble, but he still made his presence felt down the stretch. The senior hit three key baskets late in the fourth quarter to help the visiting Panthers (28-3) stay alive in the Northern California Division I playoffs. Moore made two consecutive short-range jumpers to put St. Mary's up 56-51 with just over four minutes to play. Guard John Sharper connected on a 3-pointer from the right wing, and Moore followed with a transition bucket to make the advantage 61-53 with 3:57 left. Moore finished with 10 points. "Chase really hit some big baskets for us," Panthers coach Jose Caraballo said. "Our kids have a lot of experience. They know how to finish out a game." St. Mary's took its first lead (36-35) since early in the first quarter when Simon Knight scored on a putback with 6:53 to go in the third period. Two possessions later, Knight was on the receiving end of a nice feed from senior DaShawn Freeman to give the Panthers a 40-35 cushion. Sharper led St. Mary's with 18 points, and Knight added 17. The Panthers spent most of the first half playing catch-up with the No. 4-seeded Eagles (28-3). Oak Grove point guard Jade Davis hit a 3-pointer for a 33-24 lead late in the first half. But St. Mary's continued to force the issue. Sharper found Knight cutting toward the hoop for an easy score to bring the Panthers within five (33-28) with 15 seconds left in the half. Davis was whistled for a technical foul, and the Panthers took advantage of it, connecting on the ensuing free throws and possession to make the score 33-32 at the half.

Oakland 64, Modesto Christian 63

From the Alameda Times Star
Ubaka, Parker lead Oakland to
upset of defending champs
Wildcats beat Modesto Christian for second time

MODESTO -- Ayinde Ubaka scored 25 points and Darrius Parker added 20 as No.6 seed Oakland shocked No.3 seed and defending champion Modesto Christian 64-63 in the opening round of the Northern California Division I boys basketball playoffs Wednesday night.   Parker drilled five 3-pointers as the Wildcats (21-7) raced to a 42-33 halftime lead before holding on.  Oakland will now face De La Salle in a semifinal contest Saturday at 7:30p.m.  The winner of that faces the Oakland Tech-St. Mary's semifinal winner for a chance to play in the state championship game.  It was the second time Oakland defeated Modesto Christian this season. The first time was 74-62 on Jan.9 in Modesto.   "To come in here and beat them again was a huge challenge," Oakland coach Doug Vierra said. "The guys were obviously up for it."  With the score tied at 62-62, Isaiah Buckley hit two free throws to give Oakland a two-point advantage with 1 minute, 50 seconds remaining. Buckley finished with 12 points.  Modesto Christian closed to 64-63 and both teams missed several chances before the Crusaders (23-10), the Sac-Joaquin Section champions, had one last possession.  And what a possession.   "They missed one shot, then tipped the ball about six more times before the final buzzer blew," Vierra said. "We had about three defensive stops before that which were key. We were cruising just fine until we hit a wall in the fourth quarter. But we did what we needed to do. I couldn't be prouder of the team."

From the Modesto Bee:
Heartbreaker for MC boys
By Will DeBOARD
Modesto Bee Staff Writer

The Modesto Christian boys basketball team has been coming from behind to win games all year.  And at Wednesday night's CIF Northern California Division I Regional first round playoff game against Oakland at Modesto Junior College, the Crusaders had another shot to win the game at the buzzer. But this time, David Paris' six-footer with seconds remaining rimmed out, and Modesto Christian couldn't get another shot off as the Wildcats took a wild 64-63 victory in front of a near-capacity crowd estimated at 2,000. "We got a great shot with the guy that's been doing it all year for us," Modesto Christian coach Gary Porter said. "It's been a great run, and we hope to be back next year." After the first half, it looked like the Crusaders were going to be shot out of the gym.  Oakland made 11 of its 14 first-quarter shots, including a 3-pointer. And even Darrius Parker's halfcourt shot after the buzzer swished through the net.  It was a bad omen for Modesto Christian, which trailed 23-19 after the first quarter. "It was so frustrating, seeing them make so many shots," Porter said. "And on the other side, we couldn't get the ball inside like we wanted to."  The second quarter, Parker made three 3-pointers in the first two minutes, and guard Ayinde Ubaka added another. Ubaka won the game for Oakland, scoring all 30 of his points in the first three quarters. He made 3-pointers, long jumpers and drove the lane for floating shots as well.  Modesto Christian played better in the second half, and owned the fourth quarter. "It just took us a little too long to get going," Porter said. "We've had that problem for most of the year, and it's even tougher to come back at this level because the teams keep getting better and better." Oakland led 61-49 with seven minutes to go, but Modesto Christian caught fire after that. "All of a sudden we realized that this could be our last quarter," said Bobby Cole II, who scored 12 points. "We needed to make that run then, because any later and we were going to have to start shooting 3-pointers."  Cole hit a layup and was fouled, making the free throw. Paris, who scored 22 points, hit an inside jumper and Andray Glenn made a free throw.  Jeff Porter, who had 14 points, followed that with a 3-pointer with 5:15 remaining and MC was within 61-58, the crowd roaring.  The teams traded points and baskets until the final minute, when MC had the ball, down 64-63, with 12 seconds to go.  Miles Scott found Paris wide open to the right of the key, and he took a dribble and shot. The ball bounced off the backboard and the rim, hanging for a split-second on the cylinder before rolling off to the left. The players dove for the ball on the ground, but MC couldn't get another shot off.  "We got a good look," Cole said. "Sometimes those don't fall, though."  It ended a two-year Division I run by Modesto Christian that ranks as the best two years of any area basketball team.  Last year, the Crusaders advanced to the state championship game, losing by three points to Mater Dei. Before this season began, standouts Richard Midgley and Marc Pratt were declared ineligible by he CIF. The ensuing court battle and appeals process lasted half of the season. Midgley and Pratt -- who next year will play at the University of California and Boise State University, respectively -- never did suit up for the Crusaders.  But the team plaed on, moving through a schedule loaded with state and even nationally-ranked teams that were there in large part because of Midgley and Pratt.  Modesto Christian finished the regular season at 18-9, but won its next four to take its second straight Sac-Joaquin Section Division I title.  The fans, silenced after the loss, still remained to console the team and Porter. But the players and Porter were upbeat.  "This was another great season for us," Porter said. "Take two Division I players off any other team in the state for the entire season and I don't think they do what we did."  Oakland 64, Modesto Christian 63   Oakland (21-7) - Isaiah Buckley 12, Ray Holmes-Brown 2, Martel Israel 4, Darrius Parker 15, Burke Tarpeh 1, Ayinde Ubaka 30. Totals: 25 8-15 64.  Modesto Christian (23-10) - David paris 22, Bobby Cole II 12, James Noel 4, Miles Scott 5, Jeff Porter 14, Liam Hughes 2, Andray Glenn 1, Austin Paris 3. Totals: 25 10-16 63. Oakland 23 19 16 6 - 64  Modesto Chr. 19 14 14 15 - 63  3-pointers: Oakland 6 (Parker 4, Ubaka 2), Modesto Christian 3 (Porter 2, D. Paris). Total fouls - Oakland 17, Modesto Christian 19.

Concord de la Salle 57, San Francisco Lincoln 33

From the Contra Costa Times
De La Salle turns on defense vs. Lincoln
By David Huffman

CONCORD - After De La Salle High School's boys basketball team used an uptempo style in Saturday's victory over St. Mary's in the North Coast Section Division I final, it settled for a little in-your-face defense in the first  round of the California Interscholastic Federation Northern California playoffs. De La Salle (27-3) gave up just six points in the second and third quarters combined Wednesday night and were never threatened in the second half en route to a 57-33 victory over Lincoln-San Francisco (23-10). The No 2-seeded Spartans will host Oakland (21-7) in the NorCal semifinals Saturday. "We came out in the second quarter and picked up our defensive intensity," De La Salle coach Frank Allocco said. "Defense has always been a staple of this program, and this team has been no exception." Leading 17-16 early in the second quarter, De La Salle went on a 12-0 run to take a 29-16 halftime lead. The Spartans put the game away with a 8-0 run to begin the third quarter. When the dust settled, De La Salle had rolled off 20 points in a row and held the Mustangs without a field goal for a better part of 10 minutes. During the run, six Spartans scored, with Rekalin Sims and Matt Gutierrez each posting four points as De La Salle pounded the ball inside and dominated the offensive glass. "Our first priority is always to get the ball inside," said Sims, who finished with a game-high 13 points. "In the second half, we just wanted to work the inside-outside combination." Guards Justin Argenal and Matt Schroeder each hit two 3-pointers in the second half to help the Spartans extend the lead. De La Salle led by as many 25 in the fourth quarter before going to the bench. Schroeder finished with 10 points and Gutierrez added nine for the Spartans. Nine De La Salle players scored in the balanced effort.  "We're playing great right now," Allocco said. "You want to be playing your best basketball at the end of the year and that's what we're doing. We're peaking right now."

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