SoCalHoops State Tournament

D-II 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 Mater Dei 89, Escondido 70 --

From the Orange County Register
By Steve Fryer:

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- Escondido pretty much had to stay with its starting five for most of the game. Mater Dei kept mixing in substitutes, sometimes sending in fresh players two at a time. That depth paid off again for the Monarchs as they defeated Escondido, 89-70, Wednesday night in a CIF Division II Southern California Regionals first-round game at Ocean View High. The Monarchs (28-4) will play Pasadena in a second-round game Saturday night at Ocean View. They beat Pasadena, 65-49, this past Saturday in the CIF-Southern Section Division II-AA championship game. Mater Dei's depth showed on the final statistical sheet. Five Monarchs scored in double figures. Harrison Schaen led Mater Dei with 17 points, Travante Nelson and Wesley Washington scored 13 apiece, and Mike Gerrity and Chris Henry both scored 11. Escondido got almost all of its scoring from only four players. Seniors Justin Bell and Chris Nelson scored 19 each, Gerald Keeler had 15 and Lorezno Keeler 14. The Cougars, who finished 21-8 and were runners-up to Helix in the CIF-San Diego Section Division II final last week, were without leading scorer Julius Keeler (he was injured in a car accident two weeks ago) but still led early, 13-8. The Monarchs then went on a 20-10 run to conclude the quarter, in which they used nine players, seven of whom scored. Escondido did not substitute until the middle of the second quarter. The first quarter ended with the Monarchs leading by the NBA-like score of 28-23. Mater Dei unleashed its fast break in the second quarter, scoring transition layups with the help of the Cougars' eight turnovers. Mater Dei had a 50-37 lead at halftime after making 19 of 30 shots (63 percent). Bell scored 10 points in the third quarter, in which the Cougars outscored the Monarchs by two. Mater Dei scored 23 points in the fourth quarter to put the game away. Schaen had a game-high 13 rebounds. "He really hit the boards," Mater Dei coach Gary McKnight said. "He did a great job for us." Gerrity had nine assists to go with his 11 points, twice his average.  "When he goes strong to the basket like that," McKnight said, "he becomes an offensive threat." Mater Dei enjoyed a significant advantage at the free-throw line. The Monarchs were 20 for 35. The Cougars were 3 for 7.

From The LA Times
By Mike Haubrich

Harrison Schaen led five Mater Dei players in double figures with 17 points, as the Monarchs (28-4) beat a Escondido at Ocean View High. Schaen also grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds for top-seeded Mater Dei, which outrebounded the Cougars, 31-19. "We hung in there the whole game, but their size advantage was too much," Paul Baldwin, Escondido's coach, said. "That really hurt us on the glass." Escondido (21-8) built a five-point lead in a frenetic first quarter and trailed, 32-30, in the second quarter following a three-pointer from Justin Bell, but Mater Dei answered back with an 18-5 run to close the half and never looked back. Bell led Escondido with 19 points, including five three-pointers. Trevante Nelson and Wesley Washington scored 13 points each, and freshman Mike Gerrity had 11 points and nine assists for Mater Dei, which extended its winning streak to 21 games. Mike Haubrich

From the San Diego Union Tribune

Harrison Schaen led host Mater Dei (28-4) with 17 points. Senior point guard Justin Bell and senior forward Chris Nelson each scored 19 for the Cougars (21-8). Sophomore guard Lorenzo Keeler finished with 16 points and senior forward Gerald Keeler added 13 points and eight rebounds for Escondido. The Cougars trailed 76-65 with 3:57 remaining in the game. Mater Dei made 20-of-33 free throws; Escondido was 3-of-7 from the foul line.   MATER DEI 89, ESCONDIDO 70  Escondido 23 14 18 15 – 70 Mater Dei 28 22 16 23 – 89 Escondido (21-8) – Bell 19, L.Keeler 16, Chandler 3, G.Keeler 13, C.Nelson 19. Mater Dei (28-4) – Garrety 11, M.Strawberry 9, T.Nelson 13, Washington 13, Jones 9, Henry 11, B.J. Strawberry 6, Schaen 17. Three-point goals – Bell 5, T.Nelson 3, Chandler, C.Nelson 2, G.Keeler.

From the San Diego North County Times:

Notable: Escondido's Justin Bell scored 19 points, including 5-for-8 shooting on 3-pointers. Chris Nelson added 19 points and grabbed six rebounds. Senior Gerald Keeler scored 13 points and pulled down eight rebounds. The Cougars were down 76-65 with 3:57 to play, but could get no closer.  Mater Dei 89, Escondido 70  ESCONDIDO (70) ---- Bell 19, L. Keeler 16, Chandler 3, G. Keeler 13, Nelson 19. FG 29. FT 3-7.  MATER DEI (89) ---- Garrity 11, M. Strawberry 9, Nelson 13, Washington 13, Jones 9, Henry 11, D.J. Strawberry 6, Schaen 17. FG 33. FT 20-33.  Escondido 23 14 18 15 ---- 70  Mater Dei 28 22 16 23 ---- 89  Total fouls ---- Escondido 21, Mater Dei 14. Fouled out ---- Bell (E), Burgess (E). Technical fouls ---- none. 3-point goals ---- Bell (E) 5, Nelson (E) 2, Chandler (E) 1, G. Keeler (E) 1, Nelson (MD) 3.  Records: Escondido 21-8. Mater Dei 28-4.

Pasadena 53, Stockdale 46 --

From the Pasadena Star News
Bulldogs state case for rematch
By Scott A. Mayes
Correspondent

BAKERSFIELD -- When the Pasadena High School boys basketball team finished off Stockdale 53-46 in the first round of the CIF Southern California regional Wednesday, the Bulldogs earned a second chance to make a first impression.  An impression on Mater Dei, that is.  "Our motivation is that we wanted a rematch (with Mater Dei)," said Pasadena coach Tim Tucker, whose team lost to the Monarchs 65-49 in the CIF-Southern Section Division II-AA finals last Saturday. "We want the rematch. We didn't think we represented ourselves well the first time. We just want to have a better showing against them next time around."  Wish granted. With a solid defensive effort against Stockdale, the Bulldogs (27-5) will meet Mater Dei, which defeated Escondido 89-70, in the regional semifinals on Saturday. On Wednesday, however, the Bulldogs had to survive the Central Section champions. But Pasadena had the size and intensity to overpower the Mustangs (26-4).  "They are as athletic a team as we've seen all season," Stockdale coach Dean Andrea said. Said Tucker: "We started out with great defense. We were really pressuring them with our intensity." For starters, 6-foot-8 center Matt Garnett was opposed by another 6-8 center in Pasadena's MacKenzie Clark. The Bulldogs also had three players at 6-4, who matched up with 6-6 Sam Betty and 6-4 Nick Reese. "We've seen a few athletic teams this season," said Betty, who led the Mustangs with 13 points and seven rebounds. "But as far as size and strength, this is the biggest, most athletic team we've seen."  The Bulldogs led 8-0 before Stockdale scored, and Pasadena held a 27-14 at the half. But the Mustangs outscored the Bulldogs 14-5 in the third quarter and 32-26 in the second half. "We had a rough third quarter, so we called a timeout," Tucker said. "We knew they wouldn't quit, plus their fans really got into it."  Said Andrea: "We just didn't play very well (in the first half). We were playing good defense, but we didn't play with a lot of confidence on offense." Pasadena's Dino Wilburn played with plenty of confidence as the senior guard scored a game-high 25 points. "Dino Wilburn had a great game," Tucker said. "In the fourth quarter alone, he had 14 points." All in all, the Bulldogs scored 26 fourth-quarter points. But it was clearly Wilburn's frame. He hit a pair of 3-pointers, one layup and went 6-for-7 at the free throw line. "He's a very good shooter," Andrea said. "When it counts, he's the one shooting. He was just poison with the ball."  A steal and layup by Tommy Brown late in the fourth quarter cut the Bulldogs' lead to 44-42, but Wilburn answered with a 3-point play and Duwan Rice hit four free throws in the final minute to seal the victory.  

From the Bakersfield Californian
By Scott A. Mayes
Californian staff writer 

Fresh off its first Central Section boys basketball title in school history, the Stockdale High boys basketball team was in its first state playoff game Wednesday night. But Pasadena High (27-5) offered another first, a team that outsized the Mustangs (26-4). The bigger, more athletic Bulldogs gave Stockdale fits before intermission and held on for a 53-46 CIF Southern California regional first round victory at Stockdale High. "They are as athletic a team as we've seen all season," Stockdale coach Dean Andrea said. For starters, 6-foot-8 center Matt Garnett was opposed by another 6-8 center in MacKenzie Clark. The Bulldogs also had three players at 6-4, who matched up with 6-6 Sam Betty and 6-4 Nick Reese. "We've seen a few athletic teams this season," said Betty, who led the Mustangs with 13 points and seven rebounds. "But as far as size and strength, this is the biggest, most athletic team we've seen." The Mustangs got off to a slow start and dug themselves a big hole. It was 8-0 before Stockdale scored and 27-14 at the half. But the Mustangs outscored Pasadena 14-5 in the third quarter and 32-26 in the second half. "We just didn't play very well (in the first half)," Andrea said. "We were playing good defense, but we didn't play with a lot of confidence on offense." Guard Mark Morehead had 10 points for Stockdale and Garnett added nine points. Pasadena was led by guard Dino Wilburn, who scored a game-high 25 points. "We jumped out early and I thought our defense was excellent," Pasadena coach Tim Tucker said. "I didn't think they were going to lay down, but I thought they really outplayed us in the second half. They stepped up their defense and went for it. They made their own breaks." After halftime, it was an inspired Stockdale team. "The difference was that we came out with no intensity (in the first half)," Betty said. "We weren't running our offense well and we weren't taking it to the hole strong. We just got inspired and decided that we had nothing to lose." The Bulldogs had shot blocker after shot blocker, something the Mustangs weren't used to seeing. "We're used to having a precise, technical offense," Betty said. "They were so big and put so much pressure on the wings that we had to change it up a little bit." Garnett was a factor in the second half, but spent most of the first half on the bench in foul trouble, scoring no points. Of the Bulldogs' 26 fourth quarter points, Wilburn had 14 -- hitting a pair of 3-pointers, one layup and going 6-for-7 at the free throw line. "He's a very good shooter," Andrea said. "When it counts, he's the one shooting. He was just poison with the ball." A steal and layup by Tommy Brown late in the fourth quarter cut the Bulldogs' lead to 44-42, but Wilburn answered with a 3-point play and Duwan Rice hit four free throws in the final minute to seal the victory. Pasadena will play Mater Dei in Saturday's Southern regional semifinal.

Riverside ML King 72,  Helix 64--

From the San Diego Union Tribune

Leon Rossborough scored 29 points and Marvin Lea added 18 as MLK Riverside eliminated Helix at Grossmont College. The Highlanders (26-4), who had won 21 in a row, trailed 67-62 with 23.5 seconds remaining. The Wolves (28-4) sealed the victory from the free-throw line, hitting 21-of-27 shots in the final quarter. Senior forward Stanley Caldwell led Helix with 18 points and 12 rebounds. MLK Riverside 16 16 13 27 – 72 Helix 10 11 19 24 – 64  MLK Riverside (28-4) – Lea 18, Rossborough 29, Hilt 4, Thomas 8, Ellis 10, Goodman 3. Helix (26-4) – Farris 11, West 7, Toilolo 10, Smith 4, Caldwell 18, San Juan 4, Bland 1, Bell 9. Three-point goals – Toilolo 2, Lea, Rossborough, Goodman, Ellis.

From the Riverside Press-Enterprise
Riverside King ensures craved rematch
By Matt Jocks

It was a second chance that brought Riverside King to Grossmont College Wednesday night, and second chances sent the Wolves home happy.  With Leon Rosborough attacking the offensive boards, King took control early and held on for a 72-64 victory over La Mesa Helix in the first round of the California Interscholastic Federation Division 3 Southern California Regional boys' basketball playoffs.  The victory sets up a rematch with Redondo, which defeated the Wolves, 71-70, on a late three-pointer in the Southern Section finals Saturday. Redondo, which defeated Fresno Hoover, 82-49, in its first-round game, will play host to Saturday's game.  Rosborough scored 29 points, 12 of them on putbacks and eight more with a perfect performance from the free throw line in the fourth quarter. "We we're real focused coming into this," Rosborough said. "We knew it would be tough coming down to their place, but we had to get the job done.   "There was a lot of talk about playing Redondo again, but we couldn't overlook this game."  In the wake of their bitter loss to Redondo, focus was a major issue for the Wolves.  "I was a little worried Monday," Coach Tim Sweeney Jr. said. "I didn't sense they were down or depressed, but they seemed to be going through the motions.  "So we ran them a little. That got them focused and we had one of our better
practices."  Facing a rare opponent who didn't have a size advantage over them -- Helix's tallest starter is 6-foot-3 -- the Wolves (28-4) capitalized. They scored half of their points on putbacks in building a 32-21 halftime lead.  Riding a 21-game winning streak, Helix (26-4) couldn't get on track offensively in the first half. The Highlanders shot 27 percent from the floor and hit just 7 of 16 from the free-throw line in the half. Helix had hit its final 12 free throws in winning the San Diego Section title Saturday.  Helix did a better job rebounding in the second half, but the shooting woes continued as King pushed its lead to 13.  Midway through the third quarter, however, a pair of technical fouls against King led to a six-point possession and triggered a 13-5 run by Helix.  Marvin Lea drew one technical when he threw an elbow in response to a hard foul. The King bench was assessed the second for arguing the call.   The Highlanders got as close as four early in the fourth quarter, but King answered with a 7-0 run and remained in control the rest of the way.  "It's funny," Sweeney said. "Technicals can have a way of focusing your team. I guess there are good T's and bad T's."  After a 6-of-14 free-throw shooting performance Saturday, Sweeney said he was relieved to see his team connect down the stretch. The Wolves were 21 of 26 from the line in the fourth quarter, hitting 14 of their first 15.   "They (Helix) were more physical than they looked on film," Sweeney said. "I think they play as physically as Redondo does with their 6-8 and 6-11 kids."   Lea finished with 18 points, and Rosborough led the Wolves with 11 rebounds. King blocked six shots, including two each by Rosborough and Matt Thomas.  Stanley Caldwell led Helix with 18 points but was shut out in the fourth quarter.   King (28-4) -- Lea 18, Rosborough 29, Hilt 4, Thomas 8, Goodman 3, Ellis 10.  Helix (26-4) -- Farris 11, West 7, Toilolo 10, Smith 4, Caldwell 18, San Juan 4, Bland 1, Bell 9.   Halftime score -- King 32-21. Three-point goals -- Lea, Rosborough, Goodman, Ellis, Toilolo 2. Total fouls -- King 21, Helix 30. Fouled out -- West, Johnson (H). Technical fouls -- Lea, King bench.

Redondo Union 78, Fresno Hoover 42 --

From the LA Times
By John Ortega

Wendell White, a 6-foot-5 junior swingman, made 10 of 13 shots and scored 23 points for the second-seeded SeaHawks (24-6). He also had 13 rebounds for Redondo Union, which held Hoover (20-10) to 23 points in the final three quarters. Point guard Eddie Topps had 15 points and five assists for the Sea Hawks and teammate Adam Zahn had 14 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots. Gavin Gonzalez scored 12 points for Hoover, which was 14 of 55 from the field and five of 31 from three-point range. John Ortega

From the Daily Breeze
Redondo Roars In Regionals
By Bob Holtzman, Daily Breeze

[Excerpts below are from the boys' game--this was a double header and the Redondo girls team also won 69-25 over visiting Mt. Miguel]

The Redondo girls and boys basketball teams served up big helpings of rebounds, defense and easy baskets en route to a pair of dominating first-round victories in the CIF Southern California regional playoffs.  The girls team took a 69-25 victory over CIF San Diego Section runner-up Mt. Miguel, and the boys team followed with a 78-42 win over Hoover of Fresno, the Central Section runner-up. Both Redondo teams used superior size and athleticism to secure first-round victories. The girls team will play at No. 1 seed Ventura on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the regional semifinals. The boys team will host King of Riverside on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. * * *  Hoping to add a pair of Division II state crowns to go with the Southern Section Division II-A boys and girls titles, the Redondo boys turned up the defensive pressure after holding a slim 21-19 lead after the first quarter.  The Sea Hawks (24-7) held Hoover (20-10) to just 23 points the rest of the way and forced 19 turnovers.  College coaches from Oregon, Loyola Marymount and UC Santa Barbara attended the game to watch senior Adam Zahn, who had 14 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots. Junior forward Wendell White should bring the scouts back next season. After scoring the game-winning baskets in the section semifinal and final, White looked spectacular with 23 points, 13 rebounds and two assists. He was 10-for-13 from the field, opting to attack the basket for easy scores. “That's what Coach (Tom Maier) told me to do — attack the basket,” White said. “It said on the Internet that I was just a lucky showboat that I was going to go to L.A. City College.”   While White was defending his name, senior guard Eddie Topps was protecting his fellow guard, Keith Ellison, who was hindered by a cold. Topps retaliated with a remarkable 15 points, five rebounds and five assists. “I knew I had to step up,” Topps said. “We're a 1-2 punch. He has my back and I have his. We're a tandem and we step up together.”  Topps said Redondo is excited to play King again. “They think it was a fluke, but we want to finish them off — what we didn't do in the last game,” Topps said. Redondo forced Hoover into shooting a dismal 25.5 percent. The Patriots made two early 3-pointers, but made just 5-for-31 for the contest.  Hoover coach Tim Amundsen said his team wanted to try to shoot Redondo out of its 2-3 zone, but failed.

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NorCal Division II Regionals

Mountain View St. Francis 69, El Dorado Hills Oak Ridge 65
Redding Shasta 65, Pleasanton Amador Valley 64
Sacramento Rio Americano 50, San Francisco McAteer 64
San Jose Fremont 52, Walnut Creek Northgate 47

Mountain View St. Francis 69, El Dorado Hills Oak Ridge 65

Redding Shasta 65, Pleasanton Amador Valley 64

From the Alameda Times Star
AV boys lose a heartbreaker
By Dennis Miller

PALO CEDRO -- Four hours on a bus is a long time to think. For the Amador Valley High boys basketball team, be sure there weren't a lot of pleasant thoughts on the bus ride home following the Dons' 65-64 loss to Shasta on Wednesday night in the quarterfinals of the Northern California Division II playoffs.  The game, which was played at Foothill High -- located just outside of Redding -- was the Dons' for the taking, despite turning in a so-so defensive performance.  "That's why it hurts so much," Amador Valley coach Don Underwood said. "If we played anywhere close to how we did last week on defense, we win this game comfortably."  Underwood was referencing the Dons' North Coast Section Division II run last week, in which superior defensive efforts in four straight games carried Amador to a runner-up spot and berth in the NorCal tournament.   On Wednesday, the defense wasn't there, but Amador was doing enough right on offense to lead throughout most of the game.  Amador used 20 first-half points from Thomas Juillerat to lead by four at the break and three heading into the fourth quarter. But the Wolves stayed around and finally took their first lead since early in the first quarter with 38 seconds left to play in the game.  Shasta, which last led 6-5 just a little over 2 minutes into the game, went up 63-62 when Justin Cascarini hit a pair from the line.  After a timeout, the Dons brought the ball downcourt and Ray White -- who finished his brilliant senior year with 24 points -- hit a jumper with three guys hanging all over him for a 64-63 lead with 15 seconds left.  But the Wolves had plenty of time and instead of calling timeout, opted to put the ball in Cascarini's hands and turn the talented senior loose.  Cascarini, who finished with 16 points, broke down the Amador defense and found John Martin all alone under the basket with a nice pass.   Martin hit the shot and was fouled, giving Shasta a 65-64 lead with only 4 seconds left. Martin missed the free throw, but the miss bounced long and Martin was able to get the rebound, sealing the win for the Wolves.  "We already had our plan, so we didn't want to take a timeout," Shasta coach Joe Franco said of his team's strategy after White's basket. "I figured (Cascarini) would either penetrate or pass off and he found the open man."  The Shasta comeback erased Amador leads of 10 in the third quarter and eight in the fourth quarter.  Shasta was able to stay in the game by abandoning its normal offense and turning to the 3-pointer. The Wolves finished with seven 3-pointers on the night, well above their normal season output, according to Franco.   "We knew coming in we needed to shoot the 3's tonight," Franco said. "Amador is so big underneath, we knew we wouldn't be able to work the ball inside like we normally do."  Amador led 58-50 with 4:14 left in the game, but three 3-pointers in four trips down the court by Shasta closed it to 62-61 Amador with 1:45 to play. The Dons were actually doing a decent job of defending the long shots, but Shasta was still knocking them down.  Jake Waters, a 6-foot-2 forward for Shasta, finished with 22 points, hitting four 3-pointers, two of which came in the late run.   "Waters just made some sensational shots," Underwood said. "I don't think he took a shot when there wasn't a hand in his face."  The loss ended the Dons' season, but it was a season that went much further than many anticipated from a young Amador team. The Dons finished fourth in the East Bay Athletic League, but rallied with a big postseason run.  "We are really proud of the kids," Underwood said. "No one thought we would get this far. The kids were great to coach and they gave us everything they had. We are disappointed by the loss, but they have a lot to be proud of."

From the Redding Record Searchlight:
By Jason Wilson

[Note: This was a double-header with a girls game and we've only included the excerpts pertaining to the boys' game between Shasta and Amador Valley.   The original story can be found at the link above]

PALO CEDRO — Amador Valley and Vacaville brought the big, intimidating centers. Shasta and Foothill leave with second-round berths in the CIF state basketball playoffs. The fourth-seeded Wolves authored a thrilling rally to defeat the Amador Valley Dons 65-64 in the first game of the Division II twinbill at Foothill High School. "We just wanted to go to San Jose really bad," said Jon Martin, who scored the go-ahead basket off a dish from Justin Cascarina with 4.8 seconds left. "After we got beat by Pleasant Valley really bad, we just needed this win."   Shasta's win came down to the final two minutes. Cascarina hit a 3-point shot from the top of the key with 1:30 left to pull the Wolves within one point, 62-61, the closest they'd been to the lead since the first quarter. The Dons missed their next shot, and Brian Martin got the rebound, feeding the ball to Cascarina. The senior forward missed his shot, got the rebound and was fouled with 38.9 seconds remaining. He made both ends of a 1-and-1 to give Shasta a 63-62 lead. But Raymond White, the play-making guard for Amador Valley, answered back with two points to put the Dons up 64-63 with less than 20 seconds left. Enter Jon Martin. Shasta pushed the ball downcourt, and Cascarina fed Martin for the go-ahead basket. He was fouled and missed the shot, but Cascarina was in position for the rebound and was fouled. He missed the ensuing foul shot, but with 1.1 seconds left, the Dons didn't have enough time to make a credible attempt for the win. "We knew we could beat them. We've worked very hard against a great team (tonight)," Jake Waters said. "Justin and Jon stepped up big for us." With the win, Shasta travels to No 1. seed St. Francis of Mountain View on Saturday, which defeated Oak Ridge of El Dorado Hills 69-65. Waters led the Wolves with 22 points, including four 3-point shots. Cascarina and Brian Martin added 16 points. Amador Valley did its best to exploit its size advantage. Thomas Juillerat, a 6-foot-6 center, scored a game-high 26 points, tallying 20 in the first half. That's when everything changed. "We went to our halfcourt defense . . . and covered their big man inside," Shasta coach Joe Franco said, pointing out the Wolves had played him soft in the first half. Juillerat scored six points in the second half

Sacramento Rio Americano 50, San Francisco McAteer 64

From the SF Chronicle:

Myles Taylor led Rio Americano (27-5) with 15 points as the Sac-Joaquin Section champions held off McAteer High 50-44 in Sacramento.  The Jaguars (27-7) were led by Dave Pushia with 13 points.

San Jose Fremont 52, Walnut Creek Northgate 47

From the Contra Costa Times
Broncos fall to Fremont
Steal off inbounds pass seals Northgate's fate in Division II playoffs
By Chace Bryson, Contra Costa Times

All year long when the game was on the line, it was the Northgate High School boys basketball team that made the big defensive play to spur it to victory. On Wednesday, the Broncos happened to be on the other side of things. Down 45-44 with 43 seconds to go in the game, the host Broncos (27-3) came out of a timeout and had an inbounds pass stolen by Fremont-Sunnyvale guard Tyler Duran, who quickly found teammate Troy Tulowitzki for an uncontested layup The field goal put the Firebirds (24-9) up three and Northgate never recovered as Fremont held on for a 52-47 upset victory in the first round of the California Interscholastic Federation Northern California Division II playoffs. "We were simply going out there to try and deny (Northgate's London Young) the inbounds pass," Fremont coach Miguel Castillo said of the Firebirds' decision to pick up the Broncos full-court coming out of the timeout. "They made an errant pass and we got a layup out of it." After Fremont scored the layup the Broncos missed on a 3-point attempt and Young was forced to use his fifth foul to stop the clock. Just 40 seconds earlier, Young had put the Broncos ahead for the first time in the second half with a pair of free throws that made it 44-43. Young finished with a team-high 21 points, five rebounds and five assists. "It's not the way he'd want to finish, but there was no lack of effort," Northgate coach Dan Swan said of Young. "He's an incredible ballplayer. I don't know if I'll ever coach another player like him." With Young on the bench, Northgate still had an opportunity to tie the game on a 3-point attempt from Stephan Folas with three seconds left, but the attempt went long and Tulowitzki picked up the rebound. He sank two free throws to clinch the 52-47 win. Tulowitzki led all scorers with 31 points

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