SoCalHoops State Tournament

D-V 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 Price 70,  El Cajon Christian 56 --

From the LA Times:

Paul Simon scored 22 points for top-seeded Price (28-6). Kalief Washington added 14 points and 10 rebounds to the victory.

From the San Diego Union Tribune

Sophomore guard Nick Corso finished with a game-high 28 points, including six three-pointers, and grabbed eight rebounds for the visiting Eagles (22-10). Senior forward Chase McBride added 16 points against L.A. Price (28-6).  L.A. PRICE 70, SFC 56 SFC 14 13 14 15 – 56 L.A. Price 13 18 18 21 – 70 SFC (22-10) – Alexander 6, Corso 28, Curtius 1, McBride 16, Baldwin 5. L.A. Price (28-6) – Washington 14, Peace 9, Simon 22, Williams 6, Edward 7, Morrison 7, Herron 3, Hamilton 2. Three-point goals – Corso 6, McBride 2, Simon 2, Baldwin.

From the San Diego North County Times

Notable: Nick Corso led the Eagles with 28 points and eight rebounds. Chase McBride added 15
points and five rebounds as Santa Fe Christian was defeated by the division's No. 1 seed.   SANTA FE CHRISTIAN (56) ---- Alexander 6, Corso 28, Curtius 1, McBride 16, Baldwin 5. FG 17. FT 13-16.
PRICE (70) ---- Washington 14, Peace 9, Simons 22, Williams 6, Edwards 7, Morrison 7, Herron 3, Pendleton 2. FG 28. FT 8-16.  Santa Fe Christian 14 13 14 15 ---- 56   Price 13 18 18 21 ---- 70  Total fouls ---- Santa Fe Christian 17, Price 18. Fouled out ---- none. Technical fouls ---- none. 3-point goals ---- Corso (SFC) 6, McBride (SFC) 2, Baldwin (SFC) 1, Simon (P) 2.  Records: Santa Fe Christian 22-10. Price 22-6.

La Jolla Country Day 52, No. 4 Ribet Academy 47

From the San Diego Union Tribune

Tyler Grooms made four clutch free throws and Chris Robinson made two more with 8.5 seconds to play to lead the Torres past the Fighting Frogs at La Jolla Country Day. Robinson paced LJCD with 20 points.  LJCD 52, L.A. RIBET ACADEMY 47 Ribet 12 15 8 12 – 47 LJCD 15 4 16 17 – 52  Ribet (20-10) – Gaines 10, Thomas 9, Shead 10, Bassey 10, Fields 3, Yancy 5. LJCD (20-11) – Zausmer 4 (10 rebounds), Golia 8, Schu 8, Bastine 2,
Robinson 20, McWhorter 1, Grooms 8, Sedwitz 1. Three-point goals – Thomas 2, Gaines 2, Golia, Robinson.

No. 3 Immanuel 76, Stoneridge Prep 47--

From the LA Times

Junior guard Jacob Wild had 25 points and Jeff Warkinton added 22 to lead host Reedley Immanuel (27-4). James Spencer scored 26 points to lead Stoneridge Prep (23-7), which trailed, 32-30, at the half, but was outscored in the third quarter, 24-7.

From the Fresno Bee:
Defensive Eagles soar in 2nd half
By Bryant-Jon Anteola, The Fresno Bee

REEDLEY -- There was a collective sigh of relief Wednesday when the final buzzer sounded in Immanuel High's Southern Regional opener.  The game was uneventful for the most part, as the Eagles boys basketball team went from a two-point halftime lead to a 76-47 route of Stoneridge Prep of Tarzana.  But the fact Immanuel junior guard Jacob Wild escaped without injury was what Eagles fans cheered for the most. Wild scored 21 of his 25 points in the first half, then turned defensive stopper after halftime to mark his first Southern Regional game since breaking his thumb in last year's opening round. "I had to congratulate Jake for staying injury free and surviving his first state playoffs," Immanuel coach John Thiesen said. "In my opinion, Jake is the best player in the Valley. He continues to show what he's capable of defensively and offensively."  Sinking 3-pointers and finishing fastbreaks with big dunks in the first half, Wild put on an exhibition that would have impressed most anyone. But after halftime, with Immanuel leading only 32-30, Wild showed his most valuable trait. After Stoneridge guard James Spencer scored 16 of his 24 points before the half, Wild clamped down defensively to limit Spencer to two points when the game's outcome still was in question.  "They told me not to score anymore in the second half," said Wild, who also grabbed 17 rebounds. "I like the responsibility of guarding the other team's top scorer." Poor execution by Immanuel, however, allowed Stoneridge -- a school with an enrollment of 40, according to Wildcats coach Jack Pollon -- to stay close for a half.  "I see us down just two at halftime and I'm thinking, 'We've got a chance,' " Pollon said. "[Immanuel] is a team that can probably hang with [Division 5 favorite and defending state champ] Price."  Led by Nic Heinrichs' 17 points, all of which came after halftime, Immanuel raced to a 54-36 lead with 2 minutes, 21 seconds left in the third quarter.  Stoneridge made just two shots in the third and could only hope Jeff Warkentin, Immanuel's 6-foot-8 center, would miss his shots. He didn't. The junior posted 22 points, 15 of which came in the second half to put Immanuel back on course to possibly meet Price in the regional championship. "That's the way we'd like it," Thiesen said. "I thought last year we had a very good chance of beating them. But when Jacob broke his thumb, it left us as the underdogs. ... So sure, we'd like another shot at them.  "Looks like we're healthy this time."

Mission Prep 62, No. 2 Rolling Hills 51 --

From the LA Times

Pierre Djinki had 19 points, five rebounds and four steals to lead Mission Prep (22-7) in the upset of second-seeded Rolling Hills Prep (20-7). Gerald Purify had 16 points, 10 in the second half, and 11 rebounds and Brent Walker chipped in with eight points and nine assists for Mission Prep, which outscored Rolling Hills Prep by 11 points in the second half. Curtis Allen, who was averaging 25.5 points per game, was held to 17 points, and D.J. Wright had 12 points for Rolling Hills Prep. Mission Prep will play Reedley Immanuel in the semfinals Saturday.

From the San Luis Obispo Tribune
Mission boys win assures rematch with Immanuel
Tribune Staff Report

The Mission Prep boys basketball team knew what they were getting into Wednesday night with their matchup against Rolling Hills, the No. 3 Division V team in California. “We had seen them on tape,” said Royals coach Tom Mott, “and we felt if we controlled their transition game and got the ball inside, we’d be okay.” Okay they were as Mission Prep pulled away at the end for a 62-51 victory to advance to the Southern California Division V semifinals on Saturday. Mission Prep improves to 22-7 and next plays at Immanuel, a rematch of the Central Section finals where the Royals fell 72-64 at Morro Bay High School. On Wednesday, it took a while for the Royals to get going as they scored just nine points in the first quarter and went into the locker room tied 27-27. “We didn’t score for the first four minutes,” said Mott. “I think it was big-game jitters. “But as the half progressed, we wanted to get the ball into our big guys and our guards did a great job of doing that.” Pierre Djinki had a game-high 19 points and Gerald Purify added 16. But Mott was more impressed with his team’s defense. Rolling Hills’ Curtis Allen came into the game with a scoring average in the high 20s, but Mott used Djinki and John Scruggs in a straight man-to-man defense to wear him down. “We thought if we kept him under 20, we’d win the game,” Mott said of Allen, who finished with 17 points. The Royals’ Souleymane Traore had eight points and 10 rebounds while Brent Walker added eight points and nine assists.

From the Daily Breeze
Rolling Hills Prep Thwarted by Double Dose of Defeat
By Eric Boyum, Daily Breeze

[Note: This was a double header, and the girls' RHP team lost to Immanual of Reedly 43-40, while the Reedly boys were defeating Stoneridge Prep at home.  Excerpts below pertain only to the boys' game between RHP and Mission Prep]

The basketball season for Rolling Hills Prep came to an end for both the boys and the girls teams in the first round of the CIF Southern California Regional Division V playoffs Wednesday night at Harbor College.  The boys team lost to Mission Prep, 62-51, as standout forward Curtis Allen was held to 17 points. The girls team lost to Immanuel of Reedley, 43-40, when Charmaine Jones failed to extend the game on two 3-point shot attempts in the closing seconds. “We were 0-for-2 tonight and in a tournament like this everyone has to finish with a loss except one team,” Huskies athletic director and boys coach Brian Knigin said.  Allen admitted he was frustrated by running into two defenders all night in Mission Prep's 6-foot-5 Pierre Djinki and 6-9 Souleymane Traore whenever he touched the basketball.  “They were stronger and played pretty good defense and came after me,” Allen said. “I tried to get my teammates involved and was trying to focus more on defense. They've been here like four or five times before and this is only our second time. We will learn from this and should be very strong next year.”  The boys team, which will return three sophomore starters and one junior from this year's team, finished with a 21-7 overall record.  The game was close throughout the third quarter after the teams were tied, 27-27, at the half.  However, strong post play by Djinki, who had 19 points to lead all scorers, along with eight by Traore hurt Rolling Hills Prep in the third and fourth quarters and Mission Prep opened a 52-45 lead with five minutes remaining.  Mission point guard Brent Walker's ballhandling in the closing minutes against the pressing Huskies resulted in Knigin conceding the game with 30 seconds left, when he removed all five starters and put in the reserves. “Our game isn't suited for that,” Knigin said of the last-ditch effort to implement a full-court press. “Our post players were struggling to keep up with them, too. Obviously late in the game we had to try to do something and it just didn't work.”

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NorCal Division V Regionals

Palo Alto Eastside Prep 75, Redding Liberty Christian 49
Denair 65, Napa St. Vincent 64
Sacramento Capital Christian 58, Ripon Christian 52
San Francisco University 66, Portola Valley Woodside Priory 46

Palo Alto Eastside Prep 75, Redding Liberty Christian 49

From the Redding Searchlight

The Patriots fought hard but fell to the No. 2-ranked team in the state in Palo Alto.  Liberty (27-3) lost its lone starting senior, Joe Maikranz, when he sprained his ankle during warmups. Nick Cutler stepped up and led Liberty with 12 points, and Todd Dwyer added 11. Sacred Heart 65, Anderson 48: The Cubs dropped from the Division III state tournament, falling to the No.1-seeded Sacred Heart Cathedral of San Francisco (24-3).  The Cubs came within 10 points with just under five minutes remaining in the game, but couldn't bring it any closer. Chris Frost scored a team-high 15 points for Anderson (12-18) in the loss.

Denair 65, Napa St. Vincent 64

From The Modesto Bee
Denair wins from halfcourt
By Adam Russo, Modesto Bee Staff Writer

DENAIR -- At halfcourt and with his team trailing by two points with time running out, Denair High's Travis Manley did the only thing he could do -- he let it fly. What happened next will go down in school history.  Manley's line-drive desperation halfcourt shot at the buzzer hit nothing but net, and gave the Coyotes an improbable 65-64 victory over St. Vincent De Paul of Petaluma in the first round of the CIF Northern California Division V Tournament on Wednesday.  "I saw Brandon (Cole)," Manley said. "I just didn't know how much time was left. I had a good look and I just let it go." Said Denair coach Curtis Wooten: "It pays to be lucky sometimes. We stole that one." Thanks to Manley. After St. Vincent's Preston Hoopes missed the front end of a 1-and-1 attempt with 4.3 seconds left, Manley, a senior forward, corralled the long rebound and quickly headed up court.  Cole, the team's leading scorer, immediately broke for the other end as Manley sprinted toward halfcourt. With two seconds left, and with no time to get the ball to Cole, Manley went with the only option left, hoisting a line-drive shot that at first appeared as if it would be short. Manley had made just two 3-pointers on the season, but his forte isn't from normal 3-point range, it's from midcourt.  Manley beat his teammates earlier this season in a game of halfcourt "knockout."  As Manley's line-drive went through the net on Wednesday, the capacity crowd of roughly 550 erupted in unison in a mixture of screams and adulation.  "It was meant to be," said teammate Joey Moser. The crowd poured onto the court in a gigantic hug, with the man of the hour directly in the center. It seemed as if everyone in the small city was there to congratulate Manley and the team. Manley was lifted onto his teammates shoulders before he made his way to the basket to cut down the net. "It was pure joy," Manley said. "I was just excited and happy to win." Wooten had asked his team before Hoopes' free throw attempt if they wanted to call a timeout after a potential miss.  The team said it wanted to push it up the court and take its chances. Denair (28-3) stayed true to its up-tempo style that had been so successful the entire season. And it paid dividends. The irony was that Denair had opted to call a timeout earlier with the Coyotes trailing by two and only 13 seconds remaining, rather than try to run its fast-break offense following a Barry Weiss layup. Denair's play coming out of the timeout featured Cole blowing past his defender on his way to the basket, only to miss a contested layup. Denair was forced to foul and Manley bailed the Coyotes out. The way Denair won seemed to mirror its entire season.  The Coyotes had an answer for everything St. Vincent attempted to do. Every time Weiss, who had a game-high 28 points, nailed a jumper, the Coyotes went down the court and Cole or Moser would score. When St. Vincent's Stephen Maloney nailed his team's only 3-pointer to open the fourth quarter, Denair's Dustin Curtiss answered with his own 3-pointer.   "That's our season," Wooten said. "(St. Vincent) deserved to win. But it was our night."  The fourth-seeded Coyotes will travel to Palo Alto to face top-seed Eastside Prep (29-1), which beat Liberty Christian 75-49 Wednesday. Cole led Denair with 19 points and Moser added 18. Manley's 3-pointer gave him 11 points.   "Amazing," Wooten said. "Just amazing."  Denair 65, St. Vincent 64  SV (23-9) - Ryan Cheda 2, Stephen Maloney 11, Preston Hoopes 9, Barry Weiss 28, Justin Ferrua. Totals 28 5-12 64.  Denair (28-3) - Dustin Curtiss 9, Brandon Cole 19, Travis Manley 11, Jeff Sheehy 3, Dustin Hagens 5. Totals 20 16-23 65.   SV 18 20 13 13 - 64  Denair 20 17 14 14 - 65 3-pointers: SV 1 (Maloney), Denair 4 (Curtiss 2, Manley, Sheehy). Team fouls: SV 16, Denair 16.

No. 3 Sacramento Capital Christian 58, Ripon Christian 52

From the Sacramento Bee

Solomon Mercado had six steals to go with his 18 points as host and No. 3 seed Capital Christian used a 20-point fourth quarter to oust No. 6 Ripon Christian 58-52. Joe Mitchell had 14 rebounds and five assists for the Cougars, who will travel to University High of San Francisco at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Capital Chr. 58, Ripon Chr. 52  RC 17 13 6 16 - 52 Capital Chr. 11 15 12 20 - 58  CC - Merrill 5, Hoag 8, Nieweg 15, Johnson 2, Van Duyn 11, Vander Shaaf 11. Central - Mercado 18, Yamamoto 9, Yttrup 3, Hunter 2, B. Ellis 6, Mitchell 9, C. Thornton 11

No. 2 San Francisco University 66, Portola Valley Woodside Priory 46

From the SF Chronicle:

University High jumped to a 14-0 lead and never looked back at the University of San Francisco's Memorial Gym, defeating Woodside Priory 66-46.  University, the Bay Counties League West and NCS Division V champion, was led by forward John Casnocha, who was 4-for-8 from the field for 16 points. The Red Devils were 27-for-56 from the field, while Woodside Priory (15-14) made 15 out of 48 shots.

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