Bellarmine, Los Gatos boys square off for title
No. 1 seed Bellarmine College Prep put on a clinic of halfcourt execution in a 56-40 win over host Palo Alto on Thursday in a Central Coast Section Division I semifinal.
The Bells shot 60% (24 of 40) for the game from the floor.
“We've really been emphasizing off-the-ball movement,'' Bellarmine coach Alex Sarrett said. “A lot of those back cuts and actions we ran pretty well today.”
The Bells advanced to play Los Gatos in the final tonight at Santa Clara High. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
On Thursday, sophomore Brayden Harris led the way for Bellarmine with 15 points. He scored seven in quick succession in the first quarter as the Bells (12-13) jumped out to an 11-2 lead and was never headed.
Julian Gospich scored 13 and post player Nick Corbett added 10. Bellarmine led 50-29 after three quarters and Sarrett emptied his bench in the fourth quarter.
Mert Yanar led No. 4 seed Palo Alto (19-7) with 14 points.
Accustomed to a significantly difficult level of competition after going 5-9 in the rugged West Catholic Athletic League, Bellarmine was placed in Division I. Both Sarrett and Palo Alto coach Jeff LaMere said they believe the Bells belonged in the Open Division. They are definitely the elephant in the room in a Division I bracket that otherwise is composed of seven public schools.
In the second semifinal Thursday at Palo Alto, No. 2 Los Gatos (21-5) also never trailed in a 63-56 win over Carlmont.
The Wildcats were the bigger team inside but also displayed an advantage from the perimeter, making nine 3-pointers to seven for a Carlmont team that hoped to make the first CCS boys basketball championship game appearance in the school's 68-year history by utilizing its quickness.
“They shot well and we didn't,'' Carlmont coach Ron Ozorio said. “When we had good looks we didn't knock them down.''
Point guard Nate Wong led No. 3 seed Carlmont (188) with 18 points.
Girls: How Evergreen Valley made title game
How has Evergreen Valley, which has only seven players on its roster and is on its third coach in as many seasons, been able to out-run and out-hustle opponents on its way to a berth in the Central Coast Section Division I final?
It started in the offseason, not with a ball and hoop, but with a jump rope. The team's star player said coach Drew Fenstermaker used the simple activity to build up the team's stamina.
“Honestly, the jump ropes, we hated them so much,” guard Ryka Aprameyan said. “Now, even when we feel tired, our adrenaline keeps us going.”
Despite the small roster, Evergreen Valley (19-7) was the faster and more athletic team in a 73-56 semifinals win over Carlmont Thursday at Piedmont Hills High. Most possessions started and ended in under 15 seconds as the team ran up and down the court.
Evergreen Valley, which lost in the semifinals last season, benefited from the fast pace. It led 22-8 after one quarter and never looked back.
Aprameyan, who was constantly in motion, led all scorers with 34 points. Her favorite move was a crossover that set up a drive for a layup, but the prolific scorer also passed when teammates flashed open.
“She's been able to adjust to any game plan I give her,” Fenstermaker said.
Lealah Rowden scored 15 points on putbacks and relentless work on the offensive boards. And when plays broke down, she and her teammates had the freedom to freelance.
“He calls plays, but a lot of the time he likes us to play in the flow of the game,” Rowden said.
Evergreen Valley isn't just fastbreaks and shooting.
Forward Xuanmai Nguyen could be the team's most important player in the championship game against Los Altos that will tip off at 11 a.m. today at Mission College. She rebounds and defends.
“In some ways, having a smaller roster is kind of a blessing, because all of us know we have to do our part, and that we have each other's backs the whole time,” Nguyen said.
Girls: Los Altos' defense looks championship-caliber
If Evergreen Valley represents the free-wheeling, uptempo side of basketball, then its championship opponent is the other side of the hoops coin.
Los Altos plays lockdown defense.
The fifth-seeded Eagles shocked No. 1 seed MenloAtherton 46-40 in the other Division I semifinal, using a suffocating 1-3-1 trap to fluster the Bears into turnovers and rushed shots.
“Honestly, it doesn't feel real yet,” forward Macy Watson said after her team prevailed. “I think it'll settle in a little bit.”
Los Altos coach Erik Stuart didn't implement the season-changing defense until mid-January, with his team coming off a fourgame losing streak.
“We had a week off after that, and I said `You know what, a week is just enough time to install this defense,'” Stuart said. “It was something no one else in our league had seen us do before.”
A month after the switch, the players are completely comfortable with the scheme. Los Altos led 24-22 at halftime and 42-35 with two minutes remaining.
Even when Menlo-Atherton went on a 5-0 run to cut the deficit to 42-40 with 29 seconds to play, Los Altos did not panic.
Mira Sundar broke free for a layup on a long inbounds pass to push the lead back to four, and then defenders Tara Davari and Watson did not allow Menlo-Atherton to get a clean look on its next possession.
Two more Los Altos (18-10) free throws sealed Menlo-Atherton's (233) first loss to a Bay Area school all season.
Now in its second CCS Division I championship in three seasons, Los Altos will prepare for an opponent it scrimmaged against in November.
Stuart said Evergreen Valley was the superior team that day, but his players believe they're a far different, and better, squad than in the fall.
Closing shots
Four schools have both their boys and girls teams in championship games today: St. Francis and Christopher in Division II, Half Moon Bay in Division IV and Priory in Division V . ... The St. Francis boys, who entered the playoffs on a six-game losing streak, beat Monta Vista 78-55 on Tuesday and Valley Christian 59-45 on Thursday to reach the final. St. Francis (13-12) is 3-0 against Valley (8-18) this season . ... The Christopher boys will be playing in their third section final in four seasons but are still in the hunt for the program's first title . ... Priory is aiming for back-to-back championships in both the Division V boys and girls finals. ... There are 12 public and 12 private schools in the finals. Seven of the 12 private schools to reach the title games are in the boys playoffs . ... Karen Xin finished with 18 points, four assists and six rebounds and Ruiqi Liu had 10 points and four rebounds to lead Menlo School past The King's Academy 57-36 in a Division IV semifinal. Menlo will play Half Moon Bay at 1 p.m. today at Mission College for the title.