With Lillard watching, Grayson sends Oakland Tech to the state finals
Scoring was already difficult enough for ArDarius Grayson in the closing minutes of the NorCal Division II title game against rival Oakland. The Oakland Tech two guard was hounded and pounded by Wildcat defenders on every drive, but that was standard procedure in a playoff game.
Adding an aching left arm to the mix made the already laborious task even more of a hassle in the biggest moment of the season's most important game.
The junior guard ignored the pain caused by a fall in the first half, and relentless defense, as he sank a fallaway jumper to give Tech a three-point lead.
On the next possession, he swooped baseline and cradled the ball before scooping it in for a reverse layup. Then seven free throws and a chase-down block closed out the game.
As a famous former Wildcat, Damian Lillard, watched on from the sideline, it was Tech's No. 0 who put on a crunch-time masterclass to secure the 73-66 victory over defending state champion Oakland and send the Bulldogs to the Division II state title game on Saturday in Sacramento. The Bulldogs will play Centennial-Bakersfield.
“It hurt a lot … but I was running on adrenaline,” Grayson said after scoring a game-high 34 points. “I tried to take over the entire game, but when the fourth quarter came and it's a close game, then I knew we've got to end the game.”
Aside from Grayson's 34, Asher Kramer and Xan Meyer-Plettner each scored 13 and Ahmed Gulaid scored 10.
Anthony Lacy played his last game in an Oakland uniform just like every other: with a motor revved high. He grabbed doubledigit rebounds and scored the majority of his 17 points on high-effort putbacks. Jonathan Chapple added 16 and made buzzer-beaters at the end of the first and third quarters.