Riordan’s defense key to WCAL win
By Mitch Stephens
It’s not just about putting the ball in the basket. Just ask Riordan’s basketball team.
The 12th-ranked Crusaders (13-5, 5-3) scored just 82 points in two games during the week but won both, thanks to superb defense, pushing their win streak to four after Saturday’s 44-32 West Catholic Athletic League win over Valley Christian in San Jose.
Max Randall was the only player to score in double figures with 13 points, and Daniel Norman pulled down nine rebounds.
Valley Christian held Riordan’s leading scorer, Eddie Stansberry, to six points but fell to 5-13 and 0-8. Stansberry came in averaging 19.4 points per game in league play.
Third-place Riordan won earlier in the week 38-35 against 14thranked Sacred Heart Cathedral (9-9, 3-5), which Saturday lost 56-51 to visiting Bellarmine (11-7, 4-4).
Bellarmine took a 23-10 lead in the first quarter behind 11 points from Kyle Owens, who made three three-pointers. Bellarmine maintained its 13-point lead heading into the fourth quarter and then held on down the stretch. Prolific Prep-Napa 85, Balboa City-San Diego 78: A showdown between two of the top two players in their respective classes nationally went to Josh Jackson and Prolific Prep.
The 6-foot-8 junior forward, featured in The Chronicle on Saturday, had 30 points, 19 rebounds, three blocks and three assists as Prolific Prep, an elite club team based in Napa and not sanctioned by the California Interscholastic Federation, broke a six-game losing streak before about 500 fans at Napa Valley College.
Jackson outdueled DeAndre Ayton, a 6-11 post tabbed as the best sophomore in the country. Ayton had 20 points and 15 rebounds despite being saddled with foul trouble for most of the first half.
Balboa had three eight-point leads before Prolific Prep closed to 18-15 with 11:30 left in the first half. That’s when Ayton picked up his third foul, sending him to the bench for the rest of the half.
Prolific Prep then forged ahead 48-39 and would never trail again. Balboa, which got a team-high 23 points from Renathan Ona Embo, a sophomore from France, closed to 68-62 before Jackson took over.
The native of Detroit hit a three-pointer and followed it up with a strong baseline move and tomahawk dunk to help Prolific Prep win going away.
Algevon Eichelberger added 14 points, Kyle Leufroy 12 and Marko Filipovity 10 for Prolific Prep.
“It’s not always about winning,” said Prolific Prep coach Philippe Doherty, a former coach at Sacred Heart Cathedral and USF. “It’s about coming out every time and playing well. Tonight it came down to us making shots and plays.” Other games: Mitty (11-7, 5-3 WCAL) finished off a successful week with a 70-30 win at St. Ignatius (8-10, 2-6). Mitty also defeated league-leading St. Francis on Wednesday, 6142. … Visiting Marin Catholic-Kentfield (14-8, 9-1) stunned fifthranked Drake-San Anselmo 52-51 in Marin County Athletic League play. Drake (19-3, 9-1) had won 19 straight.