After long layoff, Salesian, Mitty ready to get back in action
Eight days off can be a blessing or a curse, but Salesian-Richmond boys coach Bill Mellis sees it only as a positive. His team has set a precedent, after all.
The Pride are the topseeded Open Division squad (29-1) in the Northern California playoffs and they face Modesto Christian (28-5) at Contra Costa College in a semifinal game at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Salesian had 11 days off between its league tournament and a North Coast Section opener with San Ramon Valley-Danville. The Pride bolted to a 12-0 lead en route to a 60-45 victory.
“The long layoff hasn’t bothered us at all,” Mellis said.
Salesian, Mitty’s girls and Riordan’s boys each have had eight-day layoffs as top seeds in the Open Division. Twenty-five Metro teams in all advanced to 7 p.m. semifinal games Saturday throughout Northern California.
Mitty (28-0), the nation’s top-ranked team, hosts fifth-seed Folsom (26-5). No. 2 seed Riordan hosts third-seed Clovis North (28-6).
Lower seeds have the advantage of being tested in quarterfinals. On Wednesday, Modesto Christian beat De La Salle-Concord 51-49 at the buzzer, Clovis North edged Branson-Ross 49-48 and Folsom’s girls upended Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa 54-48, all on the road.
Long travel also can take a toll.
“The challenge is to strike the perfect balance of rest versus rust,” Mitty coach Sue Phillips said. Her team should benefit from rest. Two injured starters, Morgan Cheli and Belle Bramer, missed the Central Coast Section Open final, an 88-44 romp over St. Ignatius. Both are expected back Saturday.
Mellis downplayed the effects of a prolonged break.
“Our bigger challenges are with Modesto Christian,” he said. “They really attack the basket well. They shoot the 3-ball and they crash the boards. Our hands will be full.”
Mellis noted the driving ability of 6-foot-4 junior guard Gavin Sykes, who scored 18 of his game-high 20 points after halftime, including the buzzer-beater to win the game at De La Salle.
Sykes said facing the Pride, 10-1 against top-25 teams in the state, is a huge challenge for Modesto Christian.
“Salesian is a very good team and they are very well connected,” Sykes said. “We just need to do what we do and we will be fine.”
Here are some highlights of Thursday’s quarterfinal play:
Division 1 boys
San Ramon ValleyDanville 85, Monterey Trail-Elk Grove 66: Luke Isaak led five San Ramon Valley players in double figures with 18 points as the Wolves grabbed a doubledigit lead early and cruised despite 33 points from Brandon Gibson for Monterey Trail (26-5).
Granada-Livermore 68, St. Ignatius 66: Cortevious Taylor had 22 points, including a putback at the buzzer, leading the host Matadors (25-4), who will travel to top-seed Clovis West (28-6). St. Ignatius (21-8), which was in control most of the way, got 18 points from Raymond Whitley and Marcus Bast.
Division 1 girls
Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland 56, St. Ignatius 27: Devin Cosgriff, Jayla Stokes and Myella Chapman combined for 31 points as the second-seeded Dragons (22-6) went on a 26-2 run in the second half. St. Ignatius finished 19-11. The Dragons will host Oak Ridge (26-7), a 60-51 winner over Riordan, on Saturday.
Other games: In D2 boys, Will Corbett scored 20 points, including the gamewinning bucket in overtime, to give fifth-seed Bellarmine (12-17) a 62-60 win at Bishop O’Dowd, which got 17 points from Tobias Aisien and 16 from Leo Chapman. … Oakland Athletic League rivals Oakland Tech boys and Oakland could play each other in a NorCal title game after winning in the quarterfinals. Tech beat Jesuit-Carmichael 58-56, led by 20 points from ArDarius Grayson, and Oakland handled Clovis East 58-51, behind 22 points from Anthony Lacy.