TOP STORYLINE: RIORDAN DOESN’T NEED HOME COURT TO WIN
Despite being the top seed, Archbishop Riordan had to take the trip to Bellarmine’s San Jose campus for the first game of Central Coast Section Open Division Pool A playoffs on Friday night. The Crusaders were serving the first of a two-game penalty for last season’s fight that ended the San Francisco school’s home NorCal playoff game against Inderkum-Sacramento.
If Friday’s result was any indication, the Crusaders could play on Mars and still be favored to win CCS. After going 14-0 in West Catholic Athletic League play, Riordan stomped Bellarmine for the third time this season, 79-32.
Sophomore guard Andrew Hilman scored a team-high 25 points for the Crusaders, and high-flying wing Zion Sensley poured in 14 points, all in the first half. Not a single Bellarmine player hit double-figures in scoring.
Riordan (21-4) will play at No. 5 Sacred Heart Prep, which lost to Serra on Friday.
TOP STORYLINE: SAN MATEO GIRLS
It has been a banner year for the San Mateo girls basketball team. Led by Paul Carion, who had three seasons with at least 20 wins as South San Francisco’s coach in the 2010s, San Mateo won the Peninsula Athletic League Lake Division, the program’s first league title since 1977.
The Bearcats, riding an 18-game winning streak to end the season, was seeded No. 11 in the CCS Division II playoffs. San Mateo defeated Oak Grove 45-35 in its first-round game on Friday night, and will take on No. 6 Santa Clara on Saturday.
SURPRISES
No. 6 St. Ignatius outlasted No. 3 Priory in a 41-36 girls Open Division pool play victory. The Leigh girls also grinded out a 32-27 upset over No. 11 Sequoia and Silver Creek beat No. 10 Mountain View 43-33 in Division I. In boys Division II, Sobrato, Aragon and Willow Glen all knocked off higher seeds.
GAME DETAILS
Open Division boys
No, 2 Archbishop Mitty 75, No. 7 Half Moon Bay 51: Mitty, playing at home in San Jose, built a 33-22 halftime advantage, extended its lead to 21 points after three quarters and went on to prevail comfortably in its Pool B opener. Caeden Hutcherson, a 6-4 sophomore, led Mitty with 23 points. The Monarchs also got 18 points from Tyler Jones and 13 from Gavin Ripp. Asher Meighen (11 points) and Gavin Glynn (10 points) scored in double figures for HMB. Mitty (19-6) will play host to Branham and HMB (19-6) will travel to St. Ignatius in the second round of pool play Monday.
No. 3 St. Ignatius 68, No. 6 Branham 52: The Wildcats led by eight at halftime and then pulled away in the second quarter to start 1-0 in CCS pool play. Marcus Bast led St. Ignatius with 20 points. 3-pointers by Sebastian Fisher and Steele Labagh helped stretch the lead to 19 midway through the third quarter. St. Ignatius (19-6) will play host to Half Moon Bay on Monday.
Division I boys
No. 9 Cupertino 56, Salinas 36: Cupertino has relied on rock-solid defense to carry the team to a sterling 24-1 record, and when it got two big scoring nights from its senior leaders, visiting Salinas never stood a chance. Soham Nighojkar poured in 18 and center Max Feldan scored 14 for Cupertino. The Pioneers will travel to No. 8 Milpitas on Saturday for a second-round game.
Open Division girls
No. 1 Archbishop Mitty 77, No. 8 St. Francis 36: Mitty began a playoff run that it hopes will end with the program’s first Open Division state championship next month. So far, so good. Playing league rival St. Francis for the third time this season, Mitty breezed comfortably as expected. The Monarchs led 26-9 after one quarter and 41-21 at halftime. McKenna Woliczko led Mitty with 19 points. Elana Weisman added 14 points and Belle Bramer finished with 13. Mitty will play host to fifth-seeded Archbishop Riordan and St. Francis will travel to fourth-seeded Pinewood in the second round of pool play Monday.
No. 2 Pinewood 57, No. 5 Archbishop Riordan 41: Efficiency was the name of Pinewood’s shooting game in its Open Division game against No. 5 seed Riordan. The Panthers made 11 of 23 triples, with Vallory Kuelker leading the way with 17 points and five 3-pointers. Jolyn Ding was second on the team with 14 points. Pinewood will play host to St. Francis, and Riordan will take on the Mitty juggernaut on Monday.
ON TAP FOR FRIDAY
The top seeds in the section won’t start play until Tuesday’s quarterfinals. On the girls side in Division I, No. 8 Los Altos will host to Santa Teresa, and No. 7 Menlo-Atherton will welcome Silver Creek. In Division II, No. 6 Santa Clara will see its high-scoring duo of Nina Llamas and Mia Talalele take on visiting San Mateo, while No. 5 Lynbrook will play host to No. 12 Aragon. Seeded No. 8 in Division III, Presentation will play host to No. 9 Westmoor. … In boys basketball, No. 10 Fremont-Sunnyvale will go on the road to take on No. 7 Leigh in Division I, and No. 7 Oak Grove will play host to XSobratoin Division II. No. 5 Pioneer will play host to No. 12 Mt. Pleasant and No. 7 Burlingame will take on visiting No. 10 Prospect in Division III.