DUBLIN — De La Salle’s season couldn’t have gotten off to a better start.
Playing in front of two former Golden State Warriors, the Spartans methodically broke Crespi’s defense down in a 71-53 win in the NorCal Tip-Off Classic at Dublin High School on Saturday. Sitting courtside, former NBA small forward Matt Barnes watched as Oklahoma commit Alec Blair sliced and diced the Crespi defense to the tune of 22 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Crespi coach and former NBA point guard Derek Fisher had no answer for De La Salle’s offense as the Spartans shot 67% from the field.
Despite NBA eyes watching the game, De La Salle didn’t pay it much mind.
“It meant absolutely nothing,” Blair said. “I’ve played in front of LeBron, Tyron Lue, Chris Paul when I was in fourth grade. If Michael Jordan or Larry Bird were there, it might have been a little different.”
De La Salle coach Marcus Schroeder added, “It was more about us. I grew up watching those guys. Crespi has incredible players and coach Fisher’s a great coach and they have a great program. It’s just more about us and we want to show out for ourselves.”
A hot shooting streak gave De La Salle the edge early and they didn’t look back.
The Spartans jumped out a 24-13 lead late in the first quarter when Blair threw a perfectly timed fastbreak pass to Ibrahim Monawar.
Back-to-back 3-pointers from David Balogun and Bryce Patton gave De La Salle a 14-point lead going into halftime.
De La Salle kept pouring it on after the halftime break.
Braddock Kjellesvig’s layup ballooned De La Salle’s margin to 20. Early in the fourth, the Spartans took their biggest lead of the night on a contested 3-pointer from Mitchell Herring that made the score 63-41.
Saturday’s win was a solid one for De La Salle – a team that was ranked No. 4 in the Bay Area News Group preseason rankings. The Spartans return a senior heavy group that includes 11 seniors.
“We just have a lot of experience,” Schroeder said. “We have a lot of guys that fit here that know what they’re doing. … A lot of them have been in our building for four years and they care a lot about De La Salle basketball. They want the team to win and they’ll do whatever it takes for the team to win.”
Former NBA player Matt Barnes holds his two month old son Austin Matthew Barnes while attending the NorCal Classic boys basketball tournament game held at Dublin High School in Dublin, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Crespi head coach Derek Fisher coaches his players while playing De La Salle in the second quarter of their NorCal Classic boys basketball tournament game held at Dublin High School in Dublin, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
De La Salle’s Alec Blair (33) goes up for a lay up past Crespi’s Isaiah Barnes (24) in the first quarter of their NorCal Classic boys basketball tournament game held at Dublin High School in Dublin, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
De La Salle head coach Marcus Schroeder coaches his players while playing against Crespi in the third quarter of their NorCal Classic boys basketball tournament game held at Dublin High School in Dublin, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
De La Salle’s Davit Pachulia (25) celebrates with his teammates after a De La Salle basket against Crespi in the third quarter of their NorCal Classic boys basketball tournament game held at Dublin High School in Dublin, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Boys basketball
No. 1 Salesian 68, Beverly Hills 44
Elijah Stanley led Salesian to a season-opening win as he scored a team-high 13 points to beat Beverly Hills at the Bishop O’Dowd Thanksgiving Showcase.
Alvin Loving added 12 points for Salesian, which will play at Ygnacio Valley on Tuesday.
Lincoln-Stockton 70, No. 5 San Ramon Valley 68 (OT)
SRV’s first game of the year ended in heartbreak.
With the game tied in overtime, Lincoln guard and Weber State commit Anthony Moore knocked in a fadeaway 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds left on the clock to hand SRV its first loss of the season.
The Wolves led by as much as 10 in the first half, but struggled to hit shots late in the game.
Mason Thomas and Thomas Conley led SRV with 18 points each. Elliot Conley had 13 points and Luke Isaak had nine.
“It’s the first game of the year and we’re trying to figure out how the ball’s going to move around,” SRV coach Brian Botteen said. “But this is what you need to start out the year. You don’t need a cupcake. You need a good team like Lincoln.”
No. 9 Ygnacio Valley 58, Branson 52
The Wolves opened their season with bang, beating perennial North Bay powerhouse Branson.
Star point guard Antonio Kellogg Jr. had 16 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals for YV. Shooting guard Todd Tamtom Jr. had 14 points on 5 for 11 shooting.
“We got more experienced guards going into this season,” YV coach Michael Woolridge said. “They’ve been here before. They’ve been in the program for three or four years, so it’s time to show it.”
It was a coming out party for Preston Oliver who was 7 of 9 from the field for 16 points. He was also a force defensively, blocking two shots and snagging four rebounds.
OIiver didn’t see much time last season, playing behind a talented senior frontcourt. But a growth spurt over the summer and improved post game has Oliver as a key piece to YV’s rotation.
“When Preston came to us, he needed a lot of work,” Woolridge said. “He didn’t really play last year, but he’s been working.”
No. 10 St. Ignatius 80, Vanden 60
The Wildcats made easy work of Vanden in their season opener at the Nor Cal Tip-Off Classic.
St. Ignatius shot 64% from the field and 43% from beyond the arc. Junior Raymond Whitley scored a game-high 28 points and shot 11 of 13 from the field.
Marco Cerchiai had 12 points and Steele Labagh and Connor Lewis each had 10 points.
“I think our offense is great,” Whitley said. “Everyone touches the ball and we all move beautifully.”
No. 11 Clayton Valley 63, Weston Ranch 56
Utah State commit Elijah Perryman had a double-double, scoring 24 points and grabbing 11 rebounds to lead Clayton Valley over Stockton’s Weston Ranch.
Lowell transfer Jett Tran turned in an efficient game for the Ugly Eagles as he scored 17 points on 6 of 11 shooting from the field. Forward Zion Grissom chipped in 11 points and four rebounds.
Clayton Valley played Saturday’s Nor Cal Tip Off Classic game shorthanded with a few projected players out with injuries – most notably senior captain Vince Ellis.
“Some of our players who are potential starters are not playing,” Clayton Valley coach Frank Allocco Jr. said. “When those guys come back, we’ll be even deeper. We’re excited about our depth and feel like we have a lot of playmakers.”
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No. 18 Dublin 57, Destiny Christian 55
The Gaels didn’t disappoint in their home opener, beating highly-touted Destiny Christian in a close game.
Junior forward Cameron Anderson led Dublin with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Anthony Knight and Miles Pollard each had nine points.
“This win just shows how much we worked in the summer,” Anderson said.
Granada 60, Sacramento Charter 56
Two-sport standout Damien Miles showed out in Granada’s impressive win against Sacramento Charter in the O’Dowd Thanksgiving Classic.
The junior finished with 21 points – 14 of which came in the first half. Sophomore Brandon Hahn added 14 points.