SAN JOSE — Twenty points down at halftime, Branham made a good run at Clovis East in the second half but simply had too much to make up, falling 78-69 Tuesday in the first round of the state tournament.
An upset on the face of it, Branham (23-5), the No. 1 seed in the Northern California Division II bracket, getting beat at home by No. 16 seed Clovis East. But the game really served as a testament to the difficulty in ranking and seeding teams from different areas of the state.
Clovis East (22-9) came out full-throttle with speed and aggression, full-court pressing and trapping, overplaying on defense in the halfcourt, and running at every opportunity, even after made baskets.
Branham in its landmark season had not played against that style often, if at all.
“We were expecting the pressure, we just didn’t put our best foot forward in handling it today,” Branham coach Jason Billie said. “Once we figured it out it was too late.”
Branham basketball boys head coach Jason Billie, right, and his players look on after they lose 78-69 to Clovis East High in the boys basketball Division II playoff game at Branham High School In San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
After forcing turnovers on four of Branham’s first six possessions, Clovis East shot out to an 18-7 lead after one quarter and 42-22 at halftime.
Facing its biggest deficit at 50-27 early in the third quarter, Branham went to a zone on defense to slow down the visitors and turned the game around in a 29-point third quarter with a 27-10 run to close to within 60-54 early in the fourth quarter.
Clovis East went back up by 10 at 68-58, only to see Branham go on another 7-0 run, on a 3-pointer by Cayden Tanger, a bucket underneath by Wyatt Sparling and a fastbreak basket by Ben Lim, to make it 68-65 with 2:45 left.
But that was as close as it would get.
“We came up short,” Sparling said. “We should’ve started off hot. But, you know what, I’m proud of the guys and what we accomplished.”
Branham’s Ben Lim (4) lays up a shot against Clovis East High in the first half of the boys basketball Division II playoff game at Branham High School In San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
For Branham it was a season of firsts. First `A’ league championship in winning the Blossom Valley Athletic League Mt. Hamilton Division title. First appearance and first win in the Central Coast Section Open Division. First NorCal appearance
“I have incredible players,” Billie said. “They’re resilient, tough, they want to be coached hard. We just came up a little short tonight. But I couldn’t be more proud.”
Sparling had a team-high 16 points. Lim scored 15, Tanger 14 and sophomore big man Nick Mego had 10.
Clovis East (22-9), only the third-best team in Clovis this season behind Clovis West and Clovis North, had five players in double figures employing the up-tempo dribble-drive style the Fresno area is known for.
Branham’s Dasan Poston (5) dribbles against Clovis East High in the first half of the boys basketball Division II playoff game at Branham High School In San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Branham’s Wyatt Sparling (3) dribbles against Clovis East High in the first half of the boys basketball Division II playoff game at Branham High School In San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Branham’s Ben Lim (4) lays up a shot against Clovis East High in the first half of the boys basketball Division II playoff game at Branham High School In San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Branham’s Wyatt Sparling (3) is fouled by Clovis East’s Donnyell Booker Jr. (2) in the first half of the boys basketball Division II playoff game at Branham High School In San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Branham’s Wyatt Sparling (3) faces off Clovis East’s Brody Rawe (10) in the first half of the boys basketball Division II playoff game at Branham High School In San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Branham’s Cayden Tanger (1) gets his shot block against Clovis East High in the first half of the boys basketball Division II playoff game at Branham High School In San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Branham’s Dasan Poston (5) reacts after a play in the second half of the boys basketball Division II playoff game against Clovis East High at Branham High School In San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Branham’s Cayden Tanger (1) makes a shot against Clovis East’s Lydell Farmer (0) in the second half of the boys basketball Division II playoff game at Branham High School In San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Branham basketball boys head coach Jason Billie talks to his players during a timeout in the second half of the boys basketball Division II playoff game against Clovis East High at Branham High School In San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Branham’s Wyatt Sparling (3) ends up on the floor after attempting to make a basket in the second half of the boys basketball Division II playoff game against Clovis East High at Branham High School In San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)