The 34th annual St. Francis Holiday Tournament featured eight teams in a three day event at St. Francis High in Mountain View. The favorite going into the event was undefeated San Ramon Valley, which remained undefeated. Here are the results from Day 1 and 2, summaries of the Day 3 games, and some team analysis.
Day 1
Deer Valley Wolverines 49, San Ramon Valley Wolves 59
San Leandro Pirates W, San Mateo Bearcats Forfeit
Palma Chieftains 51, Aragon Dons 25
St Francis Lancers 63, Palo Alto Vikings 55
Day 2
San Leandro Pirates 45, San Ramon Valley Wolves 69
Deer Valley Wolverines 81, Leigh Longhorns 69
Palma Chieftains 41, St Francis Lancers 69
Aragon Dons 46, Palo Alto Vikings 67
Championship Game - San Ramon Valley Wolves 56 vs. St Francis Lancers 38: San Ramon Valley took control of this game as they were up 11-9 at the end of the first quarter and extended the lead to 31-19 at the half. The Wolves kept the lead at 39-30 at the end of the third and cruised to a 56-38 championship win.
San Ramon Valley Wolves Analysis: At 12-0, the Wolves are one of the few undefeated teams left. Coach Raynor likes how his team has been sharing the basketball and how every member on the team knows their role. Rebounding was strong in the second half of this game but he still wants to see better rebounding blocking out. He also wants his team to be more efficient in its pass selection and to maintain its composure during rough stretches. The Wolves have a good inside outside game with USF commit Mark Tollefsen and guard Jordan Guisti.
St Francis Lancers Analysis: The Lancers drop to 6-4 with the loss. Coach Motil had planned to be using a different lineup each game. He used an eleven man rotation for this game. He still considers his team a work in progress and is still trying to piece together the team chemistry. He believes that Mitty is the favorite in the WCAL but that slots 2-8 are up for grab and is wide open in the league. In this game, no one scored double digits which either shows the balance scoring or the effectiveness of the San Ramon defense. Drew Dickey is a 6-foot-7 center who can be an interior foundation for the Lancers. The Lancers have several versatile guards that are interchangeable and can complement the interior game.
Third Place Game - Palma Chieftains 52 vs. San Leandro Pirates 59: This was a battle of speed versus size. The Pirates' speed would eventually win out. However, Palma took an early 10-7 first quarter lead. But the Pirates used a trapping defense to cause several turnovers to take a 29-21 second quarter lead. They extended the lead to 47-34 at the end of the third quarter and eventually won 60-53.
Palma Chieftains Analysis: Palma drops to 7-5. Sophomore forward Noah Allen had 23 points. He had moments of wildness but looks like someone to watch for in the next few years as he is already at 6-foot-4. The guard play had too many turnovers in the full court traps. If Palma gets better ball handling, then the guard lay could complement the interior play.
San Leandro Pirates Analysis: The Pirates move to 7-4 with the win. Hameed Ali had 18 points for the Pirates. Jermaine Gaines showed some inside presence for the Pirates. San Leandro is a guard laden team that was comfortable pressing and increasing the tempo of the game. Ali is the floor captain and can create shots for himself but as well for his teammates. To beat the Pirates, the opponent will have to be able to break the press and use any size advantage in the interior.
Fifth Place Game - Palo Alto Vikings 68 vs. Deer Valley Wolverines 78: The Vikings hung tough as they had a 20-19 first quarter lead. But the size and depth of Deer Valley took over as they allowed the Vikings seven point in the second quarter to take a 43-27 lead. Deer Valley kept the pressure on as they extended the lead to 64-43 at the end of the third and cruised to a 78-68 win.
Palo Alto Vikings Analysis: The Vikings are almost to a complete roster as football player Davante Adams is coming off the bench and injured perimeter shooter Max Schmarzo is back. The loss drops the Vikings to 5-5. More importantly, they need to develop some chemistry and consistency before league play starts. The roster has a good blend of inside and outside talent.
Deer Valley Wolverines Analysis: The Wolverines move 10-3 and win another consolation bracket championship. Olajuwon Garner had 39 points with 5 three point shots. Deer Valley has as much depth as any other team out there. Transfer Quincy Smith expects to play after Jan 4th as his transfer issues should be resolved. With a true point guard running the offense, the Wolverines should consistently hit the 80 point mark.
Seventh Place Game - Aragon Dons 60 vs. Lincoln San Jose Lions 51: Lincoln San Jose was the 3rd eighth team to be in the tournament. San Mateo High was unable to make it on day one while Leigh was the second day replacement. Lincoln took a 24-23 half time lead but came out rusty in the third quarter. Aragon was able to take a 46-37 lead that they used to win 60-51.
Aragon Dons Analysis: The Dons were paced by Joseph Hala'ufia and Ryan Yu with 16 points each. The Dons move to 4-7 with the lone tournament win. League play starts next month and the question for the Dons will be if they have the size to match up with Burlingame's interior play.
Lincoln San Jose Lions Analysis: The Lions dropped to 4-6 with the loss. Matt Thompson had 23 points with four 3-point shots.
All-Tournament Team
Tournament MVP - Jordan Giusti, San Ramon Valley
Mark Tollefsen, San Ramon Valley
Olajuwon Garner, Deer Valley
Hameed Ali, San Leandro
Noah Allen, Palma
Drew Dickey, St. Francis
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