A battle for first place in the ACCAL between El Cerrito and Berkeley took place before a raucous crowd at Donahue Gymnasium in Berkeley on Thursday night. The first three quarters saw each team make big runs against each other while the largest fourth quarter lead was no more than four points. In addition, the fourth quarter had a serious injury that delayed the game in the waning seconds that had Gaucho Justin Johnson making an offensive rebound put back to win the game 66-65.
The Jackets came out more aggressive and took the ball to the basket despite being undersized. The first quarter was highlighted by a Langston Morris-Walker breakaway dunk as Berkeley was up 16-10 at the end of the quarter. The Jackets won the first quarter decisively.
Both teams were shooting the penalty bonus within the first two minutes of the second quarter. El Cerrito was able to break the Berkeley press to tie the game at 20-20 with 5:00 left. The Gauchos took a 24-22 lead with 4:14 left as Berkeley was having a difficult time executing their offense. Marcellus Pippins accounted for 13 points in the quarter for El Cerrito. Conversely, the Gauchos stifling defense limited Berkeley to 12 points as they took a 37-28 lead into the half. The Gauchos won the second quarter decisively.
El Cerrito scored the first field to take a 39-28 margin to start the third quarter. But Berkeley asserted its aggressiveness as they took back the lead at 42-41 with 4:02 remaining in the quarter. The Jackets won the third quarter decisively to cut the deficit to 52-51.
The fourth quarter saw five lead changes and a max lead of four points. Morris-Walker scored the last eight points for the Jackets as they held a 65-64 lead with 21 seconds left. During the timeout break, an El Cerrito cheerleader fell on her head in a failed routine that delayed the game for close to 15 minutes as paramedics had to cart the conscious, injured cheerleader off the court.
Johnson was able to make a key offensive rebound and put back to give the Gauchos a 66-65 lead. Berkeley had less than five seconds to run their final play. However, a turn-around attempt in the paint rimmed out to prevent the victory for the Jackets.
Notes
How this game was won: Both teams made runs against each other in the first three quarters. Berkeley Coach Damion McNeil felt that his team had made critical defensive matchup mistakes and that the team settled for too many perimeter shots. With that said, El Cerrito took advantage of their opportunities and was able to attack an undersized Berkeley team and get key offensive rebounds including the game winner.
Turning Point: The game was decided on the last few possessions and was closely contested after midway into the third quarter. So, no turning point really existed but the time delay due to the injured cheerleader allowed both teams to plan for the final 21 seconds. Johnson said that he wanted to redeem himself for his missed free throws and Coach Michael Booker told his team to go aggressively for the offensive rebound.
Berkeley analysis: Morris-Walker had 23 points with three 3-pointers, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists to lead all scorers. Guards BT Shabazz and Jalil Eppenger had 16 and 9 points respectively. The Jackets are undersized as Morris-Walker and Eppenger are playing the post with Akil Johnson lost for the year most likely. But the team plays gritty and does not lack in effort. Coach McNeil felt the team had too many turnovers and allowed too many offensive rebounds. He recognizes how his team is undersized, was proud of how they battled, and acknowledged the coaching and play of the Gauchos.
El Cerrito analysis: Coach Booker wanted his team to attack the basket and get the Jackets in foul trouble. He felt his team could not stop the dribble drive and also allowed too many open perimeter looks. Pippins had 20 points while senior guard Bobby Sylvanthong had 16 points. Syvanthong felt that the team played cohesively both on defense and offense and was thrilled that the Gauchos are prime to win league. The Gauchos had only six players score but all six scored more than six points. The team has a good rotation of inside and outside players.
What is next for Berkeley High: At 16-4 overall and 6-2 in league, Berkeley will look to hold onto second place in the league. They will look to improve their seeding going into playoffs. Despite being undersized, the Jackets should be a tough matchup for their future playoff opponent.
What is next for El Cerrito: At 16-5 overall and 7-0 in league, El Cerrito will look to go undefeated as they try to repeat as league champs. They are looking to improve on their seeding going into playoffs. A tough non-league schedule looks to have prepared the Gauchos for league and playoff competition.
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