March 2, 2011
Jesuit hopes the third time will be the charm as it will face Sheldon in the SJS Division I finals following both teams' wins on Tuesday. While Jesuit comes in playing good basketball and fresh off its win over Franklin-Elk Grove, it will have to deal with a tougher challenge on Saturday night as Darius Nelson continues to leave his imprint on section playoff history.
Sheldon rides Nelson into section final
Playoff performances can leave lasting impressions and Nelson is making sure his legacy reads big game performer. The UTEP-bound wing finished with 37 points, many of which coming in the second half, and scored on a rebound as time expired to give the Huskies a 67-66 overtime win over Granite Bay. The basket ended a long night for Sheldon, which played with talented junior Kyiron Thomas (groin injury) and trailed most of the night.
Granite Bay came out with excellent energy in running clean sets on offense to take a 15-8 lead after one quarter. The Grizzlies ended the frame on a 9-1 run. After Sheldon got off to a quick start in the second, Granite Bay cemented its hold on the game to stretch the lead to 15 points at 32-17 after a buzzer beating shot from Kyle Howarth heading into halftime. It was led by Robert Duncan with 11 points and Jonathon Davis, who had 10.
Nelson started out the second half trying to bring the Huskies back with 11 third quarter points. However, Granite Bay wouldn't give in as Duncan put in seven of his 21 points for a 49-36 lead going into the fourth. While the pressure picked up from Sheldon, the Grizzlies showed very good resolve and even held a 55-46 lead with two minutes left. Sheldon trimmed the lead to 56-53 as the teams traded missed free throws which had observers on the edge of their seats. Down 58-56 with just seconds left, Nelson missed a shot, but fellow senior Ramon Eaton made a put back to send the game into overtime.
Duncan fouled out for Granite Bay with 3:44 left in overtime, but clutch junior guard Nathan Brillington kept the Grizzlies in the game. He made a three pointer with Granite Bay down one and after Dakarai Allen split a pair of free throws, it was up 64-63 with 1:06 left. Brillington knocked down both of his free throws to make the game 66-63. A Nelson put back left Sheldon down one as they got the ball back with less than 10 seconds left. The ensuing possession saw frenzied action around the rim. Eaton missed a turnaround and Nelson missed the put back before getting his second attempt to go through as the clock ticked down to zero and Sheldon escaped with a chance to defend its SJS Division I section title.
Sheldon: It wasn't the best effort for Sheldon, but at this point of the year, it's about winning and advancing. In an off night for most of its players, Nelson was excellent in scoring 37 points. He is a highly skilled offensive player who can score from multiple areas on the floor. Granite Bay didn't have an answer for him as he used his strength especially on his drives. He really seems to thrive on a stage like this. Sophomore Armani Hampton stepped in well to play major minutes tonight and score seven points. Areas of concern are the fact Sheldon seemed to get comfortable in the half-court offense and the defensive intensity was lacking prior to the fourth quarter run. This is an extremely talented team who beat a good Granite Bay squad without a key contributor, but first halves like Tuesday don't play long in the NorCal playoffs.
Granite Bay: The Grizzlies were a very tough opponent which had a clear game plan of slowing tempo and running through their sets. Duncan was able to get open and show himself as a capable shooter scoring and working off the dribble. Davis was a nice post presence who can hurt a defense with his versatility. Joe Eyen didn't score on Tuesday, but is an apt point guard who looked comfortable pushing the tempo from time to time. Granite Bay wasn't intimidated on this stage and was a couple of inside bounces away from pulling off the victory. The NorCal road will be tough from here on out, but the Grizzlies could be a tough out in the coming week.
Jesuit to Get Third Attempt against Sheldon
In a Division I SJS semifinal battle between No. 2 seed Franklin and No. 3 seed Jesuit, the Marauders executed better and committed fewer turnovers. As a result, Jesuit was able to pull out a 64-56 win over the Wildcats. Jesuit will now get a third chance to defeat league rival Sheldon in the championship game on Saturday.
In the first quarter, neither team could seem to get their offense going as the score remained 2-2 until the 3:52 mark. With Jesuit up 8-4, Franklin went on a 6-0 run to end the quarter with a 10-8 lead. Both teams shot poorly as they missed several layups and open shots.
The second quarter was not much better as both teams shot poorly and it was a defensive struggle. The referees were allowing the teams to play as neither team was in the penalty free throw bonus. Jesuit was able to outscore the Wildcats 13-8 in the quarter to take a 21-18 halftime lead.
The scoring picked up in the third quarter as Jesuit extended to a 30-24 margin and as high as 38-29. Franklin closed the quarter to cut the deficit to 40-33. Franklin picked up the tempo in the quarter that led to some easier transition baskets but they also committed several turnovers to allow for easy Jesuit baskets as well.
Franklin was able to get as close as 48-45 in the fourth quarter. Jesuit would go on a run that would give them their largest lead at 60-46. The Marauders would hang on to a 64-56 victory.
How this game was won: Jesuit guard Akachi Okugo said that the pick and roll was working for them in the game. Parker Uu added that the defense was able to limit the Franklin guard play. Jesuit was outrebounded by five but did a good job considering that they were undersized against the bigger Wildcat frontcourt.
Turning Point: After cutting the deficit to 48-45, Franklin gave up a Uu 3-point shot. Jesuit would go on a 12-1 run that would increase the lead to 60-46 late in the fourth quarter. Any Wildcat comeback attempt would be too late at that point.
Jesuit analysis: Coach Greg Harcos was pleased with the team defense, help defense, and rebounding. Uu had 20 points to lead the Marauders while the guards only had 13 turnovers. Jesuit lost to Sheldon twice in league play by 3 points in each game and will get a third attempt at the Huskies in the championship game.
Franklin analysis: Franklin had seven more turnovers than Jesuit and gave the Marauders eleven more field goal attempts. Chukwuemeka Iroegbu had 17 points and 9 rebounds as the Wildcats had more dunks and spectacular plays than Jesuit. But the turnovers and second chance possessions were too much to overcome for the Wildcats.
Sheldon rides Nelson into section final
Playoff performances can leave lasting impressions and Nelson is making sure his legacy reads big game performer. The UTEP-bound wing finished with 37 points, many of which coming in the second half, and scored on a rebound as time expired to give the Huskies a 67-66 overtime win over Granite Bay. The basket ended a long night for Sheldon, which played with talented junior Kyiron Thomas (groin injury) and trailed most of the night.
Granite Bay came out with excellent energy in running clean sets on offense to take a 15-8 lead after one quarter. The Grizzlies ended the frame on a 9-1 run. After Sheldon got off to a quick start in the second, Granite Bay cemented its hold on the game to stretch the lead to 15 points at 32-17 after a buzzer beating shot from Kyle Howarth heading into halftime. It was led by Robert Duncan with 11 points and Jonathon Davis, who had 10.
Nelson started out the second half trying to bring the Huskies back with 11 third quarter points. However, Granite Bay wouldn't give in as Duncan put in seven of his 21 points for a 49-36 lead going into the fourth. While the pressure picked up from Sheldon, the Grizzlies showed very good resolve and even held a 55-46 lead with two minutes left. Sheldon trimmed the lead to 56-53 as the teams traded missed free throws which had observers on the edge of their seats. Down 58-56 with just seconds left, Nelson missed a shot, but fellow senior Ramon Eaton made a put back to send the game into overtime.
Duncan fouled out for Granite Bay with 3:44 left in overtime, but clutch junior guard Nathan Brillington kept the Grizzlies in the game. He made a three pointer with Granite Bay down one and after Dakarai Allen split a pair of free throws, it was up 64-63 with 1:06 left. Brillington knocked down both of his free throws to make the game 66-63. A Nelson put back left Sheldon down one as they got the ball back with less than 10 seconds left. The ensuing possession saw frenzied action around the rim. Eaton missed a turnaround and Nelson missed the put back before getting his second attempt to go through as the clock ticked down to zero and Sheldon escaped with a chance to defend its SJS Division I section title.
Sheldon: It wasn't the best effort for Sheldon, but at this point of the year, it's about winning and advancing. In an off night for most of its players, Nelson was excellent in scoring 37 points. He is a highly skilled offensive player who can score from multiple areas on the floor. Granite Bay didn't have an answer for him as he used his strength especially on his drives. He really seems to thrive on a stage like this. Sophomore Armani Hampton stepped in well to play major minutes tonight and score seven points. Areas of concern are the fact Sheldon seemed to get comfortable in the half-court offense and the defensive intensity was lacking prior to the fourth quarter run. This is an extremely talented team who beat a good Granite Bay squad without a key contributor, but first halves like Tuesday don't play long in the NorCal playoffs.
Granite Bay: The Grizzlies were a very tough opponent which had a clear game plan of slowing tempo and running through their sets. Duncan was able to get open and show himself as a capable shooter scoring and working off the dribble. Davis was a nice post presence who can hurt a defense with his versatility. Joe Eyen didn't score on Tuesday, but is an apt point guard who looked comfortable pushing the tempo from time to time. Granite Bay wasn't intimidated on this stage and was a couple of inside bounces away from pulling off the victory. The NorCal road will be tough from here on out, but the Grizzlies could be a tough out in the coming week.
Jesuit to Get Third Attempt against Sheldon
In a Division I SJS semifinal battle between No. 2 seed Franklin and No. 3 seed Jesuit, the Marauders executed better and committed fewer turnovers. As a result, Jesuit was able to pull out a 64-56 win over the Wildcats. Jesuit will now get a third chance to defeat league rival Sheldon in the championship game on Saturday.
In the first quarter, neither team could seem to get their offense going as the score remained 2-2 until the 3:52 mark. With Jesuit up 8-4, Franklin went on a 6-0 run to end the quarter with a 10-8 lead. Both teams shot poorly as they missed several layups and open shots.
The second quarter was not much better as both teams shot poorly and it was a defensive struggle. The referees were allowing the teams to play as neither team was in the penalty free throw bonus. Jesuit was able to outscore the Wildcats 13-8 in the quarter to take a 21-18 halftime lead.
The scoring picked up in the third quarter as Jesuit extended to a 30-24 margin and as high as 38-29. Franklin closed the quarter to cut the deficit to 40-33. Franklin picked up the tempo in the quarter that led to some easier transition baskets but they also committed several turnovers to allow for easy Jesuit baskets as well.
Franklin was able to get as close as 48-45 in the fourth quarter. Jesuit would go on a run that would give them their largest lead at 60-46. The Marauders would hang on to a 64-56 victory.
How this game was won: Jesuit guard Akachi Okugo said that the pick and roll was working for them in the game. Parker Uu added that the defense was able to limit the Franklin guard play. Jesuit was outrebounded by five but did a good job considering that they were undersized against the bigger Wildcat frontcourt.
Turning Point: After cutting the deficit to 48-45, Franklin gave up a Uu 3-point shot. Jesuit would go on a 12-1 run that would increase the lead to 60-46 late in the fourth quarter. Any Wildcat comeback attempt would be too late at that point.
Jesuit analysis: Coach Greg Harcos was pleased with the team defense, help defense, and rebounding. Uu had 20 points to lead the Marauders while the guards only had 13 turnovers. Jesuit lost to Sheldon twice in league play by 3 points in each game and will get a third attempt at the Huskies in the championship game.
Franklin analysis: Franklin had seven more turnovers than Jesuit and gave the Marauders eleven more field goal attempts. Chukwuemeka Iroegbu had 17 points and 9 rebounds as the Wildcats had more dunks and spectacular plays than Jesuit. But the turnovers and second chance possessions were too much to overcome for the Wildcats.
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