Basketball
Salesian boys reach D-II semis
Over the past five complete seasons leading into this one, Salesian had won at least 25 games in each of them.
The Pride’s victory Saturday night was its 11th this season.
The Richmond power has dealt with COVID issues that paused its schedule for nearly a month and more recently a rash of ankle injuries.
But the Pride will play for a spot in the North Coast Section Division II final after beating seventh-seeded American Canyon 60-46.
Salesian will face sixth-seeded Benicia in the semifinals Wednesday at Pinole Valley High.
“It’s been an up-and-down year,” longtime coach Bill Mellis said Saturday night. “But we’ve tried to just stay focused on the next game. There are only certain things we can control. The COVID thing hit us really hard back in December. We had eight players, three coaches and a manager that ended up getting it over a course of a couple of weeks.”
The schedule then shrunk when the league canceled half the games.
“We found ourselves just trying to get back in shape,” Mellis added. “Then we’ve had this string of foot injuries, which have all been kind of a fluke.
“We’re just trying to keep it together.”
Alvin Loving, a freshman, led the Pride on Saturday with 15 points. Senior Chris Sanders added 13 points and sophomore Amani Johnson chipped in with 12 points.
More boys games
San Ramon Valley, the top seed in Division II, rolled past No. 9 seed Petaluma 62-42. The Wolves will play host to fourth-seeded Montgomery-Santa Rosa in the semifinals Wednesday. Montgomery beat Alameda 52-37 on Saturday. … In Division IV, St. Joseph Notre Dame’s bid for a second consecutive upset ended in San Francisco as the Pilots lost to Stuart Hall 45-41. Seeded 15th, SJND stunned No. 2 seed Arcata in the opening round.
Girls: Alameda advances
In its first season under former St. Joseph Notre Dame coach Shawn Hipol, Alameda finds itself two wins from back-to-back NCS Division II titles. The fifth-seeded Hornets turned back fourth-seeded Casa Granda 37-33 on Saturday to set up a semifinal date Wednesday at top seed Acalanes, which improved to 23-3 on Saturday with a 53-24 victory over Washington-Fremont. Alameda won the Division II championship in 2020 but couldn’t defend its crown in 2021 because the section didn’t hold playoffs.
More girls games
Northgate, the No. 2 seed in Division II, advanced with a 47-41 win over seventh-seeded Windsor. … In Division IV, second-seeded Piedmont ousted No. 10 seed St. Mary’s-Berkeley 76-50.
Soccer
Hat-trick heroes
De La Salle’s Juan Pablo Hernandez and Acalanes’ Natalie Means each scored three goals to lead their teams to NCS quarterfinals victories Saturday night.
Hernandez had a hat trick in a 6-0 rout of Monte Vista, an outcome that moved the top-seeded Spartans into the Division I boys semifinals Wednesday at home against fourth-seeded Clayton Valley Charter.
Means’ big night came in a 3-0 victory over Terra Linda that propelled second-seeded Acalanes into the Division III girls semifinals at home Wednesday in Lafayette against third-seeded Archie Williams.
Elsewhere
No. 16 seed Granada came close to another upset in the girls Division I bracket but lost 3-1 on penalty kicks after playing eighth-seeded Maria Carrillo to a 1-1 draw. Granada stunned top seed Monte Vista in the first round. Maria Carrillo advances to play host to No. 12 seed California in the semifinals Wednesday. California and No. 13 seed Foothill played to a 0-0 tie, but California won 5-4 on penalties. … In the other Division I semifinal Wednesday, No. 6 seed San Ramon Valley will visit No. 2 seed Carondelet. Saturday, Carondelet beat Heritage 1-0 and SRV defeated Amador Valley 2-1.
