The Menlo-Atherton High School boys’ basketball team advanced to the Central Coast Section Division II semifinals after an impressive quarterfinal triumph Saturday at Foothill College.
Third-seeded M-A (21-9) continued its menacing defense and ended Gunn’s season with a 44-36 win, setting up a semifinal matchup on Tuesday at Foothill versus No. 7 Mills (22-7), which upset No. 2 Serra (16-10).
The Bears dominated the backboards and limited No. 6 Gunn (20-9) to only 35 field-goal attempts for the game. M-A attempted 58 shots from the field and received a balanced scoring led by sophomore guard Peter Defilipps, who tossed in a team-high 13 points.
“Our rebounding and defense were the differences,” said M-A coach Craig Carson.
M-A already has beaten Mills twice this season. The Bears whipped the Vikings in the Burlingame tournament in December and last week in the semifinals of the PAL tournament.
Gunn was led by senior forward Peter Jordan’s 14 points. Jordan ended his four-year career with 1,829 points, among the top 11 in CCS history.
Division IV boys
Second-seeded Menlo (25-5) advanced to the semifinals on Tuesday following a 55-47 victory over No. 7 Oceana at Alvarez High in Salinas on Saturday. Menlo next will play the Valley Christian-Pacific Grove winner at North Salinas High. The championship game is Friday at Santa Clara University at 4:45 p.m.Division V boys
Top-seeded Woodside Priory (24-3) had to fight for its life, finally winning in overtime, 37-34, over pesky Pinewood on Saturday at The King’s Academy in Sunnyvale. Priory defeated Pinewood twice during the Private Schools Athletic League season, both low-scoring games.Awaiting the Panthers in Wednesday’s semifinals will be another PSAL opponent, No. 5 Redwood Christian (19-8), which ended Eastside Prep’s season at 21-9 with a 71-49 thumping.
In another quarterfinal, No. 2 Sacred Heart Prep (18-8) defeated No. 11 St. Thomas More, 70-41, and will face No. 6 Bridemont (15-2) in Tuesday’s other semifinal.
Sacred Heart Prep and Woodside Priory are favored to reach next Saturday’s CCS finale at SCU at noon. SHP is the defending CCS champion.
Division II girls
Sixth-seeded Menlo-Atherton (24-6) shocked No. 3 Westmoor, 63-60, at Oak Grove High in San Jose on Saturday. The Bears next will play No. 10 St. Francis (12-15), which upset No. 2 Mills, 53-42. Mills defeated Menlo-Atherton in the Peninsula Athletic League tournament finals last week. Thus, an M-A win over St. Francis on Tuesday at Oak Grove will put the Bears in the championship game on Friday against top-seeded Mitty at Santa Clara University at 6:30 p.m.Division IV girls
Fourth-seeded Menlo (21-6) advanced to the semifinals with a 59-52 win over No. 5 R.L. Stevenson on Saturday at Mercy-San Francisco. The Knights will face No. 1 Valley Christian (San Jose) on Tuesday.Division V girls
Top-seeded Pinewood (27-2) rolled to an easy 88-10 win over No. 8 Calvary Chapel at Santa Clara High on Saturday. The Panthers next will play in the semifinals Tuesday against No. 5 St. Francis-Central Coast Catholic (18-10), which upset No. 4 Castilleja (19-7) by a 52-48 score.Castilleja trailed by 17-8 after one quarter and 31-15 at halftime. The Gators went on a 16-2 run bridging the second and third quarters to get back in the game and trail by only six.
Castilleja eventually got to within 46-45 in the fourth quarter on a layup by Jessie Carr. That, however, was the closest the Gators got.
Sophomore Ericka von Kaeppler (20 points) and freshman Eve Zelinger (19 points) led Castilleja, which missed 20 free throws that eventually cost the Gators the game.
In the other quarterfinals at Santa Clara High, No. 2 Eastside Prep (20-5) rolled to an 81-37 win over No. 7 St. Lawrence and No. 3 Sacred Heart Prep (11-17) edged No. 6 Redwood Christian, 38-37.
Sacred Heart Prep and Eastside Prep will meet each other Wednesday at Santa Clara, with the winner taking on Pinewood in Saturday’s CCS championship game at SCU at 10 a.m.
