The 10th-seeded Pinewood School girls basketball team kept pace with No. 2 Oakland Tech for a half, trailing by just three points after the second quarter of Thursday’s Northern California Division I quarterfinal game.
The second half was a completely different story. Held to just 12 points, the Panthers fell 63-37 to the host Bulldogs.
Pinewood (17-12) went scoreless over the first four minutes of the fourth quarter, during which Oakland Tech (27-5) put up 19 points.
Ava Uhrich led the shorthanded Panthers with 18 points that included four 3s.
Pinewood reached the semis by rallying for a 58-50 win at No. 10 Acalanes two days earlier.
Trailing by as many as 13 points in the first half, the Panthers cut their deficit to one by halftime and outscored Acalanes 31-22 the rest of the way.
Alex Facelo scored 25 points for Pinewood and Uhrich chipped in 19.
Eagles beat by Branson again
Just like last year, the Los Altos girls opened the NorCal playoffs on the road against Branson. Unfortunately for the Eagles, the result was like last year’s as well.
The Eagles, the 15th seed in Division III, fell 65-50 to No. 2 Branson Feb. 28 at the College of Marin.
Los Altos also lost by 15 points a year ago, but coach Erik Stuart described last week’s contest as more competitive. The Eagles, missing two key players, led for most of the first half.
“Much better game than last year, I’d say,” Stuart said.
The Eagles held a 10-point edge in the middle of the second quarter, but Branson reduced its deficit to two by banking in a corner 3 that just beat the halftime buzzer.
Stuart said the “wheels came off in the third,” however, as Branson outscored Los Altos 20-6 to take control. The Eagles regrouped, narrowing the gap to seven midway through the fourth quarter, but Branson responded with a 13-5 run to close the game.
Natalie Holm and Macy Watson paced the Eagles with 16 points each and Tessa Player added eight.
The Eagles, who lost to Evergreen Valley in the Central Division I final three days earlier, finished 17-12 overall.
Déjà vu for SF boys, too
In NorCal Division II boys action, Branson ended St. Francis’ season – as did it last year.
Second-seeded Branson topped the No. 15 Lancers 71-58 Feb. 28 at the College of Marin. A year ago, Branson beat St. Francis by 11 in the second round.
The Lancers got off to a slow start in last week’s meeting, trailing by 14 in the first quarter, and never recovered.
CCS Division II champion St. Francis ends the season with a 14-13 record.
SF girls fall to Foothill
The 10th-seeded St. Francis girls fell 61-53 at No. 7 Foothill in the opening round of the NorCal Division III playoffs Feb. 28.
Leading by three at halftime, the Lancers (14-12) were outscored 39-28 the rest of the way.
