North Coast Section boys basketball playoff roundup (2-13-2024): Albany takes down Hayward
ALBANY, CALIFORNIA — Albany's boys basketball team overcame a slow start Tuesday to move into Friday's North Coast Section Division 3 quarterfinals after a 62-47 home victory over Hayward.
Bruno Der scored all of his team-high 14 points in the second half after the seventh-seeded Cougars (20-9) trailed 15-5 in the first quarter.
Emil Laventhal added 12 points for Albany, which now travels to second-seed Archie Williams in Friday's quarterfinals. The Peregrine Falcons (16-10) had a tougher time than expected Tuesday with 15th-seed Encinal before posting a 57-45 win.
Hayward, the 10th seed, finished 11-12 despite a game-high 22 points from Quincy Lavender. Teammate Jaydon Bonds added 10.
With the game still in doubt midway through the fourth quarter, Der hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put Albany up 50-40. That essentially decided it.
The Cougars enter Friday winning four of their last five, eight of 10 and 12 of 15. Archie Williams, formerly Drake High School, had lost two straight to Redwood (50-47 and 58-56) before Tuesday's win.
The Peregrine Falcons had won seven straight before the double-dousing by Redwood. Archie Williams is led by 5-foot-11 senior guard Owen Buga, who averages a team-best 16.5 points per game to go along with 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per contest. His season high of 29 points came in a loss to Redwood on Feb. 1.
Four more
University 78, Rancho Cotate 34: The top-seeded D3 Red Devils (24-5) had 11 different players score, led by sophomore Lucas Lau (16 points) and junior Jason Morris (11 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks). The defending D4 champions have won 14 straight and now play Maria Carrillo (16-12), a 67-58 winner over Piner, in Friday's quarterfinals at Kezar Pavilion. Junior James Hillestad leads Maria Carrillo had 15.3 points per game.
Miramonte 79, El Cerrito 30: In more D3 action, Jack Quinnild had 18 points and Marcus Robinson 14 as the fourth-seeded Matadors (18-11) had little trouble with El Cerrito (9-21). Miramonte now hosts fifth-seed San Marin (15-12), a 60-50 winner over Pinole Valley.
Dublin 80, James Logan 37: In Division 1 action, Jalen Stokes had 23 points and Damase Coly and Jaiden Oliver-Jones combined for 20 points as the third-seeded Gaels (22-8) moved into Friday's quarterfinal to take on sixth-seed Campolindo.
Campolindo 52, College Park 36: The host Cougars (22-7), led by a combined 31 points from Gavin Rendle, Tim Smith and Dylan Mansour, raced to a 14-2 lead after one quarter and then largely coasted against the Falcons (14-15), who got 17 points by Connor Whittles.
Briefly: All the higher seeds won in Division 1 including No. 8 Foothill taking down cross-town Pleasanton rival and ninth-seed Amador Valley, 63-61. ... Defending Open Division champion and fourth-seed Dougherty Valley had little trouble with Mt. Eden, 70-40, while fifth-seed Monte Vista blew out Deer Valley, 72-47. In one of the most competitive games of D1 between Bay Valley Athletic League rivals, Liberty, with a sparkling 24-3 record, eliminated Pittsburg, 63-53. ... In other D3 play, Piedmont and and Alhambra were victorious.
