CIF Central Coast Section 2024 girls basketball playoff brackets: Updated scores, matchups — Mills' inspired road continues; Aprameyan drops 39 more (2-23-2024)
The storylines continue to blaze along the Central Coast Section girls basketball path — right to the tournament finals.
Ten more teams secured championship-game spots Thursday with semifinal victories and with it also guaranteed berths into the CIF Northern California tournament next week.
Mills of Millbrae, playing for their longtime coach Dave Matsu, who passed suddenly in October due to a stroke, moved into the Division 3 championship with a 59-32 win over third-seed Aptos. According to the San Jose Mercury News, Michelle Tang had 19 points and Chloe lee contributed 11.
Mills seniors Michelle Tang (4), Amanda Dong (3) and Gianna Mezzella (25).
Courtesy photo: Mills girls basketball
Matsu led Mills to the school's first CCS title since 1985 last season en route to 253 wins over 16 seasons. His son Justin, an assistant last season, has taken over the team. The program posted this at the time of his passing:
The second-seeded Vikings improved to 19-7 after Thursday's game and have won 12 of 14. They'll play fifth-seed Notre Dame of San Jose, a 40-27 winner over top-seed Santa Cruz on Thursday, in Saturday's 11 a.m. championship game at Santa Clara High School. It's the fourth time in five years Mills will play for the D3 crown.
Mills beat Notre Dame 43-39 in last year's CCS D3 semifinals en route to the program's historic section crown. Mills also beat Notre Dame 57-28 in 2019, the only other time the team's have been in the last 20 years.
In other semifinal action, Ryka Aprameyan, the state's No. 13 scorer according to statistics kept on MaxPreps, scored 39 points and Xuan-Mai Nguyen and Aliya Azam combined for 19 as top-seed Evergreen Valley recorded a 72-56 D1 semifinal win over Carlmont.
The Cougars (21-5) will play No. 2 Branham, a 55-46 winner over Alisal, in Saturday's 11 a.m. championship at Mission College.
Other Thursday winners to advance to the championship were Christoper and Monta Vista (D2), Half Moon Bay and Menlo School (D4) and Shasta Summit and Crystal Springs Upland (D5).
Playoffs continue on Friday with the only championship game in the Open Division. Those semifinals were played on Wednesday:
The good news for the St. Ignatius girls basketball team is that it defeated Los Gatos on Wednesday 59-32 to win Pool B of the Central Coast Section Open Division.
The bad news is now they have to face the nation's top-ranked team in Archbishop Mitty, which breezed to a third straight win in Pool A, 86-58 over Pinewood. The Monarchs and St. Ignatius play for the WCAL playoff title 6 p.m. Friday at Santa Clara University.
St. Ignatius, which was seeded sixth out of the eight-team round-robin tournament, has caught fire in the postseason beating third-seed 41-36, second-seed and arch-rival Sacred Heart Cathedral, 61-46 and on Wednesday Los Gatos, which came in with a 23-3 record.
Mitty posing after winning a game at the Sabrina Ionescu Showcase last month.
Photo by Sam Stringer
The Wildcats, who got strong play from Sophia and Olivia Sanchez and Julia Alcantara, now get the 27-0 Monarchs, who got 26 points from McKenna Woliczko and 19 by Elana Weisman on Wednesday.
Mitty played for their sixth straight game without McDonald's All-American Morgan Cheli, nursing an upper leg injury, but Monarchs coach Sue Phillips told the Mercury News she "is close."
She must be. She suited up Wednesday took part in warmups, but didn't get into the lopsided game. Friday doesn't figure to be close either considering Mitty beat St. Ignatius by the scores of 80-36 and 74-40.
In other play on Wednesday, Riordan beat St. Francis 75-53 in Pool A and Sacred Heart Cathedral defeated Priory, 52-42.
Semifinal play in Divisions 1-5 continue on Thursday with all the winners advancing to championship games on Saturday.
St. Ignatius sophomore Sophia Sanchez in game earlier this season versus arch-rival Sacred Heart Cathedral.
Photo: Paul Ghiglieri
Top seeds in each divisions are Mitty (Open), Evergreen Valley (D1), Monta Vista (D2), Santa Cruz (D3), Menlo School (D4) and Crystal Springs Upland (D5).
Defending champions are: Mitty (Open), Evergreen Valley (D1), Saint Francis (D2), Mills (D3), Menlo School (D4) and Summit Shasta (D5).
Check the brackets below for the latest matchups, game times and scores:
2024 CIF CENTRAL COAST SECTION GIRLS BAKSETBALL BRACKETS
Sophia Sanchez with a jumper against great defense from SHC's Reza Po at USF earlier this season.
Photo: Paul Ghiglieri
