SAN LEANDRO — Salesian coach Stephen Pezzola couldn’t help but tear up when asked what winning the Pride’s ninth North Coast Section title meant to him.
“The players, the school is so supportive. It’s a great place to be,” Pezzola, who is in his 17th season as head coach, said. “The girls come to the school because they love the charism, and then they play basketball. We take it very seriously and they do what we ask, and we build team chemistry.
“The players are a joy to coach.”
Salesian got up double-digits early, only to see No. 3 Justin-Sienna make a furious comeback in the fourth quarter to come within two points of the Pride’s lead.
But in the clutch, it was the Richmond school that hit bucket after bucket to seal an NCS Division II championship win.
“They’re just amazing competitors, meaning they don’t give up. It’s 32 minutes of full court pressure, and they just keep going.”
Freshman point guard Ezra Palec led Salesian with 19 points and Emma Bryant scored 10.
Emmanuela William was dominant in the first half and finished with 11 points, but the 6-foot-4 freshman exited the game in the third quarter in what appeared to be a leg injury.
Early in the second half, Salesian looked poised to win in blowout fashion. A layup from Palec gave the Pride a 15-point lead in the first few minutes of the third quarter. Salesian led by 10 going into the final eight minutes.
But something clicked for the Braves in the fourth quarter. Down 11, the Napa school used a 9-0 run to come within two points of Salesian’s advantage.
The teams traded baskets and a free throw from sophomore Haven Stone cut the Salesian lead to 52-48 with just over three minutes remaining.
From there, it was all Salesian.
The Pride ended the game on a 10-4 run, capped off by a barrage of buckets from Palec.
“Ezra came up really big,” Pezzola said.
Salesian will know its regional playoff opponent on Sunday when the CIF released the state playoff brackets. Salesian just missed the cutoff to become an NCS Open team, and since its base division is Division IV, the Pride were only able to move up two divisions into the D2 bracket.
Pezzola said his team will be ready for wherever the state places them.
“It’s an honor to be able to play in March basically every year. And we train for March. I tell my girls now it’s our season,” he said.
Division VI
No. 1 Cornerstone Christian 69, Ferndale 50
After back-to-back NCS final losses, the small Antioch school finally lifted a section plaque.
A year after Cornerstone Christian fell in a heartbreaker to Ferndale, the Cougars topped the North Coast school 69-50 to win their second NCS title overall and second in four years.
Cornerstone Christian had arguably its best season yet, defeating respected Bay Area programs such as Granada, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Freedom and Miramonte en route to three straight blowout wins in the Division VI playoffs.
The Cougars defeated postseason opponents Anderson Valley, St. Vincent de Paul and Ferndale by an average margin of 33 points.
– Nathan Canilao
BOYS
Division II
No. 1 University-San Francisco 81, No. 3 St. Mary’s-Berkeley 69
University’s high-powered offense was too much for St. Mary’s as the Red Devils won comfortably to capture the Division II crown.
High-scoring senior Lucas Lau had 24 points to lead University.
Junior Donovan Mikel led St. Mary’s with 18 points, Malakai Kelley had 13 and Christopher Baltrip had eight.
University won its fourth section title and first since 2023 when the Red Devils captured the Division V crown.
St. Mary’s dropped to 20-11.
– Nathan Canilao
Central Coast Section
GIRLS
Division II
No. 1 Valley Christian 64, No. 3 Aragon 27
Anaya Bannerbie was on fire for the Warriors, sinking all nine of her field goal attempts in the one-sided victory. Valley Christian will play for its first CCS championship since 2018, when it beat Aragon 69-62.
The game was never close. VC charged to a 23-7 advantage in the opening quarter and never looked back. Bannerbie, a 6-0 senior, finished the game with 18 points. She also pulled down eight rebounds.
Kenedi Nomura was the leading scorer for the Warriors (12-15) with 21 points. She had six 2-point field goals, a pair of 3-pointers and sank three free throws. She had five assists.
Freshman guard Rythm Aragonas had 13 points for VC.
Daisy Pantoja Beltran, the leading scorer for the Dons (14-12), had 16 points.
– Mike Lefkow
Division III
No. 1 Mills 35, No. 2 Santa Cruz 30
The Vikings are headed to the CIF state championships after capturing the D-III title for the third time in four years. This was the fifth straight season Mills has played for a CCS division crown.
It was a tight defensive struggle all the way. The teams were tied 24-24 after three quarters. Santa Cruz led with three minutes left, then freshman Ellie Chow hit a pull-up jumper to even the score. Kaylee Huynh sealed it for Mills by sinking a pair of free throws.
Kelly Ho had a big night with 17 points for the Vikings, who climbed above .500 at 14-13 with their fourth straight win.
– Mike Lefkow
Division IV
No. 2 Scotts Valley 53, No. 1 Notre Dame-Belmont 42
After being limited to 22 points through the first three quarters Notre Dame-Belmont scored 20 in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough. Scotts Valley was up 17 going into the fourth quarter and held on for a 53-42 victory.
No. 1 seed Scotts Valley (27-1) led 29-18 at halftime and 39-22 after three quarters.
Sammy Kakala led Notre Dame (19-5) with 14 points. Mika Cary scored 13 while Anani Perez had 9.
Scotts Valley’s freshman center Isabelle Jas led all scorers with 22 points and Hanna Shehorn scored 16.
– Glenn Reeves
Division V
No. 1 Palma 41, No. 2 Castilleja 30
Defending CCS Division V champion Castilleja never led in the matchup against No. 1 seed Palma (24-3), ending up on the losing end of a 41-30 final score.
Castilleja (12-11) tied it on several occasions, the last time in the third quarter.
“All that work to come back from six down, from eight down, and we just couldn’t get over the edge,” Castilleja coach Jaclyn Brode said. “And then they went on a six- or seven-point run.”
Violet Yick led the Gators with 13 points. Layla Gallon scored 7.
– Glenn Reeves
BOYS
Division III
Sacred Heart Cathedral 57, Soquel 39
The Fightin’ Irish were like two different teams in the D-III title match at Mission College. They trailed 21-18 at intermission, then outscored the Knights 39-18 over the final 16 minutes.
SHC (11-16) will now play for a section title for the third time in four years. The WCAL team was an Open Division entry in the 2023 playoffs, but it has been seeded in Division III for its last two appearances this season and in 2024. The Fightin’ Irish won CIF titles in both those seasons.
Jaden Hector, a 6-foot-5 freshman, had 15 points to lead SHC. Senior forward Ilias Medios had 11 points for the Fightin’ Irish.
Soquel was riding a 16-game win streak coming into the contest.
– Mike Lefkow
Division IV
No. 1 Sacred Heart Prep 71, No. 2 Half Moon Bay 64 (OT)
A 10-0 run in overtime provided the spark for the Gators’ first CCS title since 2021.
Half Moon Bay scored the first basket in the extra session to take a 59-57 lead in the contest played at Mission College, then SHP took over. The Gators improved to 15-11 as they head to the CIF state championships.
Both teams ran hot and cold in this contest. SHP finished the first half on an 18-5 run to take a 37-25 lead at the break. HMB (16-11) then scored the first 10 points of the third quarter to make it a two-point game.
The Cougars’ Gio Garduno, who led all scorers with 22 points, hit a 3-pointer with 20 seconds remaining to knot the game at 57, but after HMB’s first basket in overtime, it was all Sacred Heart Prep.
Sophomore Pat Bala scored 19 points for the winners. Alex Osterloh had 16 points and Alberto De Bernardis contributed 14.
Half Moon Bay got 16 points from Preston Wyatt and 15 from Owen Perez.
– Mike Lefkow
Division V
No. 2 Priory 66, No. 1 Palma 58
Senior guard Kasten Eggers continued to sizzle for Priory, scoring a career-high for the second game in a row as the Panthers beat Palma to capture the Central Coast Section Division V championship Saturday at Santa Clara High.
Eggers scored 32 points, including 23 in the second half, leading Priory to its sixth D-V crown since 2015. In the semifinals Thursday, Eggers scored a then career-best in an 86-67 thumping against Oakwood.
Eggers had four 3-pointers in the win. He scored 10 points in the third quarter and 13 in the fourth.
“He hit a couple of deep ones that broke their backs,” said David Moseley, who has been the Panthers’ coach since the 2008-09 season.
Priory (20-6), the No. 2 seed in D-V, led 30-21 at the half. Palma (24-3) entered the game riding an 11-game win streak. Its only losses were to East Bay powers Dougherty Valley and Moreau Catholic.
“Constant pressure on offense and defense secured the game for us,” said Moseley, who has posted a 228-107 record at Priory after the team went 54-60 in his first five seasons at the Portola Valley school.
Teddy Xanthopoulos had nine points for Priory. Mate Palotai and Jai Gerrodette had eight apiece. Xanthopoulos and Palotai both had 10 rebounds.
Tai Suich scored 27 points for Palma.
The Panthers now advance to the state playoffs. They captured the D-IV state crown last season.
– Mike Lefkow
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