Burlison on Basketball

Frank Burlison | High School Basketball | College Basketball

Blair, De La Salle knock off SoCal opponent Saturday

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DUBLIN – He might have been “out of sight”, on the spring, summer and fall basketball club and camp high school basketball circuit.

But, for those who’d watched his all-around skill on the hardcourt during his first three seasons at De La Salle High in Concord, how could you forget just how good a basketball player Alec Blair is?

The 6-foot-7 senior, who is bound for the University of Oklahoma (to play baseball – Major League scouts think he has a chance to be a power-hitter deluxe – and basketball.

The big-swinging and deep-hitting left hander has spent most of the past three springs and summer polishing his baseball skills.

But, as the Crespi High team and all of those in the Dublin High gymnasium Saturday for the nine-game, 17th NorCal Tip-Off Classic, can attest, his feel and skill for hoops was as sharp Saturday as it was while leading the Spartans to a 22-9 record and No. 16 rating in the CalHi Sports state ratings last season.

Coach Marcus Schroeder’s squad, in its season debut, cruised past the San Fernando Valley-based (Encino) team, 71-53.

The Celtics (in their second season under former NBA guard and coach Derek Fisher), wrapping up the second week of their season, fell to 5-2.

Blair (pictured/courtesy Greg Stein), a first-team, all-state choice last season, scored 20 points with 11 rebounds and seven assists, with the Spartans running their offense thru him.

His vision and passing helped deliver the ball to Schroeder’s collection of quality jump shooters who combined for nine 3s – three apiece from seniors Bryce Patton and Mitchell Harris.

University of Nevada-bound forward Peyton White was able to keep his team within reasonable “striking distance” of the Spartans before a late run to close the third quarter pushed the advantage to 17 points.

White finished with 22 points, nine rebounds and three blocks while sophomore twins Carter (12) and Isaiah (eight) Barnes combined for 20 points.

The second Southern California-team to make the trip north, Redondo (3-0), picked up its second Bay Area win of the weekend, pulling away from Folsom, 85-68, less than 24 hours after knocking off host Bishop O’Dowd in Oakland, 85-52.

The Sea Hawks got 20 points from 6-4 junior Zach  Khatib, 18 of those via six 3-pointers off the catch or one dribble.

They got double-figure scoring from every other starter, with senior Hudson Mayes chipping in with 10 points despite foul problems.

Guard Chace Holley (who scored 24 points Friday night) added 19 and fellow junior S.J. Madison had 14, eight rebounds and three assists while sophomore Chris Sanders had 16 points and eight rebounds.

In the other seven games played Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.:

*Hayward Moreau Catholic 79, Modesto Christian 75 (OT): The Mariners led by 15 points in the first quarter then needed a rebound and follow shot by Dominic Walker with a second to go to send things into overtime.

In the extra four minutes senior Jalen Thomas and sophomore Kareem Jackson, Jr., combined to convert seven of nine free throws.

Walker paced the winners with 20 points while Long Beach State-bound Gavin Sykes hit a day-high 38 points for the Crusaders.

*Dublin 57, Destiny Christian Academy 55: Cameron Anderson and Jaylen Valdez had terrific second halves for the respective teams.

But it was the host team’s 6-7 junior (Anderson), whose efforts got rewarded with the W, finishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds – 10 and eight of those after intermission.

Valdez (a 6-3 senior) hit just two free throws in a first half that ended with the team from Sacramento down by 11 points. But he brought the Lions roaring back, scoring 19 points over the third and fourth quarters, putting them ahead twice in the final five minutes.

Following a missed Dublin free throw with 6.3 seconds to go, Lions’ guard Frederick Blue appeared on his way into dribbling into a game-deciding shot, but the ball was jarred loose from behind by the Gaels’ Ramir Raymore and the game clock expired.

*Stockton Lincoln 70, San Ramon Valley 68 (OT): Weber State-bound Anthony Moore scored nine of his game-high 30 points in the four-minute overtime – the last 3 of those on a running, fallaway shot from the right corner, just in front of his bench – as Trojans pulled it out after trailing by 10 points at intermission.

Seniors Mason Thomas and Eliot and Thomas Conley combined for 49 of the Wolves’ points, with Thomas 14 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter and OT, including a couple of free throws with a 33 seconds to go that gave his team the one-point lead Moore snatched away.

*Clayton Valley  Charter 63, Weston Ranch 56: Six-three Elijah Perryman, who signed with Utah State last month, scored 24 points and grabbed rebounds to help his team to the wire-to-wire victory.

Senior forward Darrion Lilly kept his team reasonably close throughout with 27 points (including four 3s) and 12 rebounds.

*Santa Cruz 55, Cardinal Newman 44: Six-six junior Demarco Hunter scored 21 points with nine rebounds and five blocked shots to  pace the Cardinals, who lost to Alemany State D-II title game in Sacramento in March.

Four players, including sophomore guard A.J. Cole (with 10) scored from nine to 11 points for Cardinal Newman.

*St. Ignatius 80, Vanden 60: Junior guard Raymond Whitley missed more free throws (three in seven attempts) than field goal attempts (he hit 11 of 13 while pacing the winners with 28 points.

Four of his teammates scored from eight to 12 points.

*Ygnacio Valley 58, Branson 52: Seniors Antonio Kellogg, Jr. and Preston Oliver scored 16 points apiece in the first game of the morning. It pitted programs that will play in the Diamond Division of the Classic at Damien.

Junior Chase Robertson and sophomore N.J. Gray scored 14 and 13 points, respectively, for the Bulls.

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