Each slotted as the No. 1 seed in the Central Coast Section Division V postseason bracket, Palma High School’s boys and girls basketball teams advanced to section championship games Thursday after strong showings in the quarterfinals and semifinals.
The Palma girls team used a fourth-quarter surge to defeat No. 5 seed Crystal Springs Uplands, 41-33, in the CCS Division V semifinals. Trailing 27-24 entering the final period, the Chieftains closed the game on a 17-7 run to secure their 19th consecutive victory. The win leaves Palma one shy of both a 20-game winning streak and a section championship.
In the quarterfinals, Palma routed No. 8 seed Eastside College Prep, 66-13 — the largest margin of victory by any team in the Division V bracket. The Chieftains will face No. 2 seed Castilleja of Palo Alto, the defending champion, in the title game Saturday. The Gators defeated Palma on their way to last season’s championship.
The boys team is also in position to claim a section title after dominant wins over No. 8 seed St. Francis, 85-53, on Tuesday, and No. 5 seed Pinewood, 73-40, on Thursday. The victories extended Palma’s winning streak to 11 games and improved its overall record to 24-2. The Chieftains will face No. 2 seed Priory of Portola Valley tonight.
North Salinas’ best season in nearly two decades comes to an end
The Vikings’ boys team turned in its best season since 2008, finishing 19-8 and reaching the CCS Division I quarterfinals. Their run ended Tuesday with an 85-45 loss to No. 3 seed Carlmont.
After a six-year postseason drought, North Salinas reached the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time in more than 20 years, highlighted by upset wins over in-town rival and No. 11 seed Salinas and a stunning victory against No. 6 seed Homestead in the second round.
The Vikings have a chance to remain competitive next season, potentially returning several key contributors, including junior guard Jayden Guevara, the team’s third-leading scorer.
Salinas girls fall in quarterfinals, Alisal to prepare for Nor Cal tournament
After a comfortable second-round win in the Division I bracket, Salinas’ girls basketball team fell to No. 4 seed Los Altos, 56-37, in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Senior Alice Uchida led the Cowboys in scoring with 11 points.
The season marked the third straight year the Cowboys have earned a playoff victory. After starting 4-4, they won 15 of their final 18 games, including a 10-game win streak along the way.
Alisal’s girls basketball team lost its third and final game in the Open Division bracket on Wednesday. The Trojans went 0-3 over a five-day stretch against Priory, Archbishop Riordan and Pinewood, ranked 17th, 11th and 29th in the state, respectively, by MaxPreps. Prior to these losses, they had dropped just two games all season.
They are still guaranteed a spot in the Northern California Divisional tournament, which will be announced next week, and will look to build on the experience gained against high-level competition, led by the program’s newly named all-time leading scorer, senior guard Nayeli Gil-Silva.
This article originally appeared on Salinas Californian: Palma High boys, girls basketball teams advance to CCS championships
Reporting by Andrew Edwards/Special to the Salinas Californian, Salinas Californian / Salinas Californian
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
