CONCORD, CA – Tim Kostolansky led three Spartans in double figures with 18 points, and De La Salle outscored Dougherty Valley by 13 in the fourth quarter as the host team defeated the Wildcats, 63-48, Tuesday night in an East Bay Athletic League conference game.
Thomas Gregorios added 15 points, six assists, and four rebounds for De La Salle (13-2, 3-0 EBAL), and Andrew Flannigan chipped in 12 points. The Spartans led for virtually the entire game, building as much as an 11-point lead in the first half before Dougherty Valley (13-3, 2-1 EBAL) went on an 8-0 run to put themselves back in contention. The flurry included five from Justin Masilang, who finished with 15, and a three-point play from Donovan Sevilla, who tallied 13 for the game.
De La Salle started the third quarter strong, but the Wildcats went on a 10-0 march, capped by a trey from Donovan’s younger brother Aidan Sevilla, to give Dougherty Valley a 36-33 advantage. Sevilla scored all eight of his game total during the run. Gregorios intercepted a pass and found Flannigan for a layup at the third quarter buzzer – the third straight Gregorios-to-Flannigan combo – to put the Spartans ahead 41-39.
That momentum shift continued into the fourth, when Jack Byers drained a shot from long distance to start a 7-0 run that provided enough cushion to last the rest of the way. Kostolansky, Flannigan, and Gregorios combined for 14 in the final frame, while the Wildcats were held to just two field goals.
“I don’t think we reacted very well to their post play,” Dougherty Valley coach Mike Hansen remarked. "My guys, they’re not very big but…I’ll take my guards and David Wong against anyone. They played four quarters, we played three, they’re going to beat us.”
“They’re going to be physical, they’re going to be tough, they’re going to grind and scrap,” De La Salle coach Justin Argenal said of Dougherty Valley. “We had let-ups. It wasn’t perfect by any means.”
The teams were about equal from three-point territory and from the free throw line, although the Spartans did not convert from the charity stripe until the fourth. Sophomore Jeremiah Dargan had just five points for De La Salle, but contributed in other ways with seven boards, four assists, and two blocks.
“We just focused on guarding one-on-one and making sure getting stops on the defensive end,” Kostolansky said. “We work inside-out. We have some good shooters, either way we can score.”
Argenal noted Byers' three, his team’s size wearing down the opposition in the fourth, and the play of Gregorios, whom he calls “one of the most underrated point guards in Northern California,” as being keys to victory.
At tip-off, Prep2Prep had De La Salle 9th and Dougherty Valley 12th in the NCS Boys Basketball Rankings. On Friday, De La Salle hosts #20 Granada and Dougherty Valley welcomes #19 San Ramon Valley.
