Just before the buzzer sounded going into halftime, Heritage senior Sebastian Duran nailed a three-pointer from the left wing, cutting the San Leandro lead to six points and giving hope to the host Patriots playing against the NCS fourth-ranked Pirates.
The third quarter was a completely different story, however, as San Leandro turned up the defensive pressure and pulled away in a hurry, eventually posting a 64-34 victory on the road.
The Pirates outscored Heritage 21-2 in the third quarter, after leading 27-21 at the half. Senior guard Damien Cordova scored seven of his game-high 12 points in the third quarter, while Enrique Aguirre scored all five of his points in the quarter. But it was the San Leandro defense which really made the difference, utilizing traps and backcourt pressure to create turnovers and force the Patriots out of their half-court ball movement offense.
Heritage did not have a field goal in the third quarter, scoring its only points on a pair of Brad Ehlen free throws. The Pirates' defense also took away any open looks for Duran, who had a pair of three-pointers in the first half, and harassed Heritage junior point guard Lamar Murphy throughout the second half, after he had a team-high eight points in the first half.
San Leandro, meanwhile, utilized a balanced approach offensively. Standout forward Ciri Sawyers did not play in the first quarter, and after not scoring in the first half, finished the night with four points. Junior Malik Merchant joined Cordova in double figures with 10 points, balanced throughout the night, while Charles Tharp and Isiah Mellor had seven points each. 12 different Pirates got on the scoreboard in the win.
San Leandro improved to 11-3 with the win, and hosts Bishop O'Dowd on Friday night. Heritage fell to 6-8, and heads to Vacaville on Friday.
Mahaney leads Campolindo past Northgate
Sophomore Aidan Mahaney scored a game-high 26 points and Campolindo pulled away from Northgate in the fourth quarter for the 47-32 victory in DAL play on Tuesday night.
6-foot-4 senior Dylan McMahon led Northgate, but was kept off the scoreboard in the fourth quarter, when the Cougars outscored the Broncos 13-4 to seal the victory. Sophomore Dylan Golan added eight points for the Broncos.
Junior guard Chase Bennett added six points for Campolindo, which played without senior Carter Mahaney.
Rancho races to overtime win against Ukiah
Rancho Cotate got a huge overtime performance to down Ukiah, 87-75, in NBL action on Tuesday.
The Cougars, who were led by 29 points from sophomore Andrew Pengel, outscored the Wildcats 16-4 in the extra period. Senior Darius Hurst added 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting for Rancho Cotate, while junior Jayvion Scott chipped in 16 points.
Ukiah had four players in double figures during the loss, led by 24 points from senior Quincy Hayes. Senior Dylan Perez added 16 points.
Tamalpais survives Novato
Tamalpais picked up a big win in MCAL action, outlasting Novato, 57-56.
The Red-Tailed Hawks were led by 19 points from Tyler Reed, while Connor Jenkins added 12 points. Novato led 36-26 at the half, but Tam used a 19-8 advantage in the third quarter to take control.
Senior Jason Carpenter had 24 points and nine rebounds to lead the Hornets.
Fast start propels Clear Lake
Clear Lake built a 17-point lead after just one quarter, and then cruised to the 67-46 win over Willits in NCL action.
The Cardinals had three players in double figures, and 11 total players scored for Clear Lake, led by 14 points each from senior Tyler Cerini and junior Donavin Valadez. Senior Jaron Mertle chipped in 10 points.
