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Sports

Boys Basketball: De La Salle Advance to NCS Semis

The Spartans will play San Ramon Valley next week.

De La Salle 46, San Leandro 36

The Star: Travis Pacos scored 13 points and was 9-for-10 at the free-throw line.

The Turning Point: The Pirates entered the fourth quarter down by 12, but started the period on a 6-0 run. However, De La Salle would outscore them down the stretch 13-9 to seal the victory.

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The Quote: "He’s a lot like our team. We’re not pretty but we get it done," said Spartans' coach Frank Allocco of Pacos.

Who's Next? De La Salle will play San Ramon at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

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The Bottom Line: The Spartans hold off the Pirates to get a chance to avenge their lone loss in EBAL play against the Wolves next week.

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The De La Salle High boys basketball team held San Leandro to single-digit scoring in the first and third quarters en route to advancing to the semifinals of the North Coast Section Division I playoffs with a 46-36 victory in Concord Friday night.

“We did what we do,” Spartans coach Frank Allocco said. “They have great players, and I didn’t think we would be able to score on players like that but we did.”

Travis Pacos led DLS with 13 points, and was 9-of-10 from the free-throw line.

“He’s consistent. He’s a very versatile guy that’ll do it all,” Allocco said. “He’s a lot like our team. We’re not pretty but we get it done.”

The Spartans were outscored in the second and fourth quarters, but the Pirates lacked good starts at the start of the game and beginning of the third. San Leandro scored the first basket of the game one minute in, and held the Spartans without a basket for the first 3:50, before Kelvin Morgan’s hook shot over Jermaine Gaines tied it 2-2

Morgan’s basket would spark an 8-0 DLS run, and the Pirates wouldn’t score another basket until 7:10 of the second. San Leandro essentially went an entire period without scoring a point.

The Pirates, however, would tighten the gap in the second, where San Leandro outscored the Spartans 14-12. Donnelle Johnson would connect with Gaines for a high-flying alley oop to make it a three-point deficit midway through the quarter. Alexy Husary’s three from the top of the key would make it a two-point deficit, but DLS would go into halftime with a 21-16 advantage.

Another slow start appeared to sink the Pirates chances of a comeback. San Leandro scored its first basket of the third quarter at the 4:55 mark, when a Hameed Ali jumper broke the Pirates’ second-major scoring drought of the game.

But after a 6-0 San Leandro run to start the fourth brought the Spartans’ advantage to just six, DLS put on a full-court press that ultimately proved the difference.

“It’s DLS. A great program and it’s a grind,” Pirates’ coach Sean MacKay said. “We had to play a flawless game to win it all. We put ourselves in a position to compete and win the game.”

Ali would finish the game with 24 points.

“He’s been consistent all year,” MacKay said. “He’s a 20-point scorer and he had a good season. He’ll definitely move up to the next level.”

The Spartans will now play San Ramon Valley at St. Mary’s College this Wednesday at 7 p.m. They look to avenge their loss to the Wolves in East Bay Athletic League play, which was their only league loss this season.

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De La Salle 46, San Leandro 36

 

1

2

3

4

F

San Leandro

2

14

5

15

36

DLS

8

12

13

13

46

Individuals — (fg ftm-fta tp)

San Leandro

Johnson 1 0-0 2, H. Ali 8 7-10 24, I. Ali 1 0-0 2, Woods 2 1-3 6, Thompson 0 0-1 0, Gaines 1 0-0 2. Totals 13 8-14 36.

DLS

Battle 2 0-1 4, Udenyi 2 1-2 5, DaRe 2 0-0 7, Pitts 5 0-2 12, Morgan 2 1-2  5, Pacos 2 9-10 13. Totals 15 11-17 46.

3-point goals: Pitts 2, DaRe, Johnson, Woods

Fouled out: None.

Records: San Leandro 0-1; DLS 1-0

NCS playoffs, boys basketball, 2/25/11

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