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Boys Basketball: De La Salle Slips Past Sheldon in Final Seconds to Advance to NorCal Finals

De La Salle pitches perfect defensive swarm against Huskies.

De La Salle 47, Sheldon 45

The Star: The Spartans’ defense pitched a perfect shut-out the final 3:40, to eventually come from behind and take the lead with only 17 seconds remaining in the game.

The Turning Point: De La Salle trailed Sheldon 29-23 at halftime and the Huskies were killing the Spartans with one-on-one, isolation offense. In the second half, Spartans coach Frank Allocco, switched to a 3-2 zone defense, which the Spartans used to key a third quarter run. DLS clawed its way within a single point, midway through the quarter. In the fourth, the Spartans ratcheted up the pressure, holding Sheldon to only four points. The defense allowed De La Salle to overcome a five-point deficit to and score the game-winning basket with only 17 seconds remaining in the game.

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The Quote: "In the beginning of the season, people were picking us to finish below .500," De La Salle’s Amadi Udenyi said. “Our captain, Duke DaRe, brought us together and said, ‘It’s just us. We need to keep a tight circle. It’s us against the world.’ That is what we have been doing.”

What’s Next?: The Spartans are headed to Power Balance Pavilion in Sacramento (formerly Arco) for the Northern California Regional finals and an NCS finals rematch against Castro Valley on Saturday at 8 p.m. Castro Valley beat Oakland 63-60 in its semifinal game.

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Bottom Line: De La Salle’s defense, coaching and leadership are outstanding. Sheldon, the 13th ranked  team in the state by Cal-Hi Sports, knew the Spartans strengths well, having lost to them, . Saturday night at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, the Huskies were out for revenge, but on a much bigger stage with a shot to play in the CIF Northern Regional finals on the line.

However, despite carrying a six-point lead at halftime, and a five-point lead at the end of the third quarter, the Huskies could not put away the scrappy Spartans. The Spartans put on a defensive clinic in the fourth quarter, holding Sheldon to four points and finally grabbed the lead at end of the game to hold on for the thrilling victory.

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 coach Frank Allocco was drenched in sweat and exhausted after his team's 47-45 heart stopping, CIF Northern California Regional semifinals victory over Sheldon of Sacramento.

The coach described the win at Mckeon Pavilion as the team’s gutsiest performance of the season.

The Spartans trailed most of the game and found themselves down five points heading into the fourth quarter.

Sheldon’s length and athleticism was giving the De La Salle offensive attack fits, but the Huskies were having little offensive success of their own.

After a stellar first half where Sheldon was on pace for 58-points (an impressive sum against the lockdown D of De La Salle) and the Huskies UTEP bound wing, Darius Nelson, was having his way, Allocco decided to make a change.

After intermission, the coach sent his team out in a zone in an effort to limit Sheldon’s one-on-one opportunities and force the Huskies to pass the ball and take outside jump shots.

The Huskies continued to miss and commit turnovers as De La Salle slowly chipped away at the Huskies lead.

“The whole key to game was emotions,” De La Salle senior guard Benny Battle said. “Keeping the guys on the bench and on the floor into it. Coach always tell us to play with emotion and intensity and the game will come to you.”

Allocco’s words proved prophetic as his team's determination, focus and poise carried them over Sheldon.

The Spartans held the Huskies without a point for the final 3:40 of the game. The three-minute stretch must have felt like an eternity for Sheldon, as De La Salle dug-in and drew two consecutive charges on drives to the basket.

“When the game ended I said to myself, I cannot believe we won,” exclaimed Allocco of his team, who trailed for all but the final 17 seconds of the second half. “I was getting ready to tell these guys what a great year they had and how hard they competed … then all of the sudden you win. It’s crazy.”

In the game’s final minutes, De La Salle also came up with all of the crucial rebounds. Including one with 20 seconds remaining, where Battle beat everyone to the loose ball and immediately threw a length of the court baseball pass to a streaking Amadi Udenyi for the game-winning lay-up.

“(Benny) picked it up tonight. He has been dealing with adversity all year and stayed with it,” Allocco said. “This morning Benny gave a speech to our team and said that he was not going to let them down, play well and step up. That is what he did, stepped up big.”

Battle gashed the Sheldon defense with four beautiful drives in the first half and tallied eight points but his biggest contribution was his game-deciding rebound and assist.

“This program is based on love,” said Allocco. “In our locker room there was about 15 alumni and I told my team at halftime, ‘Look at all these college players coming here. They are interested and they care not just because of the emblem on your chest, but because of what this program represents.

“These kids love each other and in that timeout I said we need to gut it out and someone needs to step up and make a play.”

Battle’s connection with Audenyi might have put the Spartans in the lead, but they still had to record defensive stops on two different Sheldon possessions to secure the win.

In the first possession with ten second remaining, De La Salle forced a contested miss in the lane by Nelson and its captain Duke DeRe gobbled up the rebound before being fouled.

DeRe split the free throws setting up Sheldon’s last chance with 7.8 seconds remaining in the game.

The Huskies' 6-foot-8 point forward Ramon Eaton drove the ball the length of the court and attempted an off-balance lefty leaner from 8-feet away which came up well short. The ball however ticked straight to D’erryl Williams, but his attempt also found front rim and the Spartans celebrated.

“We know we have to box-out and rebound against Castro Valley,” said Battle. “On every single miss.”

The Spartans will also have to pay close attention to ball control in their rematch with Castro Valley, the top-ranked team in Northern California. In their first meeting, a Castro Valley victory, the Spartans committed 17 turnovers and struggled to handle the suffocating pressure.

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De La Salle 47, Sheldon 45

 

1

2

3

4

F

Sheldon

14

15

12

4

45

De La Salle

16

7

13

11

47

Individuals — (fg ftm tp)

Sheldon

Nelson 7  5-6  21, Williams 3  0-1  6, Thomas  1  0-0  2, Allen 1  0-0  2, Eaton 6  2-3  14. Totals 18 7-10 47.

DLS

Battle 4  0-0  8, Udenyi 4  2-2  11, Peera 3  0-0  6, DaRe 1  4-6  7, Pitts 1 3-3 5, Morgan 1 0-4 2, Pacos 2 4-4 8. Totals 15 10-18 47.

3-point goals: Sheldon 2 (Nelson 2); DLS 2 (DaRe, Udenyi).

 Records: Sheldon 24-8, De La Salle 26-5

NorCal Division I playoffs, March 12, 2011

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CIF Northern California Regional Semifinals

Boys

Division I

Castro Valley 63, Oakland 60 — Castro Valley Patch

De La Salle 47, Sheldon 45 — Concord Patch

Division II

Mitty-San Jose 70, Las Lomas 61 — Walnut Creek Patch

Woodcreek-Rosebille 58, Antelope 39

Division III

El Cerrito 63, Sacramento 51 — El Cerrito Patch

Bishop O'Dowd 52, San Marin 49

Division IV

Salesian 85, Santa Cruz 66

St. Mary's 65, St. Patrick-St. Vincent 44

Division V

St. Joseph 75, Vacaville Christian 71 (OT)

University-San Francisco 81, Pinewood-Los Altos Hills 75

—————

Girls

Division I

Berkeley 52, Lincoln-Stockton 42

Carondelet 77, St. Francis 66 — Concord Patch

Division II

St. Mary's-Stockton 56, Dougherty Valley 44 — San Ramon Patch

Del Oro-Loomis 63, Presentation-San Jose 59 (OT)

Division III

Bishop O'Dowd 48, St. Ignatius-San Francisco 39

Sacramento 58, Campolindo 54 — Lamorinda Patch

Division IV

St. Mary's 60, Notre Dame-Belmont 39

Modesto Christian 71, Piedmont 61 —  Piedmont Patch

Division V

Pinewood-Los Altos Hills 66, Bradshaw Christian-Sacramento 37

St. Joseph Notre Dame 46, Eastside College Prep 38

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