Fresh off a Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) title over the weekend, boys’ varsity basketball certainly didn’t look like champions to open the North Coast Section (NCS) playoffs against the Montgomery Vikings. Redwood’s offense limped off the starter’s block after scoring 60+ points in five consecutive games and 67 in the championship game. They didn’t see the ball go through the hoop in the first four minutes and only totaled eight points in the first quarter versus Montgomery.
(Graham Weir)
Soon enough, the hangover wore off, and the second-seeded Giants began to act the part. Senior Brennan Woodley got the offense started, finishing craftily at the rim, nailing a three-pointer and knocking down a pair of free throws. But despite their low seeding, the Vikings were hard to shake, responding time and time again as the Redwood offense began to heat up. Without senior center Simon Leonard, the Giants’ interior defense struggled as Michael Ule, Montgomery’s 6-foot-8-inch big man, dominated inside in the paint. Woodley swished a corner three at the buzzer, putting Redwood ahead 26-20 going into the half.
Senior Semetri “TT” Carr did it all for the Giants on Wednesday, totaling 26 points, eight rebounds and two steals. But his dominance came in the third quarter when he scored 11 of Redwood’s 13 points, draining two threes and going coast to coast twice for layups. The team’s second-half defense was also superb, holding the Vikings to just four third-quarter points, essentially sealing the game with a 39-24 lead.
With a formidable lead, head coach Jay Demaestri let the starters rest for most of the fourth quarter. Junior Leo Centeno came off the bench to make a three and junior Jake Post converted on a difficult fadeaway. The Giants went on to win 51-31, securing their spot in the second round of the NCS playoffs. They’ll take on Acalanes, who beat Archie Williams 78-68, on Friday at home at 7:00 p.m.
