The Dublin High School Varsity Boys Basketball team qualified for its 5th consecutive appearance in the CIF State Tournament, but came up short in its Division I First Round contest losing to Folsom 62-50 on March 1st.
Dublin led the entire first half and took a 25-21 lead into the break powered by Courtney Anderson Jr.’s 18 points. The Bulldogs battled back and went on top 29-28 lead with 4:39 remaining in the 3rd quarter, a lead which they would never relinquish. One big edge that Folsom had throughout the night were opportunities from the free throw line, as the Bulldogs had 27 attempts compared to a mere 6 by the Gaels.
Folsom led 39-35 entering the 3rd quarter, and the Gaels kept it close until a pivotal play midway through the 4th quarter when a sequence ensued which changed the trajectory of the contest. With the Bulldogs up 47-42, Donovan Cooks drove to the bucket and scored while drawing a foul. He was headed to the foul line for the opportunity to complete a three-point play and trim the deficit to two when the official waived off the bucket and said the foul did not occur in the act of shooting. After the Gaels didn’t score following the inbounds, Folsom went down and hit a three-pointer with 3:54 remaining to go on top 50-42. Dublin would not get any closer the rest of the game.
Dublin finished the season with an overall record of 16-8, and with most of their starters and several key returners coming back look to be poised for a deep run in 2023.
