After falling behind 19-8 in the first quarter and still trailing until midway through the 3rd, Dublin stormed back to post a 63-47 victory over Placer of Auburn to win its 6th consecutive Don Nelson Classic (DNC) and 8th total in the tournament’s 17-year history.
The Gaels defensive pressure and fast-break tempo helped turn the tide, as Dublin managed to claw back and cut its deficit to 29-26 by halftime. Dublin was clinging to a narrow 45-43 lead at the end of the 3rd quarter before outscoring the Hillmen 18-4 in the final period to win by a 16-point margin that was much closer than the final score would indicate. The Gaels forced several turnovers and converted in transition throughout the 4th quarter.
Mehki Thomas led the Gaels with 16 points and was named the DNC Most Valuable Player. Courtney Anderson scored 15 points and also earned All-Tournament honors along with Donovan Cooks. Freshman Cameron Anderson also had a big night for the Gaels by dominating the boards and scoring 7 of his 12 points in the final quarter to help fuel Dublin’s decisive run.
With the victory, Dublin improves to 8-3 overall on the season. The Gaels will have one final tune-up on Thursday at Kennedy High of Fremont before traveling to LaVerne the day after Christmas after receiving an invitation to compete against some of the nation’s strongest teams in the Classic at Damien.
This weekend also proved to be a successful one for both the Boys Junior Varsity and Freshmen teams. The JV defeated Heritage to take 3rd place in the San Lorenzo Tournament, and Frosh defeated Washington to claim a 3rd place finish as well.
