It was a very busy day for Dublin’s Basketball programs as four teams competed against stiff competition in tournament play on Friday.
After three consecutive seasons of opening day losses in the West Coast Jamboree, the Varsity Girls Basketball team remained unbeaten on the season (5-0) and advanced into the Championship Bracket of the Pearl Division by defeating Sonoma Valley 50-33 in the Sports Complex on Friday afternoon.
Dublin was in control early, jumping out to a 15-7 lead after the 1st quarter. Sonoma Valley cut their margin to 17-15 midway through the 2nd quarter before the Gaels went on a pivotal 8-0 just before halftime to take control. The Gaels outscored the Dragons 16-6 in the 3rd quarter to take an insurmountable 41-24 lead heading into the final period en route to the victory.
Dublin advances to the Pearl Division Semifinals where they will host Sacramento on Saturday, December 28th at 11:00 a.m. in the Sports Complex. This will be a rematch of a West Coast Jamboree matchup from last season. The Dragons edged Las Lomas 43-40 in the other half of Dublin’s bracket. If the Gaels are victorious, they will play in the Championship game against either Watsonville or McDermott (Nevada) on Monday, December 30th at 4:30.
Other teams who were victorious in the opening round of their respective tournaments were the Junior Varsity and Freshmen Boys Basketball teams. The JV defeated Miramonte and now advance to face Bellarmine in the San Ramon Valley Tournament semifinals at 5:00, while the Frosh beat James Logan and will square off against host Dougherty Valley in their own tournament at 7:30.
After going undefeated through their first 12 games, the Varsity Boys Basketball team suffered their first loss of the season 65-59 against traditional SoCal powerhouse Crespi in the Gold Division Quarterfinals of The Classic at Damien. This was the first loss for any Varsity team during the winter season, as the Boys and Girls Basketball and Soccer teams compiled a 21-0-4 record through the first 8 weeks of the season.
The Varsity Boys Basketball team will now compete in the Consolation bracket with a chance at a 5th place finish (out of 16 teams) based on how they do in the final 2 days of the tournament. Dublin will square off against Village Christian on Saturday at 12:30.
