Certain victory slipped through the Serra Padres’ fingers, as University-SF rallied in overtime for a 89-85 boys’ basketball victory in the semifinal round of the Bambauer Classic at Marin Catholic High School in Kentfield.
Sebastian Margate
Serra took a 74-73 lead late in the fourth quarter when Wyatt Blanco cut to the hoop for a dunk on a Jace Cannon assist pass with less than 20 seconds in regulation. The Padres then looked to have the game in hand when University senior Lucas Lau missed a midrange floater, and Serra guard Sebastian Margate ripped down the rebound, covered up and forced the foul with seven seconds to play.
Margate drilled both free throws to up the lead to 76-73, but Lau fired back by pulling up for a deep 3 and rattling it home to force overtime.
Serra (6-2) held the lead early in OT on a pair of Cannon buckets, but Lau splashed down with a 3 to tie it, sparking an unforgiving 10-0 University run. Senior Zach Walcott hit 1 of 2 free throws to give the Red Devils an 81-80 lead.
Sophomore Michael Travis then grabbed a steal under Serra’s hoop, then ran coast to coast to make it 83-80. Serra missed a corner 3, and junior Same Newmeyer scored a transition layup before Lau scored a layup with under a minute to go to cap the run.
The Red Devils (10-2) it 26-11 late in the first quarter. But the Padres whittled it down to single digits by halftime compliments of Blanco scoring on a sling pass from Clausen Schmidt at the buzzer to cut University’s lead to 39-30.
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University led all the way through the third quarter, but Serra made it a one-score game on senior Tyler Bailey’s dribble-drive out of the corner for a bank layup to send it to the fourth 56-54 Red Devils.
Serra promptly tied it 56-all at the start of the fourth on Bailey’s touch layup off a Blanco assist toss. After the Red Devils missed a 3, Cannon grabbed a strong man’s rebound and the Padres raced down for senior Ryan Rice to score a left-handed floater to give Serra its first lead since the opening minutes.
The Padres led by as much as 68-64 after Bailey crushed a wing 3, but two sloppy turnovers kept University in it — senior Trent Hawkins picked off a sloppy pass at midcourt and raced for a breakaway layup to tie it 68-all.
The Red Devils swung ahead twice in the final 1:14 of regulation. Travis converted off an offensive board, running a layup at the hoop to make it 71-70 University. Serra jumped back ahead on a pair of Blanco free throws, then came up with a turnover, but University senior Thomas Meehlieb blocked a layup at the other end and the Red Devils turned it around for Lau to draw a foul and convert two free throws to make it 73-72 University with 27 seconds on the clock.
Blanco responded with his explosive dunk, setting the stage for Lau’s game-tying 3 to force OT.
With the win, University advances to Tuesday’s tournament championship game to face host Marin Catholic. Serra will meet Lincoln-SF in Tuesday’s third-place game.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
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PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
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