Granada senior Lennon Lomba (1) harasses San Ramon Valley forward Elliot Conley (3) during the second quarter of a NorCal Division I boys’ high school basketball game, on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in Dublin, Calif. (D. Ross Cameron for the Bay Area News Group)
DUBLIN — Introductions weren’t necessary Tuesday night when San Ramon Valley High faced Granada in the Division I NorCal boys title game at Dublin High.
The Wolves and Matadors had already played three times in the East Bay Athletic League and league playoffs. The stakes were higher this time, with a berth in the CIF State title game on the line Friday night in Sacramento.
“At this stage everybody knows who everybody is and it’s one of those things where you’ve got to be able to just get the job done,” San Ramon Valley coach Brian Botteen said amidst a center court celebration after a 58-55 win over Granada.
The Wolves, 29-7 advance to face Southern California champion St. John Bosco (27-7), a 71-68 winner over Mater Dei, for the D-1 championship.
It was the third win in four games for San Ramon Valley against Granada. It was a taut defensive game throughout, tied 22-22 at halftime and neither team taking command until the fourth quarter.
As they did in a Feb. 15 win over Granada in the playoffs, the Wolves put the game away at the foul line. They hit 21 of 23 free throws overall and were 11 of 12 in the fourth quarter.
Guard Mason Thomas led San Ramon Valley with 17 points, with Luke Isaak adding 16, The pair was 5-for-6 in the fourth quarter from the.
“We’ve got a lot of guys that are really confident, and with the rule with two free throws you’re a lot more comfortable and you don’t feel that pressure of a one-and-one,” Botteen said.
Granada finished 26-5 a year after winning the NorCal Division I title a last season. They left dejected at not having finished the job, but coach Quaran Johnson has a NorCal title and a second-place finish in two seasons at school that historically hasn’t been identified as a basketball power.
Spencer Langowski led Granada with 12 points, with Lennon Lomba adding 11 and Marco Wilde 10.
Defensively, the Wolves gave two of Granada’s top scores all they could handle, with NaVaughn Long scoring nine points and Cortevious Taylor eight, Both players resorted to shot attempts with a high degree of difficulty against a stout interior San Ramon Valley defense.
“Their physicality I thought was a credit to them,” Botteen said. “Our guys ended up making more plays. They’re a good team.”
Neither team had more than a four-point lead until Isaak scored on a drive and was fouled by Taylor, converting the free throw for a 42-36 lead with 614 remaining. A jumper by Thomas with 5:19 left made it 44-36, and another Thomas drive put the Wolves up 48-39 with 3:54 remaining.
From then on, it was up to San Ramon Valley to convert free throw attempts — which it did — and the Wolves were in control the rest of the way. Granada’s last gasp was a 3-pointer from Lomba at the buzzer for the final margin.
Isaak, a 6-foot-3 junior guard, wasn’t surprised that Granada kept coming hard.
‘We knew from the start it would be a tough game,” Isaak said. “We know what we can do if we move the ball and play as a team, we did that tonight. We were able to get it done. We had so many goals, and we get to go to Sac and play in an NBA arena and we’re all excited. Everybody deserves this so much. We put so much time in. I’m so excited for our team.”
Thomas said the Wolves had predetermined in a preseason meeting how it was going to go.
“Believe it or not, we all got together and talked about this at the beginning of the year,” Thomas said. “We knew what we wanted and we’re doing it.”
For Botteen, it was another step on the ladder for his program.
“Three years ago we reached the playoffs in NorCal,” Botteen said. “Then we were in the quarterfinals, and last year the semifinals. There wasn’t a lot of room for improvement there, but it was possible. This group, I’m just thankful and blessed to get another day with them.”
Originally published at Jerry McDonald