Basketball – Pirates Bounce Back
Last week, the San Leandro High School Pirates earned their first trip ever to the North Coast Section basketball Championship with a last second victory over the Freedom Falcons. In the championship game against Deer Valley, the Pirates ran into a MacDonald’s All American and a deadeye sharp shooter and fell 73-55. However, the Pirates, on the strength of their schedule and 2nd place finish in the NCS, earned the number 3 seed in the NorCal tournament for a chance to go to the State Meet.
The Pirate draw was a scrappy team from Jesse Bethel –Vallejo, and the Pirates delivered a dominating 74-55 victory in its first ever NorCal regional playoff game in school history.
The Pirates let a big lead evaporate but recovered quickly to crush the Jaguars in a Division 1 first-round win at home on Wednesday night.
San Leandro (24-6) advances to host De La Salle (25-4) in Saturday’s NorCal quarterfinals at 7 p.m.
The Pirates were lead by sophomore forward Osi Nwachuke, who had a game-high 21 points.
Nwachuke and Stephen Johnson led the way during the first half. Both were in double figures by intermission, with Nwackuke sinking 14 points and Johnson scoring 10. “ It was the leaders on the team,” Nwackuke said, referring to Ishmail Ali, Kimhi Hall and Dejon Budreaux. “They told us to turn it up, so we turned it up.”
