Joe Maemone, athletic director at The King’s Academy, was watching his girls basketball team play at Menlo School on a live stream Friday night when he noticed a gathering at the scorer’s table at the end of the first quarter.
Moments later, he got a call from his coach, Robin Young, who told the AD that Menlo just learned that one of its players tested positive for COVID-19.
The player wasn’t at the game and none of the Menlo players in the gym was symptomatic, Maemone said.
But the game didn’t continue.
“Nobody felt comfortable,” Maemone said. “None of our girls. We asked the girls how they felt about it. A number of them didn’t feel comfortable. If they don’t feel comfortable playing, I am not going to let them play.
“Wish we would have known about it right before the game started. But it is what it is. We’ll work on making that up, picking up where it left off. Menlo felt bad obviously that they didn’t know about it sooner.”
Menlo led 21-15 when play stopped.
The Menlo athletic department tweeted, “The game is called after 1Q due to a COVID exposure.”
The boys game followed, with TKA holding on for a 64-61 victory.
Bryce Sherman (21 points), Jon Taylor (18 points) and Tyleek Barnett (15 points) led TKA, which improved to 9-6 overall and 4-1 in the West Bay Athletic League.
Menlo is 9-4, 3-1.
Menlo’s girls game Saturday morning against Lincoln of Stockton at the Sabrina Ionescu Showcase at Carondelet was canceled.
Now live at the Sabrina Ionescu Showcase at Carondelet. Clarification: the 2nd game (Lincoln-Menlo) was canceled due to H & S Protocols, not the 1st. So now Piedmont-Las Lomas, the 8:30 game originally, is underway as the 10:00 game. @Prep2PrepSports @HaroldAbend @DarrenSabedra
— Scott A. Giorgianni (@SAGiorgianni) January 22, 2022
EBAL changes schedule
The East Bay Athletic League, with its basketball teams running out of time to make up games postponed amid the COVID surge, has voted to shorten its league schedule to a single round-robin, commissioner Leo Lopoz said.
The first game between teams will count in the league standings.
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- Wednesday report: Northgate boys slow down Miramonte
If teams are able to play one another a second time, it will count as a non-league result.
The standings will be used to seed the league’s postseason tournament, which will determine the league champion.
All league contests must be completed by Feb. 6.
The tournament will start on Feb. 7 with play-in games between the Nos. 7 and 10 and Nos. 8 and 9 seeds.
All teams will be guaranteed two games in the tournament.
The quarterfinals will be on Feb. 8, the semifinals on Feb. 10, the final on Feb. 12.
The higher seeds will host through the championship.
The North Coast Section seeding meeting is scheduled for Feb. 13.
Five EBAL boys teams (Dougherty Valley, De La Salle, Dublin, San Ramon Valley and Granada) and four of its girls teams (Carondelet, SRV, Monte Vista and Granada) were ranked this week by the Bay Area News Group.
Boys basketball
No. 9 St. Ignatius 69, Sacred Heart Cathedral 65, OT
In a thrilling Bruce-Mahoney game at Kezar Pavilion, St. Ignatius emerged with an overtime victory as Giancarlo Toledo Rivera scored 21 points and John Squire finished with 20 to lead the Wildcats.
Sacred Heart led 28-17 at halftime and 47-37 through three quarters.
Ray-John Spears (19 points) and Jerry Mixon (16) led the Fighting Irish, who fell to 4-7 overall and 2-3 in the West Catholic Athletic League.
SI is 12-3, 3-2.
It’s a final from The City in Bruce-Mahoney Boys Basketball in an overtime thriller at Kezar. SI 69 SHC 65. The trophy stays in the Sunset. pic.twitter.com/3VPH4jOZiV
— SI Scores (@SIscores) January 22, 2022
Gunn 55, Saratoga 37
Saratoga had won five in a row heading into its home game Friday night against Gunn, including a 51-33 rout of Monte Vista last weekend at Miramonte’s MLK-John Lewis Memorial.
But Gunn ended that streak in an eye-opening manner.
The Titans played what their coach, Brandynn Williams, described as “great team defense” and shot well from beyond the 3-point arc to win this Santa Clara Valley Athletic League El Camino Division game.
Gunn is 12-4, 3-2.
Saratoga, which remained in first place, dropped to 13-3, 4-1.
“This was a good all-around team win from everyone,” Williams said in an email.
With Saratoga focusing its defense on Gunn’s top scorer, Rogan Gibbons, others stepped up, the coach added.
Sam Mulkey (14 points, three rebounds, three assists) and Ethan Cheng (14 points, four rebounds, two assists) led the way for Gunn on the stat sheet.
Saratoga coach Patrick Judge said his team came out “flat” and Gunn shot better than 60% from three-point range to build a 32-19 halftime cushion.
Jack Hakeman scored eight points for Gunn in the third quarter as the Titans maintained their wide margin.
Elsewhere
No. 4 Dougherty Valley ran its record to 16-1 with an 80-65 victory over Monte Vista in EBAL play. The Wildcats led by seven points at halftime and 10 heading to the fourth quarter. Monte Vista fell to 8-8. … Sam Norris and Emmer Nichols each scored 12 points and Aidan Braccia added 10 points to lead fifth-ranked Sacred Heart Prep to a 77-32 rout of Eastside Prep in WBAL action. … No. 6 De La Salle won its third consecutive game with a 65-38 victory on the road over Livermore in EBAL play. Alec Blair scored 15 points and Johnny Semany and Jordan Webster each had 11 points to lead the Spartans, who improved to 13-4. Livermore is 3-12. … No. 11 Dublin, coming off a loss Wednesday to De La Salle, cruised past Amador Valley 84-40 behind 21 points from Donovan Cooks, 16 from Courtney Anderson Jr. and 14 from TJ Costello. Dublin is 10-4, 3-1. Amador Valley slipped to 9-4, 1-1. … No. 16 Granada erupted in the fourth quarter to win at Foothill 63-48 in an EBAL game. The teams were tied 42-42 after three quarters. Kevin Gad led Granada (11-3, 3-1) with 18 points. Carter Donlon finished with 14 for Foothill (9-7, 0-3). … Leigh moved into a tie for first place in the Blossom Valley Athletic League’s Mt. Hamilton Division, winning on the road over Pioneer 50-35. Miles Karandikar scored 18 points to pace the Longhorns, who improved to 13-5, 3-1. Pioneer is 12-5, 3-1.
Girls basketball
No. 6 Bishop O’Dowd 43, Alameda 38
Bishop O’Dowd, playing on the road, rallied from a five-point halftime deficit to defeat Alameda in West Alameda County Conference Foothill League play.
Amaya Bonner had 16 points, nine rebounds and four blocks to lead the Dragons, who improved to 8-1, 1-0. O’Dowd also got nine points and nine rebounds from Isa Williams.
Alameda is 5-3, 0-2.
No. 16 St. Francis 59, No. 7 Valley Christian 57
Trailing by nine points after three quarters, St. Francis rallied at home to defeat Valley Christian in WCAL play as Sydney Stewart scored 23 points and Jessica Oakland added 16 to lead the Lancers.
St. Francis improved to 12-3, 1-2. Valley Christian is 12-4, 1-2.
“Saint Francis played really well and deserved the win,” Valley coach Chris McSwain said in a text. “Another night in the WCAL for you!”
Jessi Barry had 18 points and Synise Byrd chipped in with 10 for Valley.
No. 15 Los Gatos 38, Lynbrook 19
Nicole Steiner finished with 16 points and Belle Bramer added nine points to lead Los Gatos to a victory on the road over Lynbrook in a Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division game.
“It was a solid team effort on both offense and defense,” Los Gatos coach Sara Quilici Giles said in an email. “We were really proud of our defense and our energy for the game!”
Los Gatos is 14-1, 3-1. Lynbrook dropped to 8-8, 2-2.
Today’s Sabrina Ionescu Showcase schedule
(Games at Carondelet High in Concord)
Las Lomas vs. Piedmont, 10 a.m.
Lincoln (Stockton) vs. Menlo School, canceled
Pinole Valley vs. Woodside Priory, 11:30 a.m.
Folsom vs. Archbishop Mitty, 1 p.m.
Lick-Wilmerding vs. Bishop O’Dowd, 2:30 p.m.
Monte Vista vs. Pinewood, 4 p.m.
Oakland Tech vs. Clovis West, 5:30 a.m.
Heritage vs. Carondelet, 7 p.m.
St. Ignatius vs. St. Mary’s (Stockton), 8:30 p.m.
