Victories, losses for Redwood Empire in first round of CIF NorCal Division II playoffs

The visiting 15th-seeded Cardinal Newman boys basketball team registered a monumental upset victory on Wednesday night in the first round of the CIF NorCal Division II playoffs, knocking out second-seed Whitney 57-55.

The win advances the Cardinals (26-4) to a second-round matchup on Saturday at 6 p.m. on the road against No. 7 Serra (San Mateo).

“We will see what happens on Saturday. We are going to enjoy ourselves and tonight. It was a phenomenal win,” Cardinal Newman coach Tom Bonfigli said. “To my knowledge, a No. 15 seed has never beaten a No. 2 seed in the NorCal playoffs in any division.”

Going into the matchup, Whitney (Rocklin) looked to be the heavy favorite, having won the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 2 championship by 22 points.

“We aren't underdogs very often, so it was nice to come out and play as well as we did,” Bonfigli said.

The Wildcats (27-5) averaged 69 points a game coming in and were held to 14 points below their average. The Cardinals had a huge advantage on the boards with a 42-31 edge. Cardinal Newman's offense would not be deterred by Whitney's defensive game plan.

“We came out really playing well. Whitney tried to pressure us in the backcourt and we beat their press like a drum,” Bonfigli said. “We played our best game of the year. This is one of the best games we have played in the 10 years since I have been back at Cardinal Newman.”

Cardinal Newman was up by four points late in the fourth quarter, forcing Whitney to foul. The Cardinals sank 4 of 6 free throws to maintain the lead. Trailining 57-55, the Wildcats drove the lane and had a layup attempt hit the rim at the buzzer, denying them overtime.

Cardinal Newman was led by Damian Wallace with 15 points and Cody Baker with 14 points. Gavin Dove added 13 rebounds.

Whitney was led by Jashon Lewis with 25 points.

Placer 75, Analy 52

The visiting No. 9 Tigers' season is over as they were overmatched by No. 8 Placer in a Division III opening-round game. It was a disappointing exit for Analy (25-7), which trailed from the start.

The Hillmen (26-4) led 13-9 after the first quarter and then opened up a 38-23 lead at halftime. The teams were virtually even in the third quarter but Placer finished off the game and Analy's season with a 22-13 fourth-quarter advantage.

Serra 60, Montgomery 39

A rough second quarter hurt the No. 10 Vikings (24-8) against host No. 7 Serra (15-13) in a Division II first-round game. Montgomery only trailed 13-11 after the first quarter but was down 34-21 at halftime and never recovered.

“Serra made some perimeter shots. They played hard defense for 32 minutes that we couldn't crack,” Montgomery coach Zac Tiedemann said. “They were one of the bigger, more athletic teams we have played all year.”

Montgomery had no defensive answer for Serra's 7-foot-1 center Jack Wilson or scorer Denzel McCollum (16 points).

“Serra dictated the pace. They were more physical and stronger. They have good depth,” Tiedemann said. “They got higher quality shots than we did. We didn't shoot well and they made it tough on us. We were on our heels a lot.”

Montgomery was 2-14 in three-point attempts and struggled on offense most of the game.

“Serra was the better team tonight and better than us in general,” Tiedemann said. “But we held our own. We competed and the effort was there.”

Alex Soria led the Vikings with 11 points.

“The seniors really matured and showed great leadership,” said Tiedemann, reflecting on the season. “Twenty-four wins and a NorCal playoffs appearance is not an easy thing to do.”

In the girls bracket:

Roseville 58, Montgomery 51

The host No. 8 Vikings (24-8) led for three quarters but could not close the door and ended up losing to No. 9 Roseville (22-8) in a Division II opening-round contest.

Montgomery led 26-20 at halftime and 39-35 after three quarters, but then a 23-12 Roseville uprising in the fourth quarter sank the Vikings.

“Roseville hit some shots in the end. They got on a little run and we didn't,” Montgomery coach Darryl LaBlue said.

“The girls did everything that I asked them to do - it's been a really good season. I am proud of the kids and what they accomplished,” he said.

The Vikings' downfall was their poor shooting - 19 of 62 from the floor and 5 of 26 from beyond the three-point line.

Shayla Newman led Montgomery with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Shelbie McKay had 20 points for the Tigers and Ari McCurry added 16 points.