Prep roundup: Windsor boys beat Cardinal Newman in classic, shares NBL-Oak basketball title

The North Bay League Oak boys basketball title came down to the final game Friday — and just like football last fall, it was Windsor vs. Cardinal Newman on the Jaguars’ home turf.

In a packed house that featured the largest crowd since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the hardcourt edition of the rivalry didn’t disappoint, as second-ranked Windsor came back to win 53-49 and split the league title with the No. 1 Cardinals.

The Jaguars’ comeback relied on an epic second-half performance by Windsor senior Finn Grace. After sitting the entire second quarter in foul trouble, Grace woke up and carried the Jaguars on his back, scoring 26 second-half points with four three-pointers.

“I thought about going back to him; I mean, he’s just so valuable and we knew we had to have him on the floor in the second half,” Windsor head coach Steve Kramer said of sitting Finn in the second quarter. “That’s quite a performance.”

It really started with the senior hitting back-to-back three-pointers to cut Newman’s lead to 34-31 at the end of the third quarter after being down 11. Then he started the fourth with two more threes and the rest of the Jaguars followed suit, adding to a 22-point closing quarter.

A dagger triple by Hayden Anderson with 45 seconds left gave the Jaguars the cushion they needed, and Grace was able to make three out of four free throws to close it after Sam Cline hit a three-pointer.

“As soon as we would pass it on to Finn, the defense would just collapse on him,” Anderson said of his three-pointer. “My guy left me; I was wide open and he found me. He told me he was going to pass to me the play before.”

It was all Newman in the first half, however. Gavin Vogensen was doing damage in the paint, cutting his way through the Windsor defense. The Jaguars were getting looks in transition but not hitting.

Grace finished with 31 points and five three-pointers, while Anderson had 12 points for Windsor. For Newman, Vogensen led the way with 16 points, while Drew Krilich added 13 points.

Windsor’s win now means the two squads share the NBL-Oak title, but the Jaguars earn the No. 1 seed in next week’s league tournament because they swept Newman this season. The North Coast Section automatic qualifier will go to whichever team advances furthest in the tournament.

“It’s huge; it just shows us that we can beat anyone,” Grace said of the win. “Last week we were down, lost to Analy, and we needed two big games and we executed.”

Elsewhere Friday, No. 5 Ukiah had a massive comeback of its own, beating Healdsburg 48-46 at home.

Down 20 points at halftime, Marcus Fenk scored 20 second-half points and the Wildcats took their first lead of the game with 3.6 seconds left.

For Healdsburg, Max Hubbell and Sam Vanden Heuvel each scored 13 points.

Fenk had 22 points overall and Vaughn Pena added 11. Ukiah finishes the NBL-Redwood season with a perfect 8-0 record.

In Santa Rosa, visiting No. 4 Montgomery held No. 3 Piner to just six points in the fourth quarter as the Vikings won 54-42. Will Grafe and Donovan Hawkins each scored 14 points to lead the way for Monty, while Theo McDowell’s 14 points led Piner.

Boys soccer

Maria Carrillo scored a goal in each half as the Pumas beat visiting Windsor 2-0. Adrian Gonzalez and Ethan Boyd found the back of the net for the Pumas, while Rodrigo Rosas earned the shutout in goal.

Don’t see your team’s score? Email results to sports@pressdemocrat.com. You can reach Staff Writer Kienan O’Doherty at 415-887-8650 or kienan.odoherty@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @kodoherty22.