SAN RAMON — There was nothing to regret Saturday night.
No would’ve, could’ve, or should’ve from the Dougherty Valley basketball team as the players collectively emerged from the postgame locker room.
The Wildcats’ magical ride of a season ended in front of a rocking, soldout home crowd as ultra-talented St Joseph-Santa Maria prevailed 87-76 behind 29 points from four-star sophomore forward Tounde Yessoufou and 28 from freshman guard Julius Price.
St. Joseph, the third seed, advanced to the Northern California Open Division championship game Tuesday at top-seeded Modesto Christian, a 57-56 winner over De La Salle.
Dougherty Valley’s bid to add more hardware to the league and section championships trophies it captured during a 27-4 season fell short.
But it wasn’t for lack of effort.
“We did that all year,” coach Mike Hansen said. “They’re not going to quit.”
St. Joseph scored 31 points in the first quarter to surge to a 17-point cushion. Price led the way in the opening period with four 3-pointers and 14 points.
The visitor’s advantage widened to 21 one minute into the second period.
But second-seeded Dougherty Valley, appearing in its first Open Division regional game, wasn’t about to go down without a response. Make that a huge response. The Wildcats closed to within 14 by halftime and kept the engine humming to start the second half.
They’d done this before.
Just last month, they trailed at home against San Ramon Valley by 27 in the third quarter before charging back to win 86-82 in regulation.
It seemed unlikely that they’d even have a chance to do something similar against St. Joseph, with all of its size, athleticism and skill in the paint and the perimeter, but here the home team was again.
When Connor Sevilla buried a 3-pointer from the corner with 3:10 left in the third quarter, Dougherty Valley had cut the deficit to 56-53.
The gym was roaring.
“I was honestly thinking we were going to take the lead and pull away,” Sevilla said. “But we got a little gassed out and they kept hitting shots. It’s what great teams do. They don’t get rattled by runs.”
St. Joseph steadied itself just enough, closing the period on a 9-4 spurt to get the lead back to eight going to the final quarter.
“That hurt,” Hansen said. “Credit to them, that’s a hell of an answer. That’s a championship answer.”
Dougherty Valley didn’t get closer than five the rest of the way.
But even in defeat, guards Ryan Beasley and Sevilla showed why they were a dynamic duo during their prolific high school careers.
The seniors did not win their final game, but they certainly could be proud of the effort as Beasley finished with 36 points and Sevilla added 25.
“To be honest, I am just happy, man,” Beasley said after emerging from the locker room. “We fought back. That’s all we could ask for, to leave it on the floor. That just shows our character.”
In a season highlighted by winning the East Bay Athletic League championship, the league tournament title and the North Coast Section Open Division crown, Dougherty Valley knew that St. Joseph presented a huge challenge.
Yessoufou, who is 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds of force, is one of the country’s top sophomores. Hansen believes he will play in the NBA.
“He shook my hand to start the game and my whole arm disappeared,” Hansen said.
The 6-3 Price isn’t too bad in the freshman class, either.
With the gym buzzing for a game in which both teams had nearly a week of preparation since the California Interscholastic Federation announced the regional brackets, St. Joseph looked unstoppable from the opening tip.
It didn’t help that Beasley got clubbed in the head driving for a basket on Dougherty Valley’s first possession. He had to leave the game briefly.
When he returned, the early onslaught by the visitors was in full force.
“That was great, man,” Yessoufou said about his team’s start. “They have a good D1 player. But we stick to our plan. Even though we couldn’t stop him, we did the job.”
St. Joseph (27-6) quieted the crowd through much of the first half and then didn’t buckle when Dougherty Valley went on one of its explosive stretches.
It took a 16-2 run to bring the Wildcats to within 56-53.
But their magic ended there.
“I am going to remember how much of a family this was for me, growing up not only for my years but during the years that my brothers were on the team,” Sevilla said. “It just means a lot. I am glad that I was able to be a part of it.”
Source: www.mercurynews.com