Windsor seeded #9 in Division 2, host #8 ranked Tam
The Jaguars put an exclamation point on a championship season in the North Bay League Tournament on Feb. 14-17, notching hard-fought victories over Maria Carrillo and Montgomery to capture the NBL playoff title.
The Jags opened the tourney with a workmanlike 52-44 win over Carrillo, but Saturday’s thriller over a determined Vikings squad was nothing short of epic. The victory over the Vikings was the third in three tries this season and achieved in dramatic fashion before a packed house at Santa Rosa Junior College.
Considering that Windsor had arguably more to lose (in NCS seeding) than to gain by winning, the accomplishment was all the more impressive.
“It was a great game and a great atmosphere,” Jags coach Travis Taylor said after the Montgomery game, praising unsung senior guard Uli Vielma for an outstanding all-around effort. “We played with a lot of poise and made just enough plays to win it down the stretch.”
On Sunday, Windsor (23-5) landed the #9 seed in the 16-team North Coast Section Division 2 playoff tournament, drawing a first-round match-up with #8 seeded Tamalpais on Feb. 20 (after press time). Should the Jaguars advance, they will likely travel to face #1 seeded Bishop O’Dowd in the quarterfinals on Feb. 23.
The NCS opener is the second of two season meetings with Tamalpais (20-9), with the Red Tailed Hawks having posted a 59-54 win over Windsor in the Brett Callan Tournament at Casa Grande in December.
“It’s a very tough draw for us, but we’re looking forward to a great game on Tuesday night,” Taylor said on the eve of the NCS opener. “The D-2 bracket is loaded with good teams.”
The complete list of NCS Division 2 teams in seeding order is Bishop O’Dowd, Las Lomas, Moreau Catholic, Alameda, Acalanes, De Anza, Redwood, Tamalpais, Windsor, Montgomery, Newark Memorial, Washington, Cardinal Newman, San Lorenzo, Northgate and Mission San Jose.
The top four NCS finishers will move on to the CIF Nor Cal State playoffs.
The #1 seeded Jaguars came out focused and ready in the Feb. 14 SCL tourney opener against #4 Maria Carrillo, stunning the visitors with a 15-3 first-quarter run. The Pumas righted the ship in a strong second period but still trailed 30-22 at the half. Windsor maintained the lead throughout the final two quarters, answering every Carrillo surge en route to a 52-44 win.
Jordan Merical paced the offense with a team-high 22 points, while teammates Justin Smith (14 points, 12 rebounds and Riley Smith (13 points, 14 rebounds) also played well for the Jags.
The win set up the third in a series of titanic clashes with archrival Montgomery on Saturday and the game did not disappoint. The Vikings had the upper hand throughout a defensive first half, eking out a 13-10 lead after one before going to the halftime locker room up 24-23. But the Jaguars, fueled by a Herculean effort from senior Riley Smith, would not be denied.
Windsor took the lead midway through the third quarter and extended it to seven until late in the fourth before the Vikings mounted a wild comeback, highlighted by a three-point bomb from Harvey Rouleau for a 50-49 Montgomery lead with 2:50 left.
Not a problem as Smith answered with his own three-point dagger to retake the lead, and ended the Vikings’ hopes with a steal in the final seconds to lift the Jags to a 54-52 victory.
Riley Smith finished up a sensational night with 21 points and five rebounds. Other top contributors were Justin Smith (17 points, 13 boards), Travis Carlozzi (9 points, 8 rebounds), Merical (7 points) and Vielma (3 rebounds, 6 assists).
