Players and coaches of the Alemany men's basketball team pose for a group photo after defeating Bosco Technical College to win the CIF Southern California Region Division III title on Tuesday, March 5. (Photo by Ryan Menzie)
MISSION HILLS — A player's impact on a game is often measured by their grit and determination.
With two games left in the high school basketball season, Alemany assistant coach Randy Narciso made it easy to determine which players made the biggest impact in the most important moments.
Alemany's roller coaster season moved forward Tuesday with a 74-63 victory over Bosco Technical College in the CIF Southern California Regional Division III finals at Alemany High School.
Alemany's young stars shined in many ways as they helped their team reach the state finals in Sacramento. Alemany will face Northern California Region top seed and champion Santa Cruz in the state final at Golden 1 Center on Friday at 4 p.m.
“Evaluating a player's impact is not just about scoring,” Alemany head coach Mike Dulaney said. “It’s the rebounds, the assists, the hustle plays, and there was a lot of that tonight.”
The Warriors caught fire midway through the postseason. After going 1-6 in the Mission League, the Warriors advanced to the CIF postseason. They had won nine straight heading into Tuesday's contest.
One of the nine wins was an 86-80 triple-overtime win against Bosco Technical College in the CIF Southern Division 3A final on Feb. 24.
The Tigers arrived ready for a rematch. The Tigers never trailed, led by Jayden Elami's 21 points and team-high five steals.
“It was easy to motivate the players because (Boscotec) is so tough,” Dulaney said. “We knew they were coming at us, but they never gave up. We knew that. They're a very well-coached ball club, so we played with their intensity. It had to match the quality.”
Boscotec fell behind early in the first quarter, but its tenacious defense and knack for finding the ball cut the Warriors' lead to one point by halftime.
Alemany's Mike Lindsay scored 10 points early in the game and ended up being the game's top scorer with 23 points.
Lindsey contributed in all areas with three rebounds, two steals, and one assist, earning him a Player Impact Rating of 17, the second highest on the team.
“Last time we played them in the ring, we prepared and came out victorious,” Lindsey said. “This means a lot because we know we played against a tough team. We know we're a good team so we just had to stick to the game plan. We just have to keep working, show up on time, go to Sacramento and be ready to win.”
It became clear that the enormity of Alemany's lineup could exhaust Boscotec.
Tigers big men Bourgeois Chilobo and Sam Mbingazo each had 11 rebounds and helped slow the Tigers' momentum.
Alemany held an 11-point lead heading into the fourth quarter and never looked back.
The Warriors now have a chance to finish the season in the best way possible.
“It’s a real blessing to be able to play in the state championship,” Dulaney said. “Let's win one more time.”
