East Union’s boys basketball team is in the semifinal round for the first time in 27 years after upsetting third-seeded Twelve Bridges of Lincoln 57-56 in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III playoffs Friday.
Ayande Johnson made five 3-pointers and finished with a team-high 20 points. He also sank two pivotal free throws with 2.9 seconds remaining. Twelve Bridges (22-5) answered with a corner 3-pointer from Safi Abdela at the buzzer, but it wasn’t enough. The 6-foot-6 senior paced the Raging Rhinos with 33 points.
“Just an unbelievable effort all-around,” East Union coach Dutch Ell said. “Fantastic defensive effort in an away playoff game.”
Ell credited the efforts of Jackson Fay, who, limited Twelve Bridges standout guard Micah Boman to 14 points. Boman had a streak of six straight games with 30-plus points.
“I am so proud of (Fay),” Ell said. “He worked insanely hard all game and made it impossible for (Boman) to get going. He was a difference maker.”
The sixth-seeded Lancers (23-7) also got key contributions from Zydell King (16 points), Salesi Toki (eight points) and Lorenzo Jones (seven points).
East Union led by as much as nine in the fourth quarter and was ahead 49-41 with 2 minutes remaining. Missed free throws down the stretch kept Twelve Bridges and things got interesting in the end when Safi was fouled on a 3-pointer with 3.6 seconds to go. He made all three from the foul stripe, and Twelve Bridges immediately fouled Johnson to set up the deciding free throws.
The Lancers are not the only team in the bracket to pull off a quarterfinal upset, as No. 7 Beyer routed No. 2 Casa Roble, 68-50. East Union hosts the Patriots (24-6) of Modesto next Wednesday.
BOYS TENNIS
Sierra 7, Gregori 2
The Timberwolves (1-1) dropped two third-set tiebreakers, but they didn’t matter.
They got all the wins they needed in the Nos. 2-6 singles matches. Ryan Alves warded off Brian Tang 6-4, 7-5 at No. 2 singles, and Himmat Dosanjh edged Sparsh Malhotra, 7-5, 6-4 at No. 3. Noah Brum (6-0, 6-0), Zainn Ali (6-1, 6-3) and Sagar Shah (6-1, 6-4) swept the rest.
In doubles, Arnav Shah and Raunak Mahar prevailed 6-0, 6-4 in the No. 1 matchup. Reyansh Bansode and Ahrin Gill won 7-5, 7-1.
At No. 1 singles, Harshith Kumar fell to Dev Patel, 6-3, 4-6, 7-10. The third doubles tandem of Sri Kaipu and Leelasorav Veravilli came up short, 6-7, 6-4, 5-10.
