Semifinals of the 3C2A State Tournament
All-north final for the state championship
Photos by Richard Quinton
Yuba and West Valley are two of the best colleges offensively and defensively in the state this season. And, defense was on full display as West Valley edged Yuba, 55-47, to advance to the championship game of the 3C2A State Championship tournament at Mt. San Antonio.
West Valley will meet the winner of Fullerton and Sequoias on Sunday at 3:30 pm for the 3C2A state title. The Vikings will attempt to become the fifth undefeated men’s basketball team.
Today’s victory over Yuba was West Valley’s 32nd victory. The loss snapped Yuba’s 23-game winning streak and kept Yuba from a chance at a state title for the second time, the first being in 2012 when the 49’ers lost to Fresno in the finals. West Valley will have an opportunity to win its first men’s basketball state title, after making the finals five times (1992, 1995, 1996, 2006, 2022) previously.
The two teams showed why they rank in the top 10 in the state in defense as the two teams battled for baskets. West Valley allowed opponents 61.3 points per game this season, making the Vikings the state’s best defensive unit. The Vikings held Yuba to 48, a season low for the 49’ers. Equally, Yuba held West Valley to a season-low 55 points, 16 points below its previous lowest output and 18 below its season average. Yuba came into the game averaging 85.7 points per game, sixth best in the state; while, West Valley was averaging 84.4, ninth best among the 100 men’s basketball playing colleges.
Every basket was a challenge. Each trip up the floor was a defensive contest. Especially for Yuba.
The 49’ers committed 12 turnovers and missed each of the 15 three pointers they attempted. Yuba coach Doug Cornelius said it is the first time in his 24-year history at Yuba that a team had failed to make a three pointer. Yuba managed just eight points in the first 10 minutes points of the second half. By then, West Valley had opened an 11-point lead, 43-32. With seven minutes remaining, Yuba had managed just 12 points and over the final seven minutes of the game, the 49’ers scored just three points.
Despite Yuba’s offensive struggles, the 49’ers were still in the game. Yuba trailed West Valley by just seven, 47-40, with four minutes remaining. A Majer Sullivan dunk with 2:42 remaining got Yuba within five points at 49-44.
But it would be as close as the 49’ers would get.
Yuba shot 31 percent from the floor, making 20 of 65 shots and 62 percent from the free throw line after making 8 of 13. West Valley wasn’t much better offensively. Yuba, the 10th best defensive unit in the state, held the Vikings to 38 percent from the floor on 20 of 53 shooting. The Vikings made 3 of 17 three pointers (17 percent). The 29 first-half points were the Vikings’ lowest first-half output the season, following it up with 26 second-half points.
West Valley had just six players of the 12 plyers who played score, led by its two all-state players - Shakir Odunewu with16 points and 14 rebounds (12 points and 8 rebounds in the first half). Elijah Mahi, the north’s player of the year, was held to six points in the first half, but finished with 10 of the Vikings’ 26 second-half points.
“This is what we have (really) waited for since 1992,” said West Valley head coach Danny Yoshikawa. “We’ve been to the elite eight close to 20 times. It’s hard to win. I’m trying to beat whoever we play."
Yuba was led by Devon Malcolm with 22 points,15 of which came in the first half. He also grabbed 12 rebounds. Cam Niles added 10. Yuba finishes the season with a 29-3 record.
It will be an all-north final in the 2024 3C2A State Championship tournament after Sequoias upset Fullerton, the south’s #1 seed and the defending champions, in overtime, 71-60. The championship game will tipoff at 3:30 pm at Mt. San Antonio College.
The all-north final will be just the fifth time it has happened in the history of the tournament which dates back to 1952. The previous all-north finals were CC San Francisco vs. West Valley, 2022; Fresno vs. Yuba, 2012; Porterville vs. Sequoias, 2000; and Sacramento City vs. CC San Francisco, 1986.
The meeting between West Valley, the north’s top seed and Sequoias, the north’s #2 seed, will be their first of the year.
West Valley head coach Danny Yoshikawa will be trying to become the fifth coach to lead his team to an undefeated season. Other coaches to do so include Jerry Tarkanian (1964, Riverside); Jim Newman (1970, Compton); Vance Walberg (2005, Fresno City); and Dieter Horton (2006, Fullerton).
Fullerton was trying to win the program’s sixth title, which would have broken a tie with City College of San Francisco for the most men’s basketball titles. The loss also stopped Fullerton head coach Perry Webster from winning a third state title that would have tied him with hall of fame and legendary coach Jerry Tarkanian for most wins at one institution. Tarkanian won four state community college titles overall, three coming Riverside, and one at Pasadena City in four consecutive years. Fullerton was trying to win its third titles in the last five years and three in the last four years of competition (no tournament in 2020 or 2021 due to COVID).
The Giants, who lost last year in the state tournament quarterfinals to Citrus, will attempt to win their third state title (1953 and 1982). Sequoias last made a state final in 2000, losing to Porterville.
Many expected the two semifinals to showcase the offenses of the four colleges, but things got defensive. Fullerton came into the game averaging 79.6 points per contest; Sequoias 76.3. Sequoias was only semifinalist to break 70 points.
Trailing the majority of the second half, Sequoias would tie the game on a Jose Cuello 10-footer as he fell toward the basket with one second remaining.
In overtime Sequoias came out hot and fast, outscoring Fullerton 19-8. Sequoias (27-5) made 6 of 8 field goals in overtime and 7 of 9 free throws. In the first 40 minutes, Sequoias had made just 4 of 12 free throws and 20 of 59 field goals. Fullerton, which missed all 12 three pointers attempted in the second half and made just 6 of 25 field goals over the final 20 minutes, was 2 of 8 from the floor in overtime and 1 of 4 from the three-point line.
There were 11 lead changes and five times the score was tied. Fullerton (27-5) trailed 56-55 with 2:48 remaining, but Sequoias scored 15 of the final 21 points scored to pull out the win.
Three of Sequoias’ starters scored in double figures, led by Omari Nesbit who had 18 points. Teammates Jade Haire and Cuello added 16 and 14, respectively. Haire also grabbed a game-high 13 points. Fullerton’s Jeremiah Davis led all scorers with 22 points.