Boys basketball: San Domenico claims Red Brown title in dominating style

The Panthers did not waste time this year as San Domenico raced toward the championship at the annual Red Brown boys basketball tournament in San Anselmo.

“This win means a lot, especially after last year’s overtime loss,” tournament MVP Ika Jokhadze said after scoring 16 points to lead San Domenico in Saturday’s 65-46 victory over Maria Carrillo.

“Being MVP doesn’t mean anything unless we win,” said Jokhadze, who added five assists and four rebounds to starring performance. “We played well as a team and we won as a team.”

The win was a salve for the Panthers (7-2), who lost in overtime to host Archie Williams High in last year’s championship game.

“This was a great win,” San Domenico head coach Tyler Gaffaney said. “This was great for the team. It means a lot to have our name in the list of winners for the Red Brown Tournament. This is a historic tournament, it’s always a lot of fun.”

Towering 6-foot-6 senior Oskaras Valiauga put up 14 points and 11 rebounds as he and Jokhadze dominated the paint.

“Ika and Oskar form a good partnership,” Gaffaney said. “They’re good around the basket and put a lot of pressure on the rim.”

The Pumas, coming off a 53-52 win over Archie Williams on Friday, could not keep the momentum rolling Saturday against a team that has had their number in recent years. Jokhadze improved to 4-0 against Maria Carrillo in his career.

“The competition was good,” Jokhadze said. “They’re a good team. There was no trash talking, a lot of respect.”

Senior guard Omar Williams made just two of seven shots from beyond the arc in an 11-point night. Williams, who drew four personal fouls and had four steals, had a massive impact on the game as he helped keep the Pumas off balance all night.

The Panthers held Maria Carrillo’s leading scorer, guard Erick Guerra, scoreless in the first half and to just five points overall. Freshman Austin Canellos stepped up with a team-high 16 points for the Pumas.

“Maria Carrillo is a really good team,” Gaffaney said. “Erick Guerra is a good challenge. He generates a lot of their offense.”

The Pumas recovered from a flat-footed start to tie the game at eight points midway through the first quarter after back-to-back 3-pointers from Estefan Ramirez and Canellos. Then Williams answered with a 3-pointer of his own to put the Panthers ahead to stay.

Senior Stephen Song, a model of consistency for the Panthers all season, scored seven of his 10 points during a second-half push as San Domenico locked up the championship. Panthers senior Derek Kui came off the bench to score 10 points, all in the second half.

With a nine-point lead in their pockets, the Panthers surged ahead coming out of the break, with a seven-point run to start the third quarter. Valiauga, Song and Kui attacked the basket for a 39-23 lead just 90 seconds into the second half.

Poor passing and missed free throws hurt the Pumas (4-4) as they desperately looked to spark a rally. Passes in the paint missed their connections, handing the ball instead to the Panthers, who ran the court all night.

San Domenico went on another seven-point run, capped by a pair of Kui baskets, in the fourth quarter to extend its lead to as much as 24 points with 2 minutes left to play.