This big play sends Hoover to CIF regional basketball semifinal — and an added bonus
Jamar Bowers came up clutch for the Hoover High boys basketball team.
The junior forward blocked a Hillsdale-San Mateo shot as time expired, giving the No. 4 seed Patriots a 60-58 victory over the Knights in a California Interscholastic Federation Northern California Regional second-round Division IV game.
Even better news: The Patriots will host No. 8 Brookside Christian-Stockton at 6 p.m. Saturday in a regional semifinal.
Brookside Christian upset top-seed Stuart Hall-San Francisco 68-63.
“Honestly, it was incredible,” Bowers said. “I saw a man and he got beat and I knew I had to be there and step up for my team and get the block at the end of the game. We want to get to the state (championship).”
In all, eight Fresno-area teams were in action Thursday including two all-area games.
Regional finals are Tuesday at higher-seeded teams, with winners advancing to state championship games March 13-14 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
Saturday night, NorCal Open Division girls No. 3 Clovis West starts the playoffs with a semifinal at No. 2 St. Joseph Notre Dame-Alameda.
Clovis North, Clovis girls advance
Two other Clovis Unified girls teams advanced to Saturday action.
Clovis North, the Central Section Division I runner-up to Clovis West and the No. 3 seed in NorCal D-I, beat Heritage-Brentwood 54-52. The Broncos (24-8) built a 30-26 halftime lead and held on. Asha Sra scored 14 points and Rowan Hein 12 to lead the way.
Clovis North got to scout its next opponent: It plays the winner of Friday night’s second-round game, No. 10 Menlo School at No. 2 Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland.
In Division II, NorCal No. 2 Clovis beat Sacred Heart-Atherton 69-65 in overtime. Next up for the Cougars (23-9) is a home game Saturday at 6 p.m. against No. 3 Del Oro-Loomis.
Sierra Pacific moves on
Make it three times this season that Sierra Pacific got the best of cross-town rival Hanford.
The No. 11 seed Golden Bears defeated the third-seed Bullpups 72-63 in Division IV.
The win advances Sierra Pacific to the regional semifinal against host No. 2 Argonaut-Jackson on Saturday.
CIF REGIONAL BASKETBALL
OPEN DIVISION
Girls
Regional semifinal
No. 3 Clovis West at No. 2 St. Joseph Notre Dame-Alameda, 6 p.m. Saturday
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Thursday
Second-round games involving Fresno-area teams
Boys
Division IV
No. 4 Hoover 60, No. 5 Hillsdale-San Mateo 58
Division V
Southern California
No. 3 Delano 62, No. 6 Fowler 46
Girls
Division I
No. 3 Clovis North 54, No. 6 Heritage-Brentwood 52
Division II
No. 2 Clovis 69, No. 10 Sacred Heart-Atherton 61
No. 5 San Joaquin Memorial 57, No. 4 Laguna Creek 36
Division IV
No. 11 Sierra Pacific 72, No. 3 Hanford 63
This story was originally published March 5, 2020 at 10:01 PM.
