Sports
Girls Basketball: Highlanders Hang Tough, Eventually Fall in NCS Title Game
St. Mary's, which is the No. 1 ranked Division IV team in the state, went on a 20-0 run in the third quarter to put the game away.
No. 1 St. Mary's 73, No. 7 Piedmont 48
The Star: Lauren Seyranian led the Highlanders with 16 points.
The Turning Point: St. Mary's went on a 20-0 run in the third quarter which turned a seven-point game into a lopsided affair.
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Who's Next? Both teams will await their first round pairing for the CIF Northern California tournament. Piedmont will likely host a first-round NorCal playoff game on Tuesday.
The Bottom Line: Piedmont did a good job hanging around, but St. Mary's depth and talent finally caught up. The Panthers' 28-point third quarter sealed their third-straight North Coast Section title.
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girls basketball coach Bryan Gardere knew Saturday's North Coast Section Division IV championship game against St. Mary's was going to be challenge.
The Panthers, who are the No. 1 ranked Division IV team in the state by Cal-Hi Sports, beat Piedmont by 17 and 21 during the Bay Shore Athletic League season and are heavy favorites to return to the Divison IV state title game this year.
As good as top-seeded St. Mary's is, No. 7 Piedmont wasn't about to back down.
The Highlanders outplayed the Panthers during several stretches of the game, but after a 6-0 run cut the St. Mary's lead to 37-30 with four minutes, 13 seconds left in the third quarter, St. Mary's finally pulled away.
The Panthers (27-4) went on a 20-0 run over the next three minutes and went on to win their third-straight NCS title, 73-48.
"(St. Mary's) played very well in the third quarter," Gardere said. "Until they went on the 20-0 run, I thought we were playing well too."
Saidah Allen scored 14 points to go along with 16 rebounds and six steals and was the focal point of the St. Mary's defense.
"We wanted to make sure Saidah didn't have a big game," St. Mary's freshman Gabby Green said.
With Allen somewhat limited by St. Mary's added attention, Lauren Seyranian stepped up to lead the Highlanders with 16 points.
Gardere said he expects to be able to host a home game in the California Interscholastic Federation state playoffs, which will begin on Tuesday. The Highlanders will learn who their first-round opponent is on Sunday.
The Panthers have won 14-straight games since on Martin Luther King Jr Day.
Shannon Mauldin scored 11 points, while Emily Vann and April Bernal added seven each for St. Mary's.
No. 1 St. Mary's 73, No. 7 Piedmont 48
Piedmont
10 12 10 16 48 St. Mary's 18 13 28 14 73 Individuals — (fg ftm-fta tp) Piedmont Allen 6 2-4 14, Welch 1 0-0 2, Mills 1 0-1 2, Pehanick 1 0-0 2, Mann 2 4-4 8, Seyranian 5 5-7 16, Zheng 2 0-1 4. Totals 18 11-17 48. St. Mary's Serrell 1 0-0 3, Cowling 3 0-1 6, Rowland 2 0-0 6, Thomas 1 0-0 3, Bernal 3 1-2 7, Vann 3 1-1 7, Sims 4 4-4 14, Green 6 0-1 16, Mauldin 5 0-1 11. Totals 29 6-10 73. 3-point goals: St. Mary's 8 (Green 2, Rowland 2, Sims 2, Serrell, Thomas), Piedmont Records: St. Mary's 27-4, Piedmont 19-12. NCS championship, girls basketball, 3/5/2011 Follow Patch Sports East Bay on TwitterGet more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.