Playing against the tournament favorites in their own house, the Varsity hoopers took it hard to the Piedmont Highlanders. This was a Friday night that won’t quickly be forgotten as the Dons put on a gritty yet classy display of basketball in front of a gym filled with a large, loud and spirited home crowd. In the truest spirit of the game of basketball, this was a pretty game to watch. The Highlanders were coming off a dominant win over Richmond and the Dons were fresh off an OT win, this was clearly a game that could go either way.
Posting up and slowing down one of the best players in Northern California, the Dons combo of plentiful assists, big boards, clutch blocks and dominate boards helped guide the team to a win that wasn’t just about upward progression in an early season tournament, but more about what it means to be an Acalanes Don.
The beauty of the Dons program isn’t about focusing on the five players on the floor, it’s about having a deep squad that cheers, lifts up, steps in and puts the team ahead of the individual to collaborate on a bigger goal beyond just notching another win. The way this game unfolded was a clear example of this stellar playbook.
The game opened up with three consecutive rebounds from Justin Zegarowski followed by a Piedmont 3 pointer to put the first points on the board. With more than 20 boards, multiple big blocks, smart steals, and 14+ assists for the Dons, this was a sign that playing a complete game of basketball would be bigger than just hitting 3s.
After Piedmont hit a 3, birthday boy Jack Bayless drove down the line for a layup to get the Dons on the board. Piedmont went on a run, the Dons were playing hard with big spirits but buckets weren’t quite dropping and even with Theo Stoll feeding Zubin Acuna for the deep 3 the first period ended with the Highlanders up by 10 with a score of 15-5.
Where Piedmont dominated the first period, the Dons settled into the second period and started to put on a defensive show that was impressive the watch. The Dons started to shut down Piedmont’s star on defense and spread the offense across Jack, Jake Davis, Zubin and Justin. Jake and Zubin hit 3s, Jack continued his ever physical play hitting clutch shots, Theo was stealing, assisting and pulling down big boards, and Jake was swatting blocks and throwing down big dunks.
The Dons dominated the second period and made it a 2 point game going into halftime with a score of 21-19 in favor of Piedmont.
The second half opened up with Piedmont scoring the first bucket but then Justin feeding Jake for a dunk, Jordan grabbing a board and Jake and Jordan running a pick and roll with Jordan putting up 2. Midway through the 3rd the Dons tied the game at 25 a piece and things started to get a little interesting inside the walls of the Piedmont gym. The Dons continued a strong defense, subbed in some fresh legs with Colin Norstad who quickly pulled down a board and had a sweet dish to Jake for a reverse layup. Piedmont answered back with 2, Theo worked hard underneath for a 2 then grabbed a huge board and had a quick break to feed Jack for 2, ending the 3rd period tied at 31 a piece!
The intensity going into the final period was palpable. The home crowd was so fired up they were cheering every move. The Dons needed the full team to pull it out and the strength of the squad allowed Jake and Theo to do what they do best. Jake had 13 of his high scoring 24 points in the 4th and Theo 8 in the 4th, both knocking down 3s and converting crucial free-throws.
The final period opened up with Colin feeding Jake for 2, Piedmont responding with 2, then Theo hitting a deep 3. Piedmont responded with a 2 and Justin dished out to Zubin for a clutch 3. Piedmont hit 1 of 2 from the line, Colin pulled down a board and Justin fed Jake for another bucket. Theo then had a big steal, drove for a layup, drawing a foul and hit an and 1 from the line. The Dons built a 44-36 lead with 4:17 left.
This game wasn’t over, both teams kept up the battle, with 2:10 left it was 50-40 with Dons up by 10 but Piedmont edged back to make it a 6 point game with 1:21 left on the clock and a score of 52-46. Piedmont hit a 3 to make it a 3 point game, and the home crowd went crazy. The Dons answered back, Jake drove for a bucket then Jack was fouled and brought the lead back up to 55-49. Jake had another signature blocked shot on a 3 point attempt and the game ended with Theo back on the line hitting a free-throw and solidifying a huge Dons victory with a final score of 56-49.
As a spectator, a player, a coach, a referee, there was so much to be proud of in this game not only for the Dons who brought home a big with but also for the Piedmont hosts who showed spirit and poise and was capped with players from both teams giving hugs and high fives for a game that captured the spirit of basketball.
The Dons round out the tournament with a final game on Saturday at 6pm against Windsor.