Boys Varsity Basketball: Dons Flip the Script in Bambauer Classic Opener

Sixteen teams. Many of the best in the Bay Area. Neutral floor. Holiday tournament energy.
Welcome to the prestigious Bambauer Classic, hosted at Marin Catholic in Kentfield—alma mater of Detroit Lions Quarterback Jared Goff—where reputations matter, rankings matter, and—at least on paper—the Acalanes Dons were supposed to be in for a long afternoon.

In Friday’s opening round, the Dons drew San Domenico, a small private school based in San Anselmo with roughly 690 students spread across K–12 and a tuition of $83,000 per year. A place where the education is elite, the resources are abundant, and the basketball roster is decidedly international.

The Panthers entered the game 8–2, ranked 125th in the state, while Acalanes came in 4–5, ranked 227th. San Domenico’s starting lineup featured a 6’6” center from Germany, a 6’2” guard from Croatia, and a 6’0” wing from Italy. On paper, the Dons were up against it.

And early on, it looked exactly that way.

Early Trouble, Then a Sudden Shift

San Domenico jumped out to an 8–0 lead, moving the ball crisply and playing with confidence. But Acalanes didn’t panic. Gavin Dodge knocked down a three, Julian Hood followed with one of his own, and the Dons began to settle in.

Then the momentum swung—and it swung hard.

The Jon MacLeod Experience

Enter Jon MacLeod.

Jon buried a three. Then another. Then another. By the end of the first quarter, Acalanes had ripped off a 14–1 run, flipping the game on its head and taking control for good.

MacLeod was outstanding from start to finish, pouring in a team-high 20 points while stretching the floor, rebounding, defending, and energizing everyone on the court. Early in the second quarter, he knocked down yet another three and punctuated it with a bow-and-arrow celebration, a moment that perfectly captured the team’s growing confidence. Jon learned the celly from his mother, Lori, a former player for the fierce Greensboro Day Bengals in Greensboro—seen in the photo below seated with her body pointed left—proving once again that greatness often starts at home.

By halftime, the Dons had seized full control, leading 35–20.

Defense, Toughness, and Balance

The third quarter only widened the gap. Cameron Hood and Gavin Dodge created offense, Shea Stahl knocked down a three, and the Dons continued to share the ball and defend with purpose.

Once again, Preston Hilsabeck delivered a defensive clinic. For what feels like the fifth time already this season, Preston was tasked with guarding a center who had three inches and roughly 30 pounds on him—and once again, he was incredible. He battled for position, contested shots, and never gave an inch, setting a physical tone that wore San Domenico down.

Bryce Mansour also made his presence felt, playing excellent on-ball defense while contributing 5 efficient points, doing exactly what winning basketball requires—impacting the game without forcing it.

The Statement: Fourth Quarter Bench Mob

Then came the fourth quarter—and the stretch that turned an impressive win into a statement.

Acalanes went deep into the bench. San Domenico largely did not.

And the result was decisive.

The group often described as “the end of the bench” outscored San Domenico’s remaining starters 14–6, finishing the game with energy, discipline, and confidence.

Senior Landon Deily was everywhere—scoring on a smooth jump hook, grabbing tough rebounds, and blocking shots with pure effort.
Junior Sam Phillips turned in his best performance of the season, repeatedly driving the lane with force and confidence. One furious drive resulted in a beautiful, heavily contested finish that had the San Domenico coaching staff looking on with interest—ready to recruit, assuming Sam can speak five languages and that his parents can demonstrate sufficient disposable income.
Justice Hembrador knocked down two three-pointers, igniting chants of “GIVE ME JUSTICE!” from the Acalanes crowd (at least the author was screaming this).
Junior Evan Palmer made his presence felt with smart, unselfish play, moving the ball, defending with purpose, and setting up teammates—including a perfectly timed assist to Deily that highlighted the group’s chemistry.
Aakash Agarwal delivered a highlight sequence—block, rebound, assist—that will live on well past this tournament.

The message was unmistakable:

Acalanes isn’t eight players deep.
They’re thirteen players deep.

Final Word

The Dons rolled to a 75–37 win, overwhelming San Domenico with depth, defense, ball movement, and belief. Rankings didn’t matter. Résumés didn’t matter. What mattered was how the game was played.

And Acalanes played it together.