High School

Big third quarter lifts Riordan over De La Salle for NorCal Open title: Live update recap

Cross-bay battle one of the most anticipated games in recent Bay Area history with a spot in the state finals on the line

Mitch Stephens

Soaring to new heights. Riordan won its fourth Northern California championship, but its first since 2022 and first Open Division crown, thanks in part to Jasir Rencher's tremendous defense effort and eight second-half points in a thorough 52-40 title win in San Francisco.
Soaring to new heights. Riordan won its fourth Northern California championship, but its first since 2022 and first Open Division crown, thanks in part to Jasir Rencher's tremendous defense effort and eight second-half points in a thorough 52-40 title win in San Francisco. / Photo: Eric Taylor

SAN FRANCSICO — The history of Riordan High school basketball is rich, filled with purple and gold memories, including 18 Central Coast Section, three Northern California and one state championship in 2002.

The green and silver of De La Salle has it’s own hearty past of athletic excellence, known for its football dominance, but basketball, with a pair of state championships (2000, 2006) to go with six Northern California and 15 North Coast Section titles, has built quite a legacy also.

The two programs collide Tuesday at Riordan with a Northern California Open Division title at stake and a spot in Saturday’s state’s pinnacle championship game.

High school basketball: Concord, California
De La Salle's Alec Blair during his season season at the Vontoure Classic. Blair is an Oklahoma signee and one of the nation's top 50 players. / Photo: Dennis Lee

Game time is 7 p.m.

Check back here throughout the night and will fill out a game story here shortly after.

Here’s some pregame reading and history on the two teams from this season.

Check back throughout the night.

LIVE UPDATES: DE LA SALLE AT RIORDAN

Pregame with coaches:

From Riordan coach Joey Curtin: Best year you’ve ever had? “Yes, by far. Besides (even 28-1) everything is the best. Great crew. Look at this environment. Couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Perhaps one more win? “It’s our time,” he said.

From De La Salle coach Marcus Schroeder, keys to game: “No 1 take care of the ball. No. 2 rebounding. No. 3 keep them out of transition.”

Expect a score in the 40s. Anything above that in Riordan’s vast favor.

FIRST QUARTER

Riordan 11, De La Salle 11. Already seven lead changes. Great back and forth action. Ryder Bush with seven quick ones for Crusaders. Blair with six, Patton five.

Riordan 15, De La Salle 11. End of one. Pihtovs, a super athletic 6-8 reserve with four quick points to close quarter.

2ND QUARTER

DE LA SALLE 22, RIORDAN 15: An 11-0 run over 2:19 keyed by three-points from Blair, Patton and Balogun gives Spartans seven point edge. Timeout Riordan.

HALFTIME: De La Salle 24, Riordan 23 — Riordan responds to Spartans big flurry with 8-0 run of its own, keyed by absolutely, positively lockdown defense. Two free throws by Jasir Rencher, the team’s top player, WCAL Player of the Year and Texas A&M commit, swishes two free throws, his first two points of the game with 35.6 seconds left in the half to give Crusaders a 23-22 lead.

Then Blair under extreme duress from Rencher, makes a spinning 18-footer at the buzzer. He gets half hug from coach Schroeder and then is helped off court due to his extremely sore right ankle. What a half. Eleven lead changes. Blair leads all scorers with 11, Patton has 10 for Spartans. That’s 21 of 24. Bush leads Riordan with seven.

Gonna be a shame, shame, shame for the team that loses this game. Absolutely guts on both sides. If fan of defense, this was a masterpiece thus far.

3RD QUARTER

RIORDAN 31, DE LA SALLE 26: Crusaders start on 8-0 run keyed by 3s by Hilman and Emeneke and tough jumper from Tofi. Blair with another tough leaner. He also missed two free throws. 5:11 3Q.

RIORDAN 42, DE LA SALLE 26: Explosion Riordan. Start 3Q on 19-2 run. Just like that in complete command. Hilman two 3s. Gonna take grit from up above for De La Salle to rise above this. Riordan is loaded. 2:22 3Q.

END OF 3: Riordan 44, Riordan 31. A 21-7 explosion pretty much ends this one. What a quarter keyed by Hilman with three 3s, Tofi with seven points. And absolutely menacing, swarming defense. DLS getting nothing inside or outside.

4TH QUARTER

RIORDAN 44, DE LA SALLE 31. No buckets, points for anyone is good news for Crusaders, who putting on defensive clinic. 5:02 4Q.

RIORDAN 50, DE LA SALLE 37. Rencher with his first bucket of the game, up to eight points.

FINAL: RIORDAN 52, DE LA SALLE 40. Great effort both schools, third quarter 21-7 onslaught keys win.

LEADING SCORERS: Riordan - Andrew Hilman 17, John Tofi 10. De La Salle - Alec Blair 16, Bryce Patton 13.

Published |Modified
Mitch Stephens
MITCH STEPHENS

Mitch Stephens is a senior editor at SBLive Sports for California, a state he's covered high school sports since 1984. He won multiple CNPA and CPSWA writing awards with the Contra Costa Times, San Francisco Chronicle and MaxPreps.com before joining the SBLive staff in 2022. He's covered the beat nationally since 2007, profiling such athletes as Derrick Henry, Paige Bueckers, Patrick Mahomes, Sabrina Ionescu, Jayson Tatum, Chiney Ogwumike, Jeremy Lin and Najee Harris as preps. You can reach him at mitch@scorebooklive.com.

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