For the second time in as many seasons, Mission Bay is heading back to the CIF Div. I title game after defeating the No. 3 seed San Marcos Knights 54-42 on Wednesday. The Div. 1 championship game will take place on Friday, Feb. 23, at 7:30 p.m. at Otay Ranch High School. The Bucs will play No. 8 seed Scripps Ranch, which pulled off upsets against No.1 seed Santa Fe Christian, and No.4 seed El Camino.
“Our whole goal when we got seeded into Div. I playoffs was to get back to that title game,” said Mission Bay head coach Marshawn Cherry. “We fell short in the title game last season, so we felt we needed to get back there this year and get the job done. Finish what we started.“
The first half of Thursday night’s semi-final battle showcased the play of Mission Bay’s defense, as they held San Marcos to just 17 points in the first half.
The Bucs possessed a key height advantage going into the matchup, and it showed as Charlie Hutchison, Gavin Girouard, and Charlie Grebing would help lock down the paint and hold the Knights to just a 31% field goal percentage.
“We knew one of our advantages going in would be our size, and at times, we haven’t always taken advantage of it, but we did tonight,” noted Cherry.
The strong defensive start by the Buccaneers would be joined by a steady offensive performance. Following a low-scoring 10 points in the first quarter, Mission Bay would find its rhythm in the second, thanks to an 8-point quarter from Isaah Whitehurst and an 8-0 scoring run that had the Bucs in the lead 25-17 at the break.
Whitehurst would score 16 points and grab seven rebounds, three of which came on the offensive glass. His scoring, effort on the glass, and tight defense were key in helping Mission Bay secure the victory.
“That is who Isaah is. He has a great mid-range shot and is excellent at cutting and finding success inside,” noted Cherry. “Our whole goal with him was to get him into gaps and cut off to that weak side to get him those lay-ups. We set up a couple of extra plays for him, and he delivered with a great performance.”
The late-half push from Whitehurst would create a snowball effect that would roll into the second half as Caleb Newton and Hutchison would continue to fill it up, working well in the offensive paint. Even still, the game remained close due to a third-quarter charge from San Marcos, making it a five-point game heading to the fourth.
In the fourth, Mission Bay would lean heavily on their senior pairing of Hutchison and Marcos Korch to lead them down the stretch, and the duo would not disappoint. The two would combine for 11 of the team’s 18 fourth-quarter points, including a huge three-pointer from Korch and a pair of excellent dribble drives by Hutchison, who would lead all scores with 17 points on the night.
“That was vintage Charlie last night; those are the things he’s capable of doing,” said Cherry. “He is a great defender and forced [San Marcos] into tough shots at the rim. And he’s a three-level scorer who did an excellent job of finishing around the rim and using his length. That was an X-factor for us.
“Scripps is a team on a mission, and we know they’re going to come out, play hard, and be hungry,” Cherry said. “I know they like to trap and press, so it should be an up-tempo and fun game.”
Photo by Steve Sidell
