The last time Marysville High boys basketball got past Venture Academy (Stockton), it was playing in and eventually winning a Sac-Joaquin Section title – the program’s first such banner in 30 years.
The Indians will get the Mustangs again today (Tuesday) – for a third time in four seasons – with an opportunity to get back to Golden 1 Center and a chance to play for another blue banner for a second time since 2022-23.
“No surprises there; we know them well,” Marysville head coach Stan Easter said. “It’s going to be a good game.”
Marysville won 72-67 in Stockton over the Mustangs (24-6), en route to the SJS title that season. That year, MHS was led by Joshua Brown Jr; Kayden Ellyson; and Amrin Mann at the guard positions; Ambelique Clarke at the wing and Shawn Smith doing the dirty work down low at each end of the court. It was a loaded roster that won 29 games and its first SJS flag since 1993.
This year’s squad feels it has what it takes to repeat what the 2022-23 team did. The roster has a little bit of everything, which was on full display Friday night in the 72-68 overtime win over Sutter in the D-IV quarterfinals. The team can defend in the backcourt, led by the length of Steven Martin; can shoot from deep, as Jordan Witt and Isaiah Henry prove time and again from 3-point range; and has the mental fortitude to weather upcoming storms and overcome adversity.
“We hit big shots,” Easter said. “Isaiah came down and hit a big 3 when we were down three in overtime; we were down 10 early and guys didn’t lose their composure; earlier in the year we lose that game because we try and do it by ourselves … The kids stuck together.
The latest hiccup that Marysville (24-6) needed to address is the loss of sophomore point guard Davi Perez immediately following a breakout 20-point game to open the postseason on Feb. 18. Perez was lost to a fractured ankle in practice following the Dixon game and was not available for the Sutter contest. Witt and Henry stepped up with 20- and 16 points, respectively, against the Huskies to stabilize the backcourt and aid Marysville’s first win over Sutter since the banner year of 2023.
Witt helped Marysville convert 7-of-10 free throws in OT to preserve the victory.
“We’ve been saying ‘next man up’ all season,” Witt said. “We didn’t have Zack Granger early on and we had guys stepping up; we had Davi (Perez) out in a tournament and Karter Ellyson stepped up.”
Martin chipped in 17 despite fouling out late in OT, while junior post Zackary Granger delivered 17 to stabilize the paint against the bigger Sutter Huskies.
“For moments of the game their size won,” Easter said. “Once we put Steven Martin on Izzy (Bhatti) we were able to neutralize him and that changed the game.”
For Sutter head coach Nabeel Bhatti, it was a disappointing end to what he called a fun-filled playoff environment.
“Energy was great in the building,” Bhatti said. “As for the game itself, the second quarter hurt us, but we came back in the second half and battled and took the lead and at times looked like we might pull away … It was playoff basketball; two good teams.”
Sutter junior forward Troy Bowens led the way with 16 points, while junior Gabe Carlos added 15, including a trio of threes late in the second half and overtime. Ledger Hale chipped in 11, while fellow junior Izzy Bhatti added 10 for the Huskies (22-8).
“Like I told the kids, ‘Playing these types of games would be an after thought a few years ago,’ so it has been slowly building a program and these guys needed a taste of that to make a push for next year,” Coach Bhatti said.
In other action …
No. 2 Faith Christian School girls basketball (26-1) will try for its third trip to Golden 1 Center in four years – and second straight – when it welcomes in John Adams Academy (El Dorado Hills) today (Tuesday) at 7 p.m. in the SJS D-V semifinals.
Lauren Harris, the Lions’ go-to weapon, will spearhead the attack while likely moving into fifth on the all-time prep girls scoring list, past Modesto Christian’s Courtney Paris, with her first bucket of the night. To date, Harris and Paris are tied with 3,346 career points. Harris is already the national career and single-season 3-point leader, surpassing Oklahoma freshman and Texas native Aaliyah Chavez earlier this year.
John Adams comes in 26-4 fresh off a double-digit win over Destiny Christian Academy last week. Parker Schwartz, a freshman, scored her season- and varsity-high with 25 points against DCA. Elliott Schwartz, the team’s No. 1 who finished runner-up in the section to Harris two years ago, added 13.
No. 1 Bret Harte (Angels Camp) hosts No. 4 Woodland Christian at 5:30 p.m. today in the other D-V semi.