It was a term of respect, and Lick-Wilmerding guard Marcus Wells earned it over and over again Thursday night in a Bay Counties League West tournament semifinal against University.
The senior was announced to the Kezar Pavilion crowd with a “Mr.” in front of his name before the game, and the title stuck throughout every made basket in a 31-point, 11-rebound performance as the fourth-seeded Tigers (20-7) upset the No. 1 Red Devils 55-44. Lick, which lost three times to University during the regular season, advances to Saturday’s final and will face third-seeded Marin Academy at 8 p.m. back at Kezar.
“They beat us three times but coach [Eliot Smith] told us that this was the only one that mattered,” Wells said. “It feels great.”
Wells scored 20 of the team’s 32 second-half points and Andrew Ahn added all nine of his points in the fourth quarter for the Tigers, including a 3-point play with 5 minutes, 33 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to give the team a 41-32 lead. Brian Park led the Red Devils (20-7) with 13 points, but University could never crack Lick’s aggressive 1-2-2 zone and finished 6-for-36 from 3-point range.
Marin Academy 50, Stuart Hall 40
Merlin Edwards scored 16 points as the No. 3 Wildcats (19-7) knocked off the second-seeded Knights
(16-11) in a BCL West semifinal at Kezar Pavilion. Frank Duncan had 20 to lead Stuart Hall.
— Staff report
BAY COUNTIES LEAGUE CENTRAL
International 73, Gateway 28
Ryan Doubiago scored 21 points and the host and top-seeded Jaguars (22-5) shot better than 55 percent from the floor to beat the Gators (10-11) and advance to the Bay Counties League Central tournament final.
International, which has not lost a league game in more than four seasons, will face the winner of Thursday’s Waldorf-Leadership Saturday at Kezar Pavilion at 4:30 p.m.
“We’re at the step of the season when it’s one game and go home,” Doubiago said. “And our guys realize it.”
— Lars Russell
