Facing single coverage for the first time in the playoffs, Lick-Wilmerding star guard Marcus Wells took matters in his own hands.
The senior captain scored 37 points on 12-of-20 shooting as the sixth-seeded Tigers beat second-seeded St. Elizabeth of Oakland 55-50 and advanced to the North Coast Section Division V boys’ basketball championship game.
Lick (24-7) will face top-seeded Branson in Saturday’s 8 p.m. title game at the College of Marin.
“He is a true warrior,” Tigers coach Eliot Smith said of Wells. “He means love. He means character. He means leadership. He means success. He is what a coach dreams of.”
Wells, however, did have some help down the stretch against St. Elizabeth (23-7).
With his team up 50-48 and 2 minutes left in the game, senior Jeff Parkin hit his third 3-pointer of the game.
Parkin finished the contest with nine points and tied with Wells for a team-high six rebounds.
“What’s good about Jeff is he just does it,” Smith said. “He doesn’t think too much. He believes in himself.”
Branson 71, University 48
ROSS — Oliver McNally had 13 points and six rebounds as the top-seeded and two-time defending state champion Bulls (27-3) beat the fifth-seeded Red Devils (22-8) at the College of Marin. Senior Brian Park scored 14 to lead University.
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