After coronavirus scare and uncertainty, Sheldon takes advantage of its last shot
In a game that initially was not supposed to play out, in an unfamiliar gym some 100 miles away, the Sheldon Huskies did what they generally do when pressed up against a wall.
They pushed back.
Rallying from eight down in the fourth quarter, the top-ranked team in Northern California used defensive stops in the final frantic seconds and a monstrous 27-point game by Marcus Bagley to stun Dublin High School 59-58 on Tuesday night in Alameda County. The game was moved to fourth-seeded Dublin after confusion caused by the coronavirus in Elk Grove Unified School District.
Once Sheldon catches its collective breath and actually gets a day to practice, the Huskies will focus on the next challenge. They take on Bishop O’Dowd of Oakland on Thursday at 7 p.m. for a shot at a record three-peat as CIF NorCal Open Division champions. The location of that contest is likely going to be Laney College in Oakland, though Sheldon is the top seed.
At this rate, the determined Huskies are glad to be still be standing. They would gladly take on the Dragons in a park in Fresno, or Corning or Manteca. So Oakland’s Laney College would be a great deal more of an appealing option than what Sheldon faced as late as Tuesday morning: uncertainty it would even be allowed to play. The confusion was tied to the coronovirus concern, which has already derailed the seasons for NorCal D-I top seed Riordan of San Francisco and NorCal D-IV second seed Lincoln of San Francisco.
“Resilient,” a gassed Sheldon coach Joey Rollings said of his group. “A real adrenaline rush for all of our guys and coaches at the end. Amazing. It’s been a roller coaster of a week. We’re playing a game, then we’re not playing a game, then we’re losing in the game, then we win it — up and down.
“We stuck together. We don’t quit. Even when it feels like it’s over, it isn’t over.”
Sheldon (28-5) thought it was over Saturday when the Elk Grove Unified School District stunningly closed all of its schools and withdrew the Huskies from the NorCal tournament due to the coronavirus concerns that have grown to grip much of the state, to the point that some college tournaments in the state are being contested in empty arenas to help prevent prevent the spread of the mysterious virus.
Then the game was back on after the leaders from the EGUSD spoke exhaustively with county health officials, who assured superintendent Chris Hoffman, head of the largest district in Northern California, that it was safe to play this game. In an effort to really seal the deal, Sheldon played at Dublin — anything to get the game in.
The Huskies had not practiced since Friday, squeezed in a light workout Tuesday afternoon on campus and got in extra shots before the tip against Dublin (24-7) of the North Coast Section. Sheldon looked out of sorts at times with rust, and also due to how formidable the Gaels were.
“We played our best ball in the final three minutes of the first half and the last three of the game,” Sheldon assistant coach Rich Manning said. “We played our best when we had to. What a game.”
And what a team. Sheldon was led by the top player in Northern California as Bagley did a bit of everything. The five-star recruit headed to Arizona State had 14 first-half points and 13 in the second. The 6-foot-8 senior pounded away inside, hit three 3-pointers, yanked down eight rebounds and blocked three shots.
The strength of Sheldon is its balance and depth. The Huskies never missed a beat when Bagley missed a string of games down the stretch of the Delta League season to nurse a sore foot. The unsung Sheldon grinders include Xavion Brown and Dontrell Hewlett.
With Sheldon leading by one and Dublin eyeing a knockout blow, Brown and Bagley contested a shot at the rim when Dublin had its first attempt at a game-winner, then Hewlett had a blocked shot to thwart another winning attempt.
An off-the-mark 3-pointer was snagged by Bagley with a second to go, and he clutched onto the ball as if his team’s life depended on it. Sheldon players rushed the floor. Half the place erupted as Sheldon brought a large crowd; the other half sat in silence.
“Dontrell Hewlett had the play of the game with that block,” Bagley said. “That won it for us. I’m proud of all of our guys, our team. I’m happy. We’ve been resilient all year. Learned a lot about our team. We’re built for this. That’s why this game meant so much.”
Hewlett scored eight points and had six rebounds and two blocked shots. Xavion Brown had 12 points for Sheldon to go with five assists, and he made his two 3-point shots. He also had a nifty alley-oop finish in the first half. Josh Williams only scored three, but the Huskies’ poised senior floor leader had four rebounds and four assists. He sparked the rally by diving for a loose ball, leading to a jump ball and possession, practically seizing momentum.
A Bagley dunk pulled Sheldon to within 54-48 with 3:59 to play, and his 3 with 3:25 to go pulled his team to within 54-52. His tip-in off his own miss with 53.3 seconds to go inched Sheldon to within 56-54. Xavion Brown’s 3 cut Dublin’s lead to 58-57 with 46 seconds to play, and then Williams tied up the ball to gain team possession with 32.7 to go.
Bagley’s dunk down the lane gave Sheldon the 59-58 lead with 17.5 seconds left.
Though the win was definitive, there’s still some question about whether Sheldon will continue in the playoffs. EGUSD made it clear Tuesday that it had only cleared events through Wednesday night. Another decision looms Wednesday afternoon.
CIF Northern California Regionals
Open Division
Semifinals
Sheldon 59, Dublin 58
Finals
Sheldon vs Bishop O’Dowd, Thursday
State Championship: Saturday, 8 p.m., Golden 1 Center
Bishop O’Dowd/Sheldon vs No. 1 Sierra Canyon
NorCal championships
Division l
Campolindo 54, De La Salle 49
State Championship: Friday, 6 p.m, Golden 1 Center
Ribet Academy vs Campolindo
Division ll
No. 4 Weston Ranch 62, St. Patrick-St. Vincent 61
State Championship, Saturday, 4 p.m, Golden 1 Center
Weston Ranch vs. St. Francis
Division lll
Saint Mary’s 68, Carmel 53
State Championship: Friday, 4 p.m, Golden 1 Center
Arroyo Grande vs. Saint Mary’s
Division lV
Brookside Christian forfeit win over Lincoln
State Championship: Saturday, Noon, Golden 1 Center
No. 8 Brookside Christian vs. No. 5 Bakersfield Christian
Division V
San Domenico 58, Pierce 37
State Championship: Friday, Noon, Golden 1 Center
San Domenico vs. Eastside
Division Vl
Ripon Christian 79, Weed 42
Season complete
This story was originally published March 11, 2020 at 5:37 AM.