Boys Basketball: Newark Memorial Advances to NCS Semifinals

Kendall Andrews has been there, done that, and when he gets into ‘’Beast Mode’’ there’s no stopping the 6-foot-2 senior power forward.

Two years ago, he scored the game-winning tip-in at the buzzer to lead the Salesian High boys basketball team to the Division IV state title.

And he played a big role in Division I run to the state title game last year.

“I’m used to it by now,” Andrews said of big games.

On Saturday, Andrews scored 10 of his team-high 24 points in the fourth quarter of Newark’s 65-62 win over visiting Berkeley in the North Coast Section Division I quarterfinals.

“I want us to be successful,” Andrews said. “I do what I can to get out team to win.”

Andrews scored eight of his 10 fourth-quarter points in the final two minutes, 50 seconds. His layup with 2:50 left tied the game at 56-56. With 2:07 left, he converted another layup for a 58-56 Newark lead.

The biggest shot of the game came with 1:45 left when he converted a three-point play that put No. 4-seeded Newark (22-6) up for good at 61-58.

His free throw with 14 seconds left gave Newark a two-possession lead at 64-60.

This was no doubt one of the more physical games Newark has played this year and far more physical than any Mission Valley Athletic League game.

“I’m a physical person,” Andrews said. “This was a fun game to play.”

Newark advances to the semifinals where it will play top-seeded Castro Valley Wednesday at Washington at 7 p.m.

“We’ve got to slow down their Big Three,” said guard Casey Norris, referring to Castro Valley’s trio of Roderick Bobbitt, Juan Anderson and Chris Read. “We’ve got to get back on ‘D’ and play how we play on offense.”

A year ago Newark beat Castro Valley in the semifinals 51-37.

Norris scored 12 points. Teammate Paramvir Singh added 10 and freshman point guard Joey Frenchwood poured in nine.

Frenchwood hit some big shots in the fourth quarter that included a corner three-pointer that put Newark up 49-39 with 7:03 left in the game. He scored six points in the fourth.

“He’s good at bringing the ball up and now he’s hitting big shots,” Norris said.

The game was played in the old gym because NCS wrestling was being held in the Events Center. This is the fourth year in a row the Cougars hosted an NCS game in the old gym. Two years ago, they beat Berkeley 49-45 in a thriller.

“We try to cherish it, to play in here,” Newark coach Craig Ashmore said.

Added Norris: “We have our preseason workouts in here. This is where it starts for us.”

No. 5 Berkeley was led by the stellar all-around game of Jalil Eppenger, who scored a game-high 35 points.

The Yellowjackets (21-5) held an early 7-5 lead, but Newark closed out the first quarter with a 10-5 run to take a 15-12 lead.

Norris’ eight points in the second helped give the Cougars a 31-28 hafltime lead.

Berkeley closed to within two points third quarter, but the Cougars went on a 5-0 run that was capped by a Kenneth Jones layup on a sweet full-court bounce pass by Damian Banford. The Cougars led 46-39 at the end of three.

Berkeley made a run in the fourth and took a 56-54 lead after a 13-1 run with 3:01 left.

That set the stage for Kendall who took matters into his own hands the rest of the way.

“They started to come back an things got shaky, but this is our house and in here, we can beat anybody,” Andrews said.

Newark Memorial 65, Berkeley 62

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Berkeley

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62

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Individuals — (fg ftm-fta tp)

Berkeley

Shabazz 6 5-6 18, Amey 2 0-0 4, Eppenger 10 13-13 35, Jackso 0 0-1 0, Johnson 1 1-2 3, Mims 1 0-0 2. Totals 20 19-22 62.

Newark

Norris 4 4-4 12, Frenchwood 3 1-2 9, Andrews 10 4-7 24, Jones 2 1-2 6, Singh 5 0-1 10, Banford 2 0-0 4. Totals 26 10-18 65.

3-point goals: Berkeley 3 (Eppenger 2, Shabazz). Newark 3 (Frenchwood 2, Jones).

Fouled out: Eppenger.

Records: Berkeley 21-5, Newark 22-6. 

North Coast Section boys basketball, 2/26/2011.

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