Salesian girls basketball surge continues, wins eighth North Coast Section championship

Defending State Division 1 champion overcome slow start to season to with its second straight NCS crown behind balanced scoring, rebounding.

Winning another North Coast Section girls basketball title likely wasn't on the radar of Salesian coach Stephen Pezzola. Not after starting the season 2-7. 

But the highly successful coach and program just wouldn't talk 'no' and 'losing' as an answer and Saturday the Pride won for the 19th time in 22 games, this one for their eighth section crown with a 56-48 Division 1 title win over California-San Ramon. 

Not only would the Pride, the defending state Division 1 champion, not be deterred for their season, but also on Saturday they never gave up the lead. They led from start to finish behind a balanced scoring attack led by the Sawyer sisters, Janiya and Samia, who combined for 29 points and 12 rebounds. 

Stephen Pezzola holds up the North Coast Section championship plaque — the Pride's eighth since he took over in 2008-09 — after the team's 56-48 win over California for the D1 crown Saturday at Dublin High / Photo: Dennis Lee

Orianah Birden controlled the pain and had 13 points and 13 rebounds and Ayla Rege added 10. 

As usual, super fleet senior point guard Madalyn Kanazawa controlled the pace and constantly fed teammates for baskets. 

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Salesian, which won the NCS Open Division last year, improved to 21-10 and move into next week's CIF Northern California tournament likely as a top seed in the D1 tournament. 

California (25-5), after its first NCS championship, got 15 points by Taylor Lim. A strong third quarter helped California close the deficit to two points, but Jamia Sawyer had a three-point play and Birden, a 6-1 freshman, contributed another bucket to close the corner to help Salesian bo up 43-36 heading into the fourth. 

A 3-pointer by Cal's Triinity Chu helped cut the deficit to five, but Salesian took control with a 9-2 run on buckets from Jamia Sawyer, Kanazawa, Janiya Sawyer and a 3-pointer from Rege put the Pride in complete control. 

Salesian wins 11th CIF North Coast Section boys basketball title with 52-43 Open victory over De La Salle

It was the second NCS title in two days for Salesian, which had its boys team capture its 11th section title Friday with a 52-45 win over De La Salle in the boys Open Division. 

Jamia Sawyer (22), Salesian / Photo: Dennis Lee

Janiya Sawyer (11), Salesian / Photo: Dennis Lee

Salesian's official team picture after another NCS title / Photo: Dennis Lee