SAN PABLO — Not even a bad case of leg cramps could get Salesian guard Aaron Hunkin-Claytor off the floor in the fourth quarter.
With just over four minutes left in the CIF NorCal Open Division final, Hunkin-Claytor hit a double-clutch jumper to put the Pride up by three against Archbishop Riordan. As he fell to the floor, he clutched his thigh and hobbled up and down the court for the next two possessions.
When Salesian had a player at the free-throw line a minute later, Hunkin-Claytor ran to the scorer’s table, picked up two electrolyte pills from his team’s head trainer and quickly chewed the capsules before running back on defense.
There was no way he was going to sit down. Not in a game as big as this one.
It was that type of no-quit attitude that helped Salesian come back from a double-digit second-half deficit to beat Riordan 49-44 and advance to the Open Division state final against defending champion Harvard-Westlake on Saturday in Sacramento.
“We came up short last year and we all came out with a chip on our shoulder,” Hunkin-Claytor said. “When we were in the locker room at halftime, we were saying, ‘We don’t want this to be our last game.’”
Carlton Perrilliat led Salesian with 10 points and Hunkin-Claytor had nine.
Riordan’s Zion Sensley led all scorers with 13 points.
A tough shooting stretch for Salesian saw the Pride fall eight points behind at halftime. Riordan center Nes Emeneke made life hard for the Richmond school on the inside, forcing Salesian to take tough shots from the perimeter, which hardly fell in the first half. The 6-foot-10 Emeneke finished with five blocks.
Riordan went up 10 early in the third quarter and looked poised to pull away. But a quick 9-0 run capped off with a thunderous fast-break dunk by Elias Obenyah shifted the momentum back to Salesian’s side.
The Crusaders did end up closing the quarter on a high note, momentarily stifling Salesian’s offense as they entered the fourth period leading 38-34.
As the intensity got higher, so did Salesian’s energy on defense. The Pride allowed just six points and outrebounded Riordan 6-2 in the fourth quarter.
Riordan found a way to tie the game when sophomore Andrew Hilman found a sliver of daylight in the lane and made a reverse layup to make it 44-44 with 1:26 to play. But noticing Riordan’s defense out of position, Hunkin-Clayton pushed the ball up the floor and spotted Alvin Loving wide open for a corner 3-pointer.
Loving hit the biggest shot of the night, giving the Pride a 47-44 advantage.
“I was pretty open and I thought a 3-pointer was what the team needed,” Loving said about the go-ahead shot. “I’m a good shooter, so I just decided to take the game into my own hands.”
Riordan had a chance to respond, but its two 3-point shots in the closing seconds missed the mark. Salesian sealed the game at the free-throw line.
When the teams met at an MLK showcase at De La Salle in January, Salesian won by 13 after spotting Riordan a 10-0 lead.
Salesian coach Bill Mellis said playing Riordan and other highly-ranked teams in the regular season helped prepare his program for Tuesday.
“We want to play big games and we play those games for a reason,” Mellis said. “They’re a resilient group. They don’t get rattled when they’re down.”
For Riordan, the loss was a devastating end to a season that included an undefeated run through the powerful West Catholic Athletic League and the Central Coast Section Open Division championship. As the Crusaders collected their second-place medals, tears ran down the faces of almost every player that went to the awards table.
“There is no doubt this was one of the best teams in Riordan’s history,” Riordan coach Joe Curtin said. “A couple more possessions, the game is a different story and we’re holding a bigger trophy. But hats off to Salesian. They played really well.”
Tuesday’s win was the first time Salesian won a NorCal Open Division title. The Pride will be looking for its first state championship since 2012, when they beat Price High School in the Division IV final.
Salesian’s opponent on Saturday will be SoCal powerhouse Harvard-Westlake. The Wolverines are currently ranked No. 6 team in the country, according to MaxPreps.
Though Mellis acknowledged winning the final game of the season won’t be easy, he believes this season’s team has all the tools to bring home the state title.
“It’s a special group,” Mellis said. “I’ve said it a million times, they deserve every accolade that’s coming their way. I just couldn’t think of a better group for this to happen to.”
