With two minutes left on Thursday night and the score tied between eighth-seeded Oakland Tech and top-seeded Inderkum-Sacramento, the Division I quarterfinal was there for the taking.
Oakland Tech’s seniors took it – no – ripped it away from the hosts in a clutch performance for the ages as the reigning D-II state champs silenced a raucous Inderkum gymnasium with a 72-66 victory.
“We didn’t ever think about losing,” Tech coach Karega Hart told the Bay Area News Group. “We don’t focus on any other outcome but winning. We just keep fighting until we get the outcome we want.”
The victory sets the stage for an epic showdown on Saturday night at fifth-seeded and defending NorCal Division I champ San Ramon Valley, which beat Liberty 101-62 on Thursday.
“We’ve got to devise a game plan and be ready for a hostile environment,” Hart said.
Star guard ArDarius Grayson broke the 63-63 deadlock with a 3-pointer from the corner, unleashed off the dribble with a hand in his face.
After Inderkum split a pair of free throws to cut the margin to two, Grayson once again imposed his will when he flew into the paint and made a circus layup in traffic to make it a 68-64 game with 46 seconds remaining.
“He has that gumption,” Hart said. “He is fearless and the ultimate competitor. You trust guys like that, because he’s not going to be small in the big moments. He lives for the moment.”
Inderkum wouldn’t go away, though, with Taylen Goodman burying two free throws to get it back to 68-66.
But Xan Meyer-Plettner closed things out for the visitors, nailing four free throws and grabbing a steal with 10 seconds left to ice the game.
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It was sweet revenge for Tech, which had been embarrassed by Inderkum 85-59 in January.
“I’m excited for them, and they feel really good, especially after how we lost to them (in the regular season) when in the fourth quarter they were up 20 and throwing lobs and not running out the clock,” Hart said. “I guess that’s karma.”
Up next is San Ramon Valley, a test the Bulldogs can’t wait to take on.
“We’re excited to be in the next round,” Hart said. “It’s not easy, and anybody who says it is, is fooling themselves. We’re going to try to remain hungry and humble.”
