MORAGA – As Alyssa Rudd, Ella Gunderson and the rest of the San Ramon Valley girls basketball team prepared for Saturday’s North Coast Section Open Division title game against high-octane Acalanes, coach John Cristiano invoked — and put a twist on — one of the most famous speeches in American sports history.
“You know, this team, Acalanes, is a great team and they may beat us.” Cristiano said, mimicking former U.S hockey coach Herb Brooks’ famous 1980 speech. “And we may play them 10 times, and they may win nine of the 10 …”
“But not tonight. Not this game. This is our game.”
San Ramon Valley followed with a 76-43 rout over top-seeded Acalanes.
Though it obviously wasn’t on the same level as the U.S. hockey team’s “Miracle on Ice” victory over the Soviet Union, it was still stunning outcome, played in front of a standing-room-only crowd that was equal parts Danville and Lafayette.
“This feels so great and I’m so excited that I can’t even describe the feelings,” Rudd said with a gold winner’s medal draped around her neck. “I’m still processing it.”
And as fate would have it, the Wolves added a third piece of NCS hardware to their trophy case on a special anniversary.
“Five years ago tonight, on this night, we won our first NCS Division I title,” Cristiano said, the other coming in 2006. “I just felt like the stars aligned and that we were going to get it.”
MORAGA — San Ramon Valley girls basketball coach John Cristiano holds up the NCS Open Division trophy after his team defeated Acalanes. San Ramon Valley defeated Acalanes 76-43 in the 2025 North Coast Section (NCS) girls Open Division basketball championship at Campolindo High School in Moraga, Calif. on March 1, 2025 (Joseph Dycus/Bay Area News Group)
San Ramon Valley, which does not have a senior on its roster, dominated in every phase to become the first public school to win an NCS Open crown.
The Wolves started the game on a 12-0 run, led 34-14 at halftime and finished the third quarter up 60-29.
Rudd scored 23 points, Gunderson had 19 and Carly Stern chipped in 13 as the Wolves pounded the Dons inside for layup after layup. The Danville program dominated on the offensive glass and stonewalled the Dons’ usually-potent attack.
“Our strategy going into this game was to dominate, and that’s what we did on both sides of the floor,” Gunderson said.
Senior-laden Acalanes entered the game on a 16-game winning streak and sporting an offense that had just demolished reigning Open Division champion Cardinal Newman 78-52.
The fast-breaking flair the Dons (27-2) had shown throughout the season never materialized, and coach Margaret Gartner hoped that Saturday’s loss would be a lesson learned for her team as it prepares for NorCal play.
“What happens after this will show our character,” Gartner said. “Is this how we want to be remembered? Well, we have an opportunity to play more games, so what do you want to do?”
If there was any trait that the San Ramon Valley program has shown over the last four years, it was perseverance.
Cristiano’s Wolves had lost the previous three Open Division championship games, each to a different team.
Last year’s squad was headlined by six seniors, and SRV was not expected to reach the same heights this season with a whole new cast.
MORAGA — San Ramon Valley and Acalanes played in front of a packed gymnasium. San Ramon Valley defeated Acalanes 76-43 in the 2025 North Coast Section (NCS) girls Open Division basketball championship at Campolindo High School in Moraga, Calif. on March 1, 2025 (Joseph Dycus/Bay Area News Group)
With a team made up entirely of former reserves, JV players, incoming freshmen and one transfer – albeit a star from Monte Vista in Rudd — a step back would have been understandable.
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Instead, San Ramon Valley shook off a few early injuries and losses, one of which was to Acalanes in December, won the East Bay Athletic League before defeating Carondelet in the NorCal semifinal.
After completing the journey to become Open champions, the players raced onto the floor and jumped into each other’s arms in celebration.
Off to the side, Cristiano, 59, embraced his son Joe, 29, as the two quietly shed tears of joy. Joe has been an integral part of John’s coaching staff for several years.
“This has brought us closer, because we got more time together between us,” Cristiano said. “The greatest gift in the world is time with your children, and I’ve been so blessed to have this time with him.”
The Wolves journey did not end on Saturday night. After demolishing what had been the top team in the section, San Ramon Valley could receive a high seed in the NorCal Open Division bracket, the highest level.
SRV (27-3) will learn its seeding on Sunday, which is fine with Cristiano. That gives him and the team one night to celebrate an accomplishment that has been four years in the making.
“I’m just so happy that we made it here,” Cristiano said. “Nobody thought that this young group would ever get this far. I’ll let the chips fall where they may.”
MORAGA — San Ramon Valley players Maya Knapp (left) and Cailyn Reed (right) celebrate after the game. San Ramon Valley defeated Acalanes 76-43 in the 2025 North Coast Section (NCS) girls Open Division basketball championship at Campolindo High School in Moraga, Calif. on March 1, 2025 (Joseph Dycus/Bay Area News Group)
