(On Tuesday the Highlanders won the semifinals game against Archie Williams in a tight 64-61 competition to advance to the NCS championship game on either Feb. 23 or 24. A recap of that game will be published shortly.)
Brit Burden scored 19 points despite being in foul trouble all night to lead Piedmont High School’s boys basketball team to a 67-43 win over visiting Alhambra in the North Coast Section Division 3 playoffs on Feb. 16.
The third-seeded Highlanders advanced to the semifinals at No. 2 Archie Williams on Feb. 20.
Piedmont had lost to the Bulldogs early in the regular season. The Highlanders played much better this time around, according to coach Ben Spencer.
“Revenge game, had a bad taste in our mouth,” he said. “(We played) phenomenal defense, guys were flying around.”
Burden had six points in the first quarter as the Highlanders built a 19-10 lead after one. But he also quickly picked up three fouls and had to sit out much of the second quarter. Then he picked up another foul early in the third quarter.
No problem. Piedmont got the balanced scoring that has sometimes proved elusive in recent years. Dillon Casey had 14 points, Declan Linnane had 11 and Ravi Silverberg and Thorin Holmes each scored eight.
Burden came back and scored nine in the fourth quarter, making seven of eight free throws.
“He was a monster when he was in there,” Spencer said.
The Highlanders led 47-34 entering the fourth quarter and were able to put the game away.
Piedmont outrebounded the Bulldogs, 33-19 and had just nine turnovers on the night.
Now, the Highlanders (19-9) travel to San Anselmo to face the Peregrine Falcons. The teams are familiar to each other as they scrimmaged in the preseason.
Spencer said Archie Williams starts a freshman and three sophomores.
“They don’t have a ton of size so we’re going to hopefully pound the ball into Brit,” Spencer said.
(On Tuesday the team won in a tight 64-61 competition to advance to the NCS championship game on either Feb. 23 or 24. A recap of that game will be published shortly.)