Boys basketball: Archie Williams tops Tam, secures playoff berth
Grady Stewart (4) of Archie Williams shoots and scores over Moise Bitton Williams (12) of Tam to give Archie Williams a 52-50 lead late in the fourth quarter during their MCAL boys basketball game in San Anselmo, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Tam 63-53. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Brian Wright (21) of Archie Williams passes the ball while being defended by Spencer Fee (11) of Tam during their MCAL boys basketball game in San Anselmo, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Tam 63-53. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Auvin Cole (5) of Tam gets past Archie Williams defender Grady Stewart (4)during their MCAL boys basketball game in San Anselmo, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Tam 63-53. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Ephraim Sohn (11) of Archie Williams draws a trio of Tam defenders during their MCAL boys basketball game in San Anselmo, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Tam 63-53. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Owen Bugas (3) of Archie Williams gets past a pair of Tam defenders as he drives to the basket during their MCAL boys basketball game in San Anselmo, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Tam 63-53. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Ephraim Sohn (11) of Archie Williams scores on a layup late in the game after a Tam turnover during their MCAL boys basketball game in San Anselmo, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Tam 63-53. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Auvin Cole (5) of Tam shoots and scores a 3-point shot over Archie Williams defender Owen Bugas (3) during their MCAL boys basketball game in San Anselmo, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Tam 63-53. Cole scored 22 points for Tam in the game. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Henry Dehan (0) of Tam defends as Dante Stallone (1) of Archie Williams gets a pass off to teammate Ephraim Sohn (11) of Archie Williams who later scored after Stallone recovered a Tam loose ball late in the fourth quarter of their MCAL boys basketball game in San Anselmo, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Tam 63-53. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Auvin Cole (5) of Tam grabs an Archie Williams rebound during their MCAL boys basketball game in San Anselmo, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Tam 63-53. Cole scored 22 points for Tam. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Auvin Cole (5) of Tam grabs an Archie Williams rebound in front of Brian Wright (21) of Archie Williams during their MCAL boys basketball game in San Anselmo, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Tam 63-53. Cole scored 22 points for Tam. Wright had 18 points for Archie Williams. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Brian Wright (21) of Archie Williams shoots over Tam defender Thomas Boyle (4) during their MCAL boys basketball game in San Anselmo, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Tam 63-53. Wright scored 18 points in the game. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Brian Wright (21) of Archie Williams shoots over Tam defenders during their MCAL boys basketball game in San Anselmo, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Tam 63-53. Wright scored 18 points in the game. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Nabhi Abbushi (3) of Tam and Owen Bugas (3) of Archie Williams race for a loose ball during their MCAL boys basketball game in San Anselmo, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Tam 63-53. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Spencer Fee (11) of Tam grabs an Archie Williams rebound during their MCAL boys basketball game in San Anselmo, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Tam 63-53. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Ephraim Sohn (11) of Archie Williams defends as Jared Broad (35) of Tam grabs a rebound during their MCAL boys basketball game in San Anselmo, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Tam 63-53. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Jace Peterson (10) of Tam shoots over Archie Williams defender Owen Bugas (3) during their MCAL boys basketball game in San Anselmo, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Tam 63-53. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Spencer Fee (11) of Tam heads down the court after blocking an Archie Williams shot during their MCAL boys basketball game in San Anselmo, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Tam 63-53. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Nabhi Abbushi (3) of Tam scores in front of Owen Bugas (3) of Archie Williams during their MCAL boys basketball game in San Anselmo, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Tam 63-53. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Henry Dehan (0) of Tam looks drives to the basket while being defended by Grady Stewart (4) and Brian Wright (21) of Archie Williams during their MCAL boys basketball game in San Anselmo, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Tam 63-53. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Henry Dehan (0) of Tam works to drive past a pair of Archie Williams defenders during their MCAL boys basketball game in San Anselmo, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Tam 63-53. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Grady Stewart (4) of Archie Williams shoots over Tam defender Jace Peterson (10) during their MCAL boys basketball game in San Anselmo, Calif. on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. Archie Williams defeated Tam 63-53. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
The Archie Williams boys basketball team needed a big effort on the court to secure its postseason position, and Grady Stewart was on time to answer the call.
Stewart, who finished with 11 points, celebrated when he hit a 3-pointer in the second quarter to get on the board, but that was just the start. Perhaps his biggest basket came in the game’s final 5 minutes as he dropped in a layup to put the Falcons ahead for good in Tuesday’s 63-53 win over Tam High.
“This team has matured a lot over the past seven months,” Archie Williams head coach Russell Bauer said. “Our guys showed poise when they needed it. They’re a gritty group.”
Brian Wright poured in a team-high 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Falcons (15-8, 6-1 MCAL), who can secure the second seed and a home game in the MCAL playoffs, with a win against Redwood (14-11, 5-2) in Thursday’s regular-season finale.
“This was a huge win for us,” Bauer said. “We have a shot at second place now. We want to avoid Branson in the first round. If we win Thursday, we can host a game. That was one of our goals, and we can achieve that goal.”
Tam, however, is in a perilous position as the Red-tailed Hawks (11-8, 4-3) prepare for Thursday’s matchup with Marin Catholic (10-15, 4-3), with the winner going to the MCAL playoffs.
“This one hurts,” Tam coach Neal Chavez said. “I thought if we played like the team we are, we could beat them… It’s disappointing. That’s a very competitive Archie Williams team, and we had a chance.”
Tam was in command in the first quarter, which saw the Hawks take a 9-0 lead to open the game. The Hawks had extended their lead to 13 points before the Falcons’ Dante Stallone hit a jumper to close the opening frame.
The Falcons continued to ride the wave into the second quarter as they rattled off 12 unanswered points, a run that started with a 3-pointer from Stewart and ended with another from Owen Bugas that game Archie Williams its first lead of the game.
“Our guys were maybe not ready for the first quarter. It took a while to settle in,” Bauer said. “But I had faith in my guys and they picked it up.”
Bugas finished with 10 points for Archie Williams, who also got eight points each from Julian Nichol and Nate Greenberg.
“We knew we needed this game and we started strong,” Chavez said. “We played solid for the first quarter, but then we got flat.”
In the second half, Archie Williams’ defense managed to quiet Tam’s Auvin Cole, who already had 18 points by halftime. Cole finished with a game-high 22 points.
Jace Peterson added nine points for Tam and Spencer Fee grabbed 13 rebounds to go with three points.
With Redwood’s team in the stands scouting the action, the Red-tailed Hawks and Peregrine Falcons traded shots and leads through the much of the second half, although Archie Williams was unable to hold onto a lead until late in the fourth quarter. After Stewart’s layup with 4 1/2 minutes to play put the Falcons ahead, 52-50, Ephraim Sohn and Wright combined on a five-point burst that helped seal the win.
Now the teams still fighting for playoff position turn their focus to Thursday.
