SANTA CLARA >> Brian Driscoll reminded his players how special it is to be playing this time of the year. He didn’t need to remind them there’s practice on Monday.

“We’re four months into this and it still feels like the first week,” the Palma boys basketball coach said. “The kids are energetic and love coming to the gym.”

Falling 61-52 Saturday to Woodside Priory of Portola Valley in the Central Coast Section Division V championships at Santa Clara High was softened somewhat by the fact that the Chieftains will be in the Northern California tournament, which begins Tuesday.

“I can’t wait to see the bracket,” said Driscoll, who took Palma to nine more wins than last year at 21-7. “We will learn from this and grow. It’s not over. I expect us to play our best game of the year on Tuesday.”

Palma, which erupted for a season high 77 points on Thursday in knocking off Shasta Summitt, was playing its first section title game since 2022, when it fell Menlo.

One of two programs in Monterey County to win a state basketball title, the Chieftains have won three Northern California titles, the last coming in 2016 when current San Antonio Spurs G-Leaguer Jamaree Bouyea was a junior on campus.

Whether it was nerves, anxiety or just plain youth on a team with one senior, Palma dug itself a hole early, falling behind by 12 at the half and by as much as 16 points in the third quarter.

Priory, which has won three of the past four CCS Division V titles and had the distinction of knocking off section power King’s Academy last month, was explosive in the first half.

“We did not handle the moment competitively like we needed to,” Driscoll said. “We weren’t able to settle in. But the resilience we showed in the second half is who we really are.”

Particularly in the fourth quarter when the No. 2 seeded Chieftains cut into the lead, trimming a 16-point deficit to six with 2:39 left and with the ball.

“We had two good looks at 3s,” Driscoll said. “We had them on the ropes. But credit Priory. We just dug ourselves too big of a hole in the first half. I have 100 percent belief in this team. I love how much we’ve grown.”

All seven of the Chieftains setbacks this winter have come against teams that reached the playoffs — three of which played for titles in their respective sections.

“I love the team fight and competitiveness,” said Driscoll, who had previous coaching stops as an assistant at San Ramon and De La Salle. “We played poorly in the first half. But we have no quit. We made this game winnable.”

And that’s what Driscoll will build upon going into Tuesday’s first round in the NorCal tournament. The Chieftains have dropped two straight games just once all season.

“I like our resume,” Driscoll said.

Ty Suich ignited the Chieftains fourth quarter surge with six of his 19 points coming in the final eight minutes, while JJ Saucedo scored eight of his 13 in the third quarter.

Palma’s lone senior Soren Roberts contributed eight points along with 6-foot-7 junior JT Harreld.

“He’s a horse,” said Driscoll, in speaking about Roberts. “We’re going to miss him. But we have some basketball left. Let’s see how far we can take this. It’s a special time of the year to be playing in March.”