CARMEL >> Re-creating a competitive game-like environment is every coach’s concern when you’re forced to sit around for 11 days between games.

“You can’t re-create the game stress and sharpness of an actual game,” Carmel boys basketball coach Kurt Grahl said. “You try and simulate things in practice. It’s just not the same.”

But, the championship pedigree that several of his players possess, either from winning a Central Coast Section Division IV basketball title last year or being a part of a state football championship run this past fall, came to the forefront Tuesday night.

Marcus Togneri hit two free throws with 30 seconds to extend the lead to three, before Ty Arnold stole a pass and scored on a layup with eight seconds left in Carmel’s 47-42 win over Soquel in the Division IV quarterfinals.

The No. 2 Padres (18-6) will host No. 3 Half Moon Bay — 66-59 winners over Pacific Grove — on Thursday for a spot in the section finals for the second straight year.

“Half Moon Bay runs a lot of different sets and runs them well,” Grahl said. “It’s a tough team to guard with multiple guys that can hit shots. We have to be disciplined on defense.”

The Pacific Coast Athletic League’s Gabilan Division champion Padres, who are 16-2 in their past 18 games, failed to hold a 10-point cushion in the third quarter and found themselves trailing in the fourth before regrouping. Togneri’s two free throws gave them a three-point lead with 28 seconds left.

“Soquel kept hanging around,” Grahl said. “We had stretches where we did not execute. Things we routinely do, we struggled with. We had flashes. But we struggled to make the correct reads on a consistent basis.”

With two-time all-county guard Simeon Brown limited because of the flu, Hudson Rutherford led the Padres with 15 points, while Warren Blut added 14.

Half Moon Bay 66, Pacific Grove 59 >> Staring at a 19-point deficit in the second half, the Breakers’ made a furious fourth-quarter run at Half Moon Bay, getting as close as four with 1:30 left before falling to the No. 3 seed in Division IV.

“We were within four and had the ball,” Pacific Grove coach Dan Powers said. “I think we lead the state in close games that didn’t go our way.”

Pacific Grove dropped three games in the Gabilan Division in overtime and two others by five points or less, finishing the year 13-13.

Brody Edmonds collected a double-double for Pacific Grove with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Andrew Nimri finished with 22 points, while Gabriel Valencia tallied 18.

Division V

Palma 61, Crystal Springs Upland 37 >> The Chieftains are headed to the Division V semifinals, outscoring Crystal Springs 27-9 in the third quarter to turn a game in doubt into a rout.

As a result, the No. 2 Chieftains will get another home game Thursday, facing No. 3 Shasta Summit (22-3) of Daly City for a spot in the Division V title game.

The Black Bears cruised to a 74-42 win over MacDonald of San Jose.

“I’ve watched them,” first-year Palma coach Brian Driscoll said. “They seem like they are very connected. They play hard. They have an elite guard.”

Perhaps feeling the effects of an 11-day layoff following the Gabilan Division season, the Chieftains (20-6) held a 24-17 halftime lead before erupting for 27 points in the third quarter alone.

JJ Saucedo led three players in double figures for Palma 17 points, while Tai Suich added 14 points and Soren Roberts 12, with JT Harreld nearly compiling a double-double.

Division III

Burlingame 67, Monterey 64 >> Once the shock wears off, it will set in that the Toreadores will not have a shot to defend their state divisional title.

A 3-point shot at the buzzer to force overtime and save Monterey’s season didn’t drop as it was ousted from the Division III playoffs by a familiar postseason rival in Burlingame.

“We deserved to lose,” Monterey coach Greg Daniels said. “We weren’t committed to doing the little things. We weren’t disciplined enough tonight. We got outplayed, outcoached. That’s what happens in the playoffs when you don’t execute.”

The Toreadores (19-6) are no strangers to Burlingame, having faced them five times in the past eight years in the playoffs, beating them in 2023 for their third CCS Division III title.

“The margin of error is very small in the playoffs,” Daniels said. “We’ve preached that all year. We worked on our weaknesses all year on attention to detail, the discipline part of the game. Burlingame wanted it more than us.”

Monterey struggled in big moments in the final eight minutes, missing four free throws alone in the fourth quarter.

Jamar Aquino led Monterey with 21 points, while Dekota Ordonio finished with 18 and JJ Roth 11. Quinn Johnson chipped in with eight points.