Basketball tournaments dominated the action between Christmas and New Year’s and transfers in all winter sports became eligible to play for their new teams on Dec. 25.
Cal-bound guard Semetri Carr’s move from The Branson School to Redwood High was perhaps the most highly anticipated Marin transfer of the winter. Carr played for Redwood at the Damien Classic and put together a 37-point performance for the Giants in his first week of action.
The Branson boys also enjoyed a solid week at the Damien Classic while four other Marin teams stayed closer to home at the Bambauer Classic.
Most of the girls teams in action this week took part in the West Coast Jamboree.
Semetri Carr, Redwood boys basketball >> Carr became eligible to play this past week and was more than worth the wait for the Giants. Carr scored 21 points and added nine rebounds as Redwood defeated Northeast (Fla.) at the Damien Classic on Friday then went off for 37 points and eight rebounds in a 61-47 victory against Etiwanda on Saturday.
NJ Gray, Branson boys basketball >> Gray led the Bulls in scoring on both Friday and Saturday in wins against Houston Christian and Pacifica, respectively, at the Damien Classic. Gray scored 21 points in a 64-58 win against Houston Christian then scored 20 as Branson held on for a 66-65 victory against Pacifica.
Brianna Nottingham and Quincy Dean, San Marin girls basketball >> Nottingham and Dean scored in double digits all three games as the Mustangs finished second in the SoCal Holiday Classic in San Diego. Nottingham scored 12, 13, and 13 points against Holy Martyrs, Heritage, and Rancho Buena Vista, respectively. Nottingham scored 10 of her 13 against Heritage in the third quarter as San Marin broke open the game. Dean posted averages of 12.7 points and 7.7 rebounds and was named to the all-tournament team.
Carly Amborn, San Domenico girls basketball >> Amborn led the Panthers in scoring in each of their first two games at the West Coast Jamboree. Amborn hit seven 3-pointers en route to 30 points in a win over St. Patrick-St. Vincent. Amborn had 17 more points as San Domenico fell 51-41 against Los Banos on Saturday.
Avery Myerberg, Branson girls basketball >> Myerberg put together another 30-point game, hitting five 3-pointers en route to scoring exactly 30 points as Branson topped Pyramid Lake 64-48 at the West Coast Jamboree. Myerberg also pulled down 12 rebounds.
Alexander Berkowitz, Redwood wrestling >> Berkowitz continued his strong start to the season with a second-place showing in the 165-pound bracket at the Lou Bronzan Invitational in Liberty High in Brentwood. Berkowitz went 3-1 at the tournament.
Dante Stallone, Archie Williams boys basketball >> Stallone scored in double figures as Archie Williams won its first two games at the Bambauer Classic at Marin Catholic, ensuring the Peregrine Falcons would secure the best finish of the four Marin teams involved. Stallone scored 12 points in the first game and added 17 more in Archie Williams’ second game.
Gavin Early, San Domenico boys basketball >> Early put up back-to-back games of 20-plus points as San Domenico split its first two games at the Bambauer Classic. Early scored 21 points as San Domenico lost a heartbreaker at the buzzer, 54-51 against Serra on Thursday. Early put together a 24-point, 12-rebound stat line in a 64-48 win against Lincoln on Friday.
Evan Brewster, Terra Linda boys basketball >> Brewster had a pair of big games as TL took seventh place at the Sonoma County Classic. Brewster scored a game-high 25 points as the Trojans dropped a 52-47 contest to Santa Rosa on Friday night. Brewster scored 21 points the next day in a 58-40 win against Ukiah. Brewster and Pele Love were named to the all-tournament team for TL.