Senior guard/forward Nash Horton recorded his 14th double-double of the season, and St. Francis High’s boys basketball team took a major step toward earning the Pacific Coast Athletic League Cypress Division title with its 60-54 win over Soledad on Monday.

Horton finished with 17 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, and two steals for the unbeaten Sharks (18-3, 9-0), who have three games remaining in the regular season.

The second-place Aztecs (11-10, 7-2) picked up their second league loss.

St. Francis outscored Soledad 14-7 in the second quarter and carried a 31-21 lead into the half. The Aztecs rallied in the third and entered the fourth trailing 39-37.

The Sharks made five of their 11 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.

“That’s who we’ve been all season — our guys step up to the challenge, even when we aren’t playing great,” said Robert Gomez, the Sharks’ first-year head coach.

Junior forward/center Jacob Jimenez had 16 points and eight rebounds for the Sharks, and senior guard/forward Jesse Navarro made four 3-pointers and scored 12 points,

“Seems like every game someone new steps up big and tonight is was Jacob Jimenez and Jesse Navarro,” Gomez said. “Nash didn’t have his best shooting night but every time we needed a big shot, he hit it.”

Pedro Morales made three 3s and scored a game-high 19 points for the Aztecs. Pablo Morales made two 3s and scored 14 points.

“Soledad played a heck of game, made us earn everything, and did a good job of slowing us down,” Gomez said.

St. Francis hosts Gonzales (6-10, 3-5) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Sharks will clinch no worse than a share of the division title with a win.

Pacific Collegiate 44, at North Salinas 42 >> Ian Bulfin had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and the Pumas rallied from a 10-point deficit in the second half and won their PCAL Cypress Division game Monday.

“The kids have been playing better basketball,” Pumas coach Duane Garner said.

PCS’s Son Mai-Clark tied the score at 40-all with his free throw with 30 seconds left, and the Pumas took a 43-40 lead on Bulfin’s three-point play. North Salinas scored and Bulfin made a free throw to cap scoring.

Garrett Koontz scored 15 points for the Pumas (3-11, 1-7), and Thomas May chipped in with 10 points before fouling out.

PCS hosts Soledad (11-10, 7-2) on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Girls basketball

At St. Francis 63, Seaside 25 >> Freshman guard Liliana Whitmeyer scored a career-high 30 points, and the Sharks remained unbeaten in PCAL Cypress Division play Monday.

Whitmeyer also made three rebounds, two steals, and two assists.

Keira Grio had 14 points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals for the Sharks (19-2, 10-0), who have four games remaining in the regular season. Seaside dropped to 3-16, 2-8.

Maeve Flynn had seven points and three rebounds for St. Francis, and sophomore guard Maya Calfee had six points, six rebounds, seven assists and four steals.

The Sharks play at Pajaro Valley (4-13, 2-6) on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

Salinas 41, at Watsonville 34 >> Junior Stephanie Martinez had 10 points and six rebounds in the Wildcatz’s PCAL loss to the Gabilan Division leading Cowboys on Monday.

Wildcatz (16-5, 6-3) dropped into third place in the standings, behind Salinas (13-7, 7-1) and second-place Hollister (12-7, 6-2).

Freshman Isabella Alvarez had eight points, five assists, and four steals for the Wildcatz, who host Soledad (13-8, 3-6) on Friday at 7 p.m.

Palma 32, at PCS 22 >> Sophomore forward Kat Buckley had 12 points, seven rebounds, five steals, but the Pumas dropped their PCAL Cypress Division game Monday.

Sophomore guard Nina Gramkowski had eight points, eight rebounds, and four steals for the Pumas (9-9, 5-5). Senior guard Addie Payne, who is committed to Saint Mary’s College of California for rowing, added 12 rebounds and three blocks.

PCS plays at Seaside (3-15, 2-7) on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Boys soccer

At Santa Cruz 5, Scotts Valley 0 >> Junior Desmond Boutelle had three goals and an assist to help lift the Cardinals in their SCCAL make-up game Monday.

Junior Cutler Bauscher scored a goal and had two assists, and classmate Stefan Ciesiolkiewics had a goal and an assist.

Senior goalie Lucas Guzman made four saves in the shutout.

Santa Cruz (10-5-1, 4-1-1) plays at Scotts Valley (0-7-2, 0-6-0) on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.

At PCS 0, Soledad 0 >> Goalie Sam Manchester made multiple saves for the Pumas in their PCAL Cypress Division tie on Monday.

PCS (2-4-7, 1-3-4) plays at North Monterey County (4-11-1, 2-5-1) on Wednesday at 5:45 p.m.

Girls soccer

At Pajaro Valley 3, Alisal 1 >> Senior Valeria Acosta and junior teammates Rocio Acosta and Arianna Ornales-Flores scored for the unbeaten Grizzlies in their PCAL Mission Division win Monday.

Acosta raised her Central Coast Section leading goal total to 41. She’s tied for fourth in the state in goals.

Junior Scarlet Gomez registered an assist for the Grizzlies (15-1-1, 8-0-1), which gives her 24 on the season. Freshman goalie Denise Magallon made one save.

Pajaro Valley plays at Carmel (5-5-5, 4-1-3) on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.

PCS 3, at North Salinas 0 >> Goalie Hailey Woelfel made three saves over 60 minutes and teamed with goalie Farrin O’Hara for the Pumas’ shutout in PCAL Mission Division play Monday.

Woelfel was hit in the face while making her second save in the 20th minute, and exited with a bloody nose. She returned in the second half for the Pumas.

Anna Walker-Edwards turned a pass from Natalia Aladro-Wolf in the decisive goal in the 25th minute.

Ayla Aslanian-Ryon scored on a cross from Piper Garrett in the 46th minute, and Sanneke Blakeslee finished off a pass from Elia Mas in the 70th minute.

PCS (5-6-1, 3-3-1) hosts North Monterey County at Depot Park on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.

St Francis 2, Marina 1 >> Juniors Peyton Orradre and Michaela Garcia scored in the first half, and the Sharks remained unbeaten in PCAL Santa Lucia DIvision play Monday.

Senior Faith Vokos and freshman Alyssandra Peterson earned assists for the Sharks (8-1-1, 5-0-0).

The Mariners scored on a penalty kick late in the second half.

Junior goalie Julie Lopez made five saves for the Sharks, who host Anzar (3-4-0, 3-1-0) on Thursday at 3:30 p.m.

Pro baseball

Bates returns for Dodgers >> The World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers finalized their coaching staff, and former La Selva Beach resident Aaron Bates, 40, will return for his seventh season. After spending four years as the assistant hitting coach (2019-22), Bates begins his third season as hitting coach.

Bates, a former MLBer out of N.C. State, played one year at Soquel High before transferring to Archbishop Mitty in San Jose for this final three years.

College baseball

Fonseca-DaRosa commits >> St. Francis senior infielder Javier Fonseca-DaRosa announced on social media that he will continue his academic and athletic careers at NCAA Division II Menlo College in Atherton.

Fonseca-DaRosa batted .423 (30 for 71) last season for the Sharks (22-5) with 10 extra-base hits, 34 RBI, and 26 runs scored.

The Oaks went 15-26 overall in 2024, 6-17 in the Golden State Athletic Conference, under coach Alex Hoover. Menlo will compete in the PacWest Conference beginning this season.

Men’s basketball

Mary Washington 64, UCSC 62 >> Junior forward/center Joseph Espy had 25 points and 13 rebounds, but the Banana Slugs suffered a narrow loss in their Coast-To-Coast Conference game in Newport News, Virginia, on Sunday.

Senior guard Zino Okah had 11 points, four rebounds, four assists, and two blocks for UCSC (10-12). Senior guard Ryan Wilson had nine points, six assists, and two rebounds.

Jay Randall scored 23 points to lead the Eagles (8-11).

UCSC faces Academy of Art (12-7) at Kezar Pavilion in San Francisco on Feb 11 at 7 p.m.

Women’s tennis

Whitman 6, UCSC 1 >> Sara Beckman earned a 6-3, 6-4 win in singles action for the Banana Slugs’ lone win in Tacoma, Washington, on Sunday.

UCSC (1-1) hosts Cal Lutheran (0-0) on Saturday at 10 a.m.