SLO High boys basketball on to third straight CIF semifinal after hard-fought win
San Luis Obispo High “started off flat” at home against a scrappy Hanford High team in a Thursday night CIF-Central Section Division 2 quarterfinal game, said point guard Emilio Corona.
But the Tigers (18-13) turned it on in the second half, picking up its defensive intensity, after a 29-29 tie at the half, and outscored the Bullpups 31-15 to post a 60-44 win.
San Luis Obispo will move on to face Redwood High, of Visalia, on Tuesday at home at 7 p.m. for its third consecutive semifinal appearance.
SLO forward Carson Leedom, a 6-foot-7 senior, led SLO with 17 points, aided by Corona’s 11 points, and center Tommy Cole’s 10.
Cole threw down a two-handed slam dunk that set the crowd into a frenzy midway through the fourth quarter, with the Tigers pulling away.
“I think the first half we just came out flat,” Corona said. “There wasn’t a lot of energy within our team and within the gym...I think everyone was a little tired. Then in the second half we came out with a whole new attitude and we played better defense.”
Big players come through for SLO in CIF quarterfinal
Leedom, along with centers Cole, at 6-foot-7, and Christian Jones, a 6-foot-9 post player, had a clear size advantage and started working the ball inside in the second half.
Jones added eight points for the Tigers. SLO shot 70% on free throws, making 14 of 20 shots.
“This was a grind of a game,” said SLO head coach Jeff Brandow. “It was not a free flowing game. It was a defensive battle. That’s a very well-coached team we just played. We locked down in the second half. I’m really proud of our guys. (Senior) Jeremy Fitzsimmons deserves a lot of credit for his defensive intensity.”
Leedom battled foul trouble in the second half, picking up four fouls in the contest.
“We had a mismatch, so whichever one of us was down low, we took advantage,” Leedom said.
Leedom said it’s “a little emotional” to be playing in his last year of high school basketball.
Five seniors seniors including Leedom, Corona, Kallan Torell (six points on Thursday), Fitzsimmons, Sam Ogden and Cole have played varsity under Brandow for the past three years.
“We have great senior leadership, which is a very positive thing,” Brandow said.
SLO High returning to familiar semifinal game
The Tigers lost in their semifinal matchup when the core group was sophomores, and they lost in the division final last year.
“It has been a progression, it seems,” Brandow said. “But we have to get ready for Redwood. They’ll be a tough team and we’ll have to be ready. We are glad to get to play at home and not have to drive out to (Visalia).”
Leedom said the experience of playing in two straight semifinals will help.
“We’ve been here before,” he said. “It’s just one more trip.”
Brandow said the tough matchups in this year’s Mountain League against Arroyo Grande, Mission Prep and St. Joseph helped the Tigers prepare for postseason.
Mission Prep (16-13) lost Thursday 63-47 in its Division 1 quarterfinal contest against Bakersfield.
Arroyo Grande (23-5) faces Clovis West (25-4), ranked 26th in California, according to maxpreps.com on Saturday. Clovis West beat Arroyo Grande 75-67 on Dec. 20.
This story was originally published February 20, 2020 at 10:24 PM.