NAPA — Salesian matched St. Joseph-Santa Maria possession for possession on Saturday night at Napa Valley College.
The Pride answered the Knights’ size with pace, precision and resolve at the Crush in the Valley showcase. The Richmond school never let the game get out of reach and had a chance to steal a win in the final seconds.
But to beat a team as good as St. Joseph, grit just isn’t enough.
Despite a valiant effort, St. Joseph came to the Bay Area and escaped with a 67-63 win in a battle of two of the state’s top two teams. The Knights defeated Salesian for the second consecutive year at this showcase.
Salesian conceded size across the frontcourt, but stayed connected throughout the game, generated quality looks and kept the Knights uncomfortable for all four quarters. But the Knights’ combination of athletic big men and crafty playmakers won out in the end.
Salesian’s Isaiah Davis (5) glances up at the scoreboard as he walks off the court dejected after being defeated by St. Joseph during their game at Napa Valley College in Napa, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. St. Joseph defeats Salesian 67-63. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)Still, the Pride were not happy about any moral victories.
“I think we just made too many mistakes and a team like that is going to capitalize when you make mistakes. To their credit, they made a lot of shots,” Salesian coach Bill Mellis said. “They defended us well, and I think we just made too many mistakes defensively throughout the game.”
Senior point guard Isaiah Davis led Salesian with 20 points and five assists. Stanford-bound guard Elias Obenyah finished with 18 points and six rebounds.
St. Joseph’s Stanford commit, Julius Price, finished with 24 points.
With a CIF NorCal playoff just over a month away – and a rematch possible should the CIF place St. Joseph in the north bracket – Friday’s game could have major implications for seeding down the line.
Salesian’s Elias Obenyah (2) shoots past St. Joseph’s Julius Price (1) in the first quarter of their game at Napa Valley College in Napa, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)“When you play a great team like Salesian, there’s going to be ramifications wherever it puts us in the state,” St. Joseph coach Tom Mott said. “When you play a great team in their backyard, you want to give it your best effort.”
The Knights seemed to have put the game away late in the fourth quarter even as Salesian responded to every punch they threw.
A layup from junior center Godson Eyita with under 40 seconds left pushed the lead to five and a two free throws from Price a possession later ballooned St. Joseph’s lead to six.
With a few fouls to give, St. Joseph tried to foul Davis on two occasions to reset its defense. But both times, the heady senior was in his shooting motion behind the arc, resulting in a total of six free throws in the final 20 seconds, which Davis hit with ease.
Down two, Salesian forced a turnover on a St. Joseph inbound pass and called timeout to set up a play to win the game.
Riding the hot hand, Mellis went to Davis to shoot a last-second 3-pointer to win the game. Davis got an open look in the left corner, but his shot went halfway into the basket and rimmed out.
Salesian’s Carlton Perrilliat Jr. (21) drives again St. Joseph’s Julius Price (1) in the fourth quarter of their game at Napa Valley College in Napa, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. St. Joseph defeats Salesian 67-63. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)The Knights then hit two free throws to put the game out of reach.
Despite the loss, Mellis sees Saturday’s game as a good measuring stick. The Pride will be favored to win every Tri-County Athletic League Rock Division game going forward and will be the favorite to earn the top seed in the North Coast Section Open Division playoffs.
“We need games like this in the middle of our season to hopefully keep us fresh for playoffs and everything,” Mellis said. “This is a good game where we can watch and see what we need to do better.”
No. 2 Archbishop Riordan 65, Modesto Christian 58
On the second night of a back-to-back, the San Francisco school pulled off an impressive win over Sac Joaquin Section powerhouse Modesto Christian behind a stellar defensive performance in the final four minutes. Riordan closed the game on a 9-3 behind a flurry of Andrew Hilman buckets and assists. Hilman, a San Francisco commit, finished with 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals. JP Pihtovs scored 12 points, grabbed six rebounds, blocked three shots and dished out three assists. Riordan improved to 15-1 and will play St. Ignatius at War Memorial Gymnasium on Tuesday.
Archbishop Riordan’s Emmanuel Ahamefule (4) blocks a shot by Modesto Christian’s Siincere Hudson (3) in the second quarter of their Crush in the Valley tournament game held at Napa Valley College in Napa, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Archbishop Riordan’s Andrew Hilman (2) goes up for a layup past Modesto Christian’s Somto Patrick (20) in the first quarter of their Crush in the Valley tournament game held at Napa Valley College in Napa, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)No. 12 Moreau Catholic 70, Clovis North 62
The Mariners continued to roll, defeating Fresno-area powerhouse Clovis North behind 48 combined points from Isaiah Clendinen and Brendan Williams. Clendinen finished with a team-high 25 points and Williams had 23 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks. Clovis North’s McKae Amundsen had a game-high 35 points.
Moreau Catholic’s Brennan Cacao (3) goes up for a layup against Clovis North in the first quarter of their Crush in the Valley tournament game held at Napa Valley College in Napa, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)Fremont-Oakland 79, Fortune Early College 35
The Tigers made quick work of the school from Sacramento behind 19 points and 11 rebounds from senior center Tyreese West. West also hit five 3-pointers. Fremont has now won its last four games and improved to 12-7.
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