MODESTO — The effort was there on every dive to the floor, every body thrown into a rebound and every open look taken without hesitation.
But on a floor where almost no one wins playoff games, effort alone isn’t enough.
Facing a program that has turned its home gym into one of Northern California’s toughest proving grounds, De La Salle matched Modesto Christian’s fight for long stretches Wednesday night.
De La Salle's Davit Pachulia (40) takes a shot against Modesto Christian's Somto Patrick (20) in fourth quarter of their CIF NorCal boys basketball Open Division game at Modesto Christian High School in Modesto, Calif., on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)The Spartans scrapped for rebounds, chased loose balls and kept answering runs. The difference was that Modesto Christian made the shots most teams can’t — the contested jumpers, the transition bursts, the momentum-swinging plays that turn a tight game into a decisive one.
That combination of shot-making and athleticism carried Modesto Christian to a 71-59 win over De La Salle in the first round of the NorCal Open Division playoffs, ending the Spartans’ return to California’s toughest bracket.
“I thought we played pretty well on offense, but I just didn’t think we played well enough defensively,” De La Salle coach Marcus Schroeder said. “But credit them, they have really good offensive players, and it’s somewhat of a tough matchup for us, but overall, just really proud of our group.”
De La Salle’s performance on Wednesday night offered a response to the questions surrounding its controversial Open Division selection and the program’s future after the graduation of star Alec Blair, proving the Spartans could compete with one of the division’s perennial powers even if they couldn’t quite solve the Crusaders, who remain unbeaten at home since 1998 and have now defeated De La Salle in all three of their Open Division postseason meetings.
“We saw what everyone was saying, but we knew they’ve been saying that kind of stuff all year,” De La Salle point guard Ibrahim Monawar said. “For us, it was just the same mentality coming in and it was some fuel. I feel like we were right there for a couple possessions, they just made more plays. So credit to them.”
De La Salle's Miangel Guitierrez (22) takes a shot against Modesto Christian's Somto Patrick (20) in second quarter of their CIF NorCal boys basketball Open Division game at Modesto Christian High School in Modesto, Calif., on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)Monawar led De La Salle with 16 points while junior Davit Pachulia had 15.
Modesto Christian got 16 points from junior point guard Trevor Dickson while Siincere Hudson and Cole Martin each had 13. Freshman Somto Patrick had 12 points.
De La Salle tied the game early at 18 midway through the second quarter, but that’s as close as the Concord school would get for the rest of the game. Modesto Christian used an 11-0 run, fueled by a barrage of buckets from Hudson, Martin and Dickson.
At halftime, Modesto Christian led 31-23.
The second half became a story on repeat.
De La Salle's Ibrahim Monawar (11) dribbles against Modesto Christian's Cole Martin (4) in second quarter of their CIF NorCal boys basketball Open Division game at Modesto Christian High School in Modesto, Calif., on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)Modesto Christian would rebuild its double-digit cushion. De La Salle would go on a mini-run, only to see the Crusaders make a momentum-shifting play that ignited the packed crowd.
Down six with 3:20 left to play, Dickson stole a De La Salle pass and took it the length of the floor, finishing the play with a two-handed slam.
Down five a minute later, De La Salle didn’t box out and allowed a tip-in from Patrick that extended the Crusaders’ lead to seven.
The dagger came when Dickson hit a fading 3-pointer with the shot clock running down to make the score 67-57 with 100 seconds left in the game, ending De La Salle’s chances at any comeback.
Modesto Christian's Trevor Dickson (22) scores a basket against De La Salle in third quarter of their CIF NorCal boys basketball Open Division game at Modesto Christian High School in Modesto, Calif., on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)Though the season didn’t end the way they envisioned, the Spartans proved once again that they are still among Northern California’s elite basketball programs.
The Spartans won the East Bay Athletic League regular season title, defying odds after losing four starters from last season, including Blair.
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“We didn’t lobby for anything. We sent our resume,” Schroeder said. “I know people want to say that we did that or this. We would accept anywhere they would put us. So, we were excited for the challenge.
“I think a lot of people counted us out for sure. I think this group was unproven and our guys really worked. I think it really showed by winning the EBAL championship and getting to this point where we’re a top five or six team in Northern California once again, after we lost a lot of our key seniors from last year. I think our guys proved that they can play with anybody in the state.”
De La Salle boys basketball head coach Marcus Schroeder talks to a referee during their game against Modesto Christian in third quarter of their CIF NorCal boys basketball Open Division game at Modesto Christian High School in Modesto, Calif., on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) De La Salle's Ibrahim Monawar (11) takes a shot against Modesto Christian in third quarter of their CIF NorCal boys basketball Open Division game at Modesto Christian High School in Modesto, Calif., on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) De La Salle's Olanre Owoborode (42) takes a shot against Modesto Christian's Somto Patrick (20) in fourth quarter of their CIF NorCal boys basketball Open Division game at Modesto Christian High School in Modesto, Calif., on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) De La Salle's Davit Pachulia (40) walks off the court following their 71-59 loss to Modesto Christian for their CIF NorCal boys basketball Open Division game at Modesto Christian High School in Modesto, Calif., on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) De La Salle's Davit Pachulia (40) takes a shot against Modesto Christian's Somto Patrick (20) in fourth quarter of their CIF NorCal boys basketball Open Division game at Modesto Christian High School in Modesto, Calif., on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) De La Salle's Noah Ladrech (10) tries to pass the ball against Modesto Christian in fourth quarter of their CIF NorCal boys basketball Open Division game at Modesto Christian High School in Modesto, Calif., on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) De La Salle's Olanre Owoborode (42) has his shot blocked by Modesto Christian's Somto Patrick (20) in third quarter of their CIF NorCal boys basketball Open Division game at Modesto Christian High School in Modesto, Calif., on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) De La Salle's Olanre Owoborode (42) takes a shot against Modesto Christian's Somto Patrick (20) in first quarter of their CIF NorCal boys basketball Open Division game at Modesto Christian High School in Modesto, Calif., on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) Modesto Christian's Seve Archuleta (32) celebrates a play against De La Salle in second quarter of their CIF NorCal boys basketball Open Division game at Modesto Christian High School in Modesto, Calif., on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) De La Salle's Mariano Lopez-Aarden (32) takes a shot against Modesto Christian's Somto Patrick (20) in first quarter of their CIF NorCal boys basketball Open Division game at Modesto Christian High School in Modesto, Calif., on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) De La Salle's James Bush (13) takes a shot against Modesto Christian's Seve Archuleta (32) in second quarter of their CIF NorCal boys basketball Open Division game at Modesto Christian High School in Modesto, Calif., on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) De La Salle's Miangel Guitierrez (22) takes a shot against Modesto Christian's Somto Patrick (20) in second quarter of their CIF NorCal boys basketball Open Division game at Modesto Christian High School in Modesto, Calif., on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) De La Salle's Mariano Lopez-Aarden (32) dribbles against Modesto Christian's Somto Patrick (20) in first quarter of their CIF NorCal boys basketball Open Division game at Modesto Christian High School in Modesto, Calif., on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) De La Salle's Mariano Lopez-Aarden (32) tries to get a shot off against Modesto Christian's Somto Patrick (20) in first quarter of their CIF NorCal boys basketball Open Division game at Modesto Christian High School in Modesto, Calif., on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)Hence then, the article about de la salle hangs tough but season ends as spartans can t beat modesto christian was published today ( ) and is available on mercury news ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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