Fresh off its first Sac-Joaquin Section championship in three decades, the Marysville High boys basketball team opened California Interscholastic Federation Northern California state playoffs with an opportunity to accomplish roughly the same feat.
Marysville’s last NorCal win was 1994, the second of a back-to-back run to the SJS championship.
But this year’s historic run would come to an end for Marysville, seeded eighth in the NorCal Division IV tournament, after ninth-seeded Burlingame overtook the Indians in the fourth quarter and held on for a 52-45 win, snapping Marysville’s historic 24-game win streak.
“I told them that this doesn’t matter,” Marysville coach Stan Easter said. “We wanted to win this game, obviously, but I told them that it was going to be tough. You got that emotional high of winning the section championship on Friday, and then you get one day to prepare for this team. One thing I feared about tonight happened: We just didn’t have the energy that we played with all year.”
Marysville (29-4), which previously had not lost since Dec. 15, battled Burlingame most of the night, exchanging leads five times through the first quarter before ending the first eight minutes down 13-12. The first quarter was unchartered territory for Marysville, as the Indians had only three single-digit wins during the streak.
Burlingame immediately went on a 7-0 run to begin the second, pulling in front 20-12 in the first three minutes.
Marysville would respond, courtesy in part of sophomore Dennis Syders’ ability to penetrate the lane for finishes and kick-outs. Syders had a quick four points, while Ambelique Clarke converted a drive-and-finish to put Marysville back in front, 27-25 at the break.
Marysville extended its lead in the third with the help of one its seven seniors: Kayden Ellyson. The diminutive point guard converted his third 3-pointer within the first minute of the third to put Marysville ahead 31-25. Ellyson scored another to get to 14 points and help Marysville jump ahead 34-28 late in the third.
Ellyson was helped by seven points from Syders, while Joshua Brown Jr. finished with 8 and Amrin Mann added six for Marysville.
Ellyson’s counterpart, Zaden Martin, immediately responded with a 3 to cut the deficit in half at 34-31 at the 4-minute mark of the period.
Marysville ended up clinging to a 36-33 lead after 3 quarters.
“We didn’t have energy from the jump,” Easter said. “I don’t think any of our guys played the way they normally play. If we get average games from our guys I think it changes everything.”
The fourth quarter would essentially be all Burlingame, starting with another 7-0 run in the first two minutes to overtake Marysville, 40-36. MJ Dowd followed with a Steph Curry-like 3 from the top of the key to extend Burlingame to its biggest advantage of the night, 43-36 with about 4 minutes left.
Ellyson responded with a pass inside to Shawn Smith to trim it to 45-41 with 2:47 remaining.
“Kayden will do whatever we need,” Easter said. “If we need him to score he’ll score, if we need him to assist he’ll assist. He’ll do whatever is needed.”
Ellyson’s explosion couldn’t help Marysville get closer than four in the final two minutes and the Indians would fall for the first time in two-and-a-months.
Burlingame (22-5) advances to play top-seed Head-Royce at 7 p.m. today in Oakland.
