The North Coast Section Semi-Final games are not do or die, but it will make life easier when the do or die games resume again next week in the Nor Cal Playoffs.  The more wins at this stage, the better the seeding for the Nor Cal tournament, and less travel.
Of course, all teams are two wins away from a North Coast Section Championship, which gets the school a pennant and there name put on the NCS Website list of champions.

DIVISION 2
BOYS
No. 3 Dublin (18-10) at No. 2 Montgomery (20-10)
No. 4 Las Lomas (19-9) at No. 1 El Cerrito (27-3)
When Montgomery last won this division in 2011, there hadn’t been a repeat champion since 1995, when Amador Valley won the last of its three straight.  That has changed since, as Newark Memorial won the last three.  That streak came to an end last Friday, when as a No. 9 seed, they were defeated by No. 1 El Cerrito 65-39.
Montgomery has won more Section titles than the other three teams left, combined.  They are looking for their sixth NCS championship overall, and fifth since 1998.
Dublin finished in the middle of the pack of the Diablo Foothill League.  They went 6-6, in a league race won by Campolindo, who is the No. 4 seed and still going in Division 3.
Las Lomas, who finished one game ahead of Dublin in the league race, is No. 4 in Division 2 and is at No. 1 El Cerrito. Dublin won both games over Las Lomas by a combined five points.  That is the reason they are seeded higher.
In December, Dublin took third in the Windsor tournament, beating Analy in the opening round.  Earlier in the season they won a home non-league game against Windsor.
In the power rankings, Dublin is higher than Montgomery.  Actually the top two in Division 2 are No. 1 El Cerrito and No. 2 Las Lomas, who are meeting in the other game.  In the Chronicle rankings, El Cerrito is No. 2.
GIRLS
No. 3 Windsor (18-11) at No. 2 Dublin (24-3)
No. 13 Novato (18-11) at No. 1 Carondelet (26-2)

Windsor will go to the Nor Cal tournament for the second straight season.  This is a promising sign for a team that starts four freshmen.
Another encouraging sign for the program, Jessica Barbosa, the other starter who is a senior, has committed to the University of Texas at El Paso.  Barbosa is averaging a double-double on the season, with 14.7 points and 12.3 rebounds a game.
Windsor, who finished third in the NBL race, pulled off a clutch 57-54 win over Alameda in a game that was about as intense and close as a playoff game can get.  Barbosa just missed a double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds. Hannah May, one of the freshman starters, added 17 and also dished out five assists, including on a basket by Barbosa that turned out to be the game winner in the last thirty seconds.  May is the second leading scorer on the team, averaging ten points a game.
They meet a Dublin team that is the real deal, just ask Analy and Montgomery.  That is who they have beaten in the first two rounds, winning both games by over 30 points.  Dublin has been noticed.  In the Chronicle rankings they are No. 10.
Dublin finished second in the Diablo Foothill League, going 10-2 in league play with the losses to Miramonte, who is the No. 1 seed in Division 3 and No. 1 in the Chronicle rankings.
Dublin has three seniors, who are averaging in double figures.  Two of them are close to averaging a double-double a game.
DIVISION 4
BOYS
No. 4 St. Mary’s (Berkeley) (17-10) at No. 1 Cardinal Newman (28-2)
No. 6 Marin Catholic (20-10) at No. 2 St. Patrick/St. Vincent (22-8)
After two one sided wins over the NCL world, the schedule takes an upgrade for Cardinal Newman.  They meet a team that is in a league that is used to winning NCS Championships.  Well at least, one team is and that is Salesian, who went into the playoffs winning four out of six.  That number is now four of seven as they were defeated by Marin Catholic 57-55 in the only game that has had any real suspense to it in the bracket.
St. Mary’s Berkeley has won its first two playoff games by 35 and 21 to get to the game against Cardinal Newman, who won its games by 26 and 30.
Before Salesian started its streak of NCS titles, St. Mary’s won three of four.   A nine year streak in which Salesian or St. Mary’s won the NCS Division 4 championship was snapped last season.
St. Mary’s Berkeley finished 4-6 in the Tri County Rock League.  Don’t underestimate them because of that.  The league champion is El Cerrito, who is the No. 1 seed in Division 2.   The second place team was St. Patrick-St. Vincent who is the No. 2 seed in this bracket.
This is the second meeting of the season between the two teams.   The first one was the championship game of the Rose City Tournament back in December in which Cardinal Newman rallied late to win it 42-41.
St. Mary’s Berkeley leading scorer is junior Kevin Warren who is averaging 20.3 a game.
GIRLS
No. 3 Cardinal Newman (25-5) at No. 2 Salesian (26-3)
No. 4 Piedmont (18-10) at No.1 St. Mary’s (Berkeley) (22-7)

Cardinal Newman has treated the first two games of its NCS playoffs like they have treated the rest of what is now a 19 game winning streak.  They have won the first two NCS games by 57 and 19.
Cardinal Newman’s opponent Salesian almost matches that.  After a first round bye, they took the second round game by 27.
Three Salesian players are averaging in double figures, two of them are juniors.  The only local team that Salesian has met was their opening game of the season when they defeated Middletown 60-44.
Salesian is No. 8 in the Chronicle rankings. Cardinal Newman is No.12.
DIVISION 6
BOYS
No. 5 CSD (Fremont) (19-10) at No. 1 St. Bernard Catholic (18-10)…8 pm
No. 7 Anderson Valley (19-8) at No. 3 Archbishop Hanna (23-4)…7 pm
The Anderson Valley-Archbishop Hanna game is a matchup between the NCL III and Small School Bridge Champions.
The two teams met in December in a game won by Archbishop Hanna 70-59.
Anderson Valley advanced to this game with a 53-51 win over No. 2 seed St. Elizabeth.  A win will give them their first twenty win season during the MaxPreps era.
CSD is the defending champion.
GIRLS
No. 5 Cornerstone Christian (22-7) at No. 1 St. Bernard Catholic (19-9)…6:30
No. 3 Round Valley (16-6) at No. 2 Ferndale (13-13)…7 pm
Round Valley won its second straight NCL III championship, going through the league undefeated and has won thirteen straight.
Ferndale has won three straight Division 6 championships.
My email address is jacpasquini@comcast.net
You can also now follow me at twitter @homer2612