
03 Feb Salesian High Falls in ‘Heavyweight Fight,’ Ends Win Streak at 13
St. Joseph sophomore guard Malcolm Price pushes the ball in transition during a game where he saw limited minutes due to foul trouble.
Story and photos by Joe Porrello
In a clash between two high school basketball powerhouses, Salesian College Preparatory High fell 76-67 to St. Joseph High on Jan. 25 in San Pablo.
Although it was supposed to be a home game for the Pride, the teams — separated by 238 miles and never having faced each other — played at Contra Costa College to accommodate a larger crowd.
Salesian entered the game riding a 13-game win streak, having dominated their last four opponents by an average of 45 points. The Pride were ranked No. 45 nationally and No. 19 statewide.
On the other side, St. Joseph’s Knights from Santa Maria, Calif., came in with a 10-game win streak of their own and were ranked No. 16 in the nation and No. 6 in California.
“It was a heavyweight fight, and luckily we won the last round,” said Knights head coach Tom Mott.
Both teams have been dominating their opponents all season, outscoring them by over 500 points combined. They also both feature multiple players over 6 feet, including all 15 Salesian players.
- St. Joseph forward and lone freshman 6-foot-8 Williams Sacre delivers a thunderous dunk, showcasing his impressive athleticism.
St. Joseph is led by 6-foot-6 senior forward Tounde Yessoufou, ESPN’s No. 15 high school recruit in the country. The Baylor commit is averaging 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 steals per game while shooting 57%.
“I knew coming in it was going to be a tough game — they’re No. 6 in the state for a reason,” said Yessoufou, who is from Benin in West Africa.
His 23 points were the most of any player on either team.
“I was just trying to open things up for my teammates,” Yessoufou said. “When they hit their shots, it’s hard for defenses to double-team me.”
- St. Joseph 6-6 senior forward Tounde Yessoufou, a Baylor commit, lines up for a free throw during the game.
- As ESPN’s No. 15 high school recruit in the country, St. Joseph senior forward Tounde Yessoufou commands significant defensive attention on the court.
Salesian showed resilience as the game went on, gradually improving each quarter, but it wasn’t enough.
“We have to be better,” said Pride head coach Bill Mellis. “This was a measuring stick game for us, and it just shows we still have a lot of work to do.”
The Pride started slow, getting outrebounded and outhustled early. They found themselves down seven points at the end of the first quarter. St. Joseph’s smothering defense continued in the second, preventing Salesian from hitting a single three-pointer, and the Knights extended their lead to nine by halftime.
A renewed urgency in the second half saw Salesian driving to the basket more aggressively, forcing foul trouble for the Knights’ starters. Two key players were sidelined for extended stretches.
“When you play great teams like Salesian, you know they’re going to go on runs,” Mott said. “We were lucky to have a lead when they did. Our key was coming out strong because they’re not a team you want to have to come back against.”
Pride junior forward Carlton Perrilliat sparked the crowd by tying the game midway through the third with a three-pointer. He finished with 21 points, just ahead of junior guard Elias Obenyah, who scored 20.
- Pride junior forward Carlton Perrilliat slams home a dunk on his way to a team-high 21 points.
“Buckets don’t matter when you don’t get the win,” said Obenyah. “I really thought we were going to get this game, but we just didn’t come out with enough energy.”
- Spartans 6-foot-5 junior guard Elias Obenyah finished with 20 points and was hustling all over the floor.
St. Joseph, however, weathered the storm and rebuilt their lead to eight heading into the final quarter.
“I honestly wasn’t worried,” Yessoufou said. “We knew after the first half they were going to run everything they had at us.”
After scoring just five points in the first three quarters, Knights junior guard Gunner Morinini hit three quick three-pointers in under two minutes during the fourth quarter, helping St. Joseph pull away for good.
“Salesian started to push back, and we needed some momentum,” Morinini said. “Those were big shots, and it just shows the confidence my teammates have in me.”
- Knights junior guard Gunner Morinini sinks one of three three-pointers in the fourth quarter, contributing to his 14-point total.
Salesian’s 67 points marked the most any team has scored against St. Joseph in their past five games; the 76 points the Pride allowed was the most they’ve given up all season.
“We’re not going to win many games when we give up over 70 points,” said Mellis. “Our on-ball defense wasn’t where it needed to be.”
- Pride head coach Bill Mellis, with over 20 years at the helm, remains as passionate as ever in leading his team.
Despite the four-hour drive, St. Joseph was unfazed by the long road trip.
“Our guys are focused,” Mott said. “This year we’ve played all over the country. No matter where we go, they come together as a group and shut out all the crowd noise.”
- Knights teammates and brothers junior guard Julius Price, left, and sophomore guard Malcolm Price celebrate after Julius drains a free throw.
The teams are nearly mirror images of each other in terms of success, though Salesian has just one senior — captain guard Alvin Loving — while St. Joseph has six.
- The lone freshman on a Knights team with six seniors, 6-7 forward Matas Siskauskas throws down a powerful transition dunk.
This loss marked just the second for the Pride (19-2) this season. Their previous defeat came over six weeks ago, a one-point loss to No. 3 Archbishop Riordan, the team Salesian eliminated in last year’s NCS Regional Finals.
St. Joseph (22-1) also had one loss this season, a neutral-site game against unbeaten Calvary Christian Academy from Florida, ranked No. 7 in the country.
- Knights senior forward Tounde Yessoufou eyes another block to extend his team lead.
Both teams have sustained their dominance over multiple seasons. Salesian is 69-1 in league play since 2017 and hasn’t had a losing season in over 20 years. St. Joseph is 48-0 in league play since 2019, with only two losing seasons in the past two decades.
- Pride 6-foot-5, 195 lb. junior forward Carlton Perrilliat, right, defends against Knights 6-foot-9, 225 lb. sophomore forward Godson Eyita.
As the Pride close out the regular season with two more games before the playoffs, they aim to remain undefeated at home and in Tri-County-Rock League play.
“I think we’ll use this loss as fuel,” Obenyah said. “Last year we lost in the state championship, and it’s our plan to get back there and win it.”
- Spartans 6-foot-5 junior guard Elias Obenyah drives to the hoop on an offensive fastbreak.
No Comments