De La Salle, Dougherty Valley boys score thrilling NCS Open victories

The East Bay Athletic League continued to flex its collective muscle in boys basketball with a pair of North Coast Section Open Division wins.

Feb. 20, 2026 at 9:54pm by Ben Kaplan

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De La Salle-Concord and Dougherty Valley-San Ramon both scored dramatic victories in the North Coast Section Open Division boys basketball tournament on Thursday. De La Salle survived a career-high 32-point effort by Moreau Catholic-Hayward junior Isaiah Clendinen, including an improbable last-second 3-pointer, to win 71-68 in overtime. At the same time, EBAL playoff champion Dougherty Valley pulled out an 83-79 win at third-seed Marin Catholic-Kentfield.

Why it matters

The East Bay Athletic League has continued to demonstrate its strength in boys basketball, with multiple teams advancing deep into the NCS Open Division tournament. This highlights the competitive nature of the league and the high level of talent in the region.

The details

De La Salle guard Ibrahim Monawar scored 15 of his team-high 17 points after halftime to lead the Spartans to victory. Dougherty Valley was led by 27 points from sophomore Alonzo Walker III and 25 points from Rashod Cotton Jr. in their win over Marin Catholic.

  • De La Salle and Moreau Catholic played on Thursday, February 20, 2026.
  • Dougherty Valley and Marin Catholic played on Thursday, February 20, 2026.

The players

Ibrahim Monawar

A 6-3 senior guard for De La Salle-Concord who scored 15 of his team-high 17 points after halftime.

Isaiah Clendinen

A 5-11 junior guard for Moreau Catholic-Hayward who scored a career-high 32 points, including an improbable last-second 3-pointer to force overtime.

Alonzo Walker III

A sophomore who scored 27 points to lead Dougherty Valley-San Ramon to an 83-79 win over Marin Catholic-Kentfield.

Rashod Cotton Jr.

Scored 25 points for Dougherty Valley-San Ramon in their victory over Marin Catholic-Kentfield.

Marin Catholic-Kentfield

The third-seed in the NCS Open Division tournament, who lost to Dougherty Valley-San Ramon 83-79.

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What they’re saying

“I've never even practiced that shot. I mean we practice coming off screens in the corner. But once (Monawar) poked it away, I kind of almost gave up on it, like there's no way I'm gonna grab it and make it. Honestly, I thought I might have ran out of time. I just tried to put it up as fast as I could.”

— Isaiah Clendinen, Moreau Catholic junior (San Francisco Chronicle)

“Once I poked it away, I sort of let up thinking it was going out of bounds. I should have gone harder, but you got to hand it to Isaiah. It was a heck of a shot. He played a great game.”

— Ibrahim Monawar, De La Salle senior (San Francisco Chronicle)

“I kept telling the guys, 'we're good, we're good, we're going to come back to win this game. Just relax and keep playing together,'”

— Ibrahim Monawar, De La Salle senior (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

De La Salle will play top-seed Salesian-Richmond in the NCS Open Division semifinals on Wednesday, while Moreau Catholic will face Marin Catholic in a consolation game on the same day. All six Open Division teams automatically advance to the CIF Northern California tournament starting March 3.

The takeaway

The East Bay Athletic League has continued to demonstrate its strength in boys basketball, with multiple teams advancing deep into the competitive NCS Open Division tournament. This highlights the high level of talent and competitiveness within the league.