NCS Champs! O’Dowd comes up clutch late, captures D1 title over Granada

SAN LEANDRO — For a program that measures its seasons in banners, the silence had lingered a little too long.

On Saturday night, inside the cauldron of the North Coast Section Division I finals, Bishop O’Dowd finally heard the roar again. And fittingly, it took one last steal, one last jumper and one unforgettable second-half eruption from junior GJ Hill-Thomas to bring it back. 

Hill-Thomas, who had just two points at halftime, poured in 20 after the break — including the go-ahead jumper in the final minute and the exclamation-point layup after O’Dowd swiped Granada’s inbound pass with five seconds left — to lift the Dragons to a 79-76 thriller and deliver the program’s 20th section title.

The victory marked O’Dowd’s first section championship since 2020 and its first in Division I, a statement win for a team intent on putting itself back on the map after last season’s first-round playoff exit. 

When the final buzzer sounded, players leapt into the air, coaches wrapped each other in long embraces, and the O’Dowd faithful roared as the trophy headed back to Oakland — proof that the Dragons’ standard hadn’t disappeared, only waited for the right moment to return.

“To get back here and win the 20th is special,” O’Dowd coach Lou Richie said. “We had a couple people, even at our own school, that were doubting us. Our own athletic administration. So for us to do things the right way and to do things right by the kids and to improve our coaching staff and continue to evolve. I think we’re very, very happy.” 

Along with his 22 points, Hill-Thomas added three assists. Naas Griffin added 20 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals. O’Dowd overcame shooting 4-for-14 from the free-throw line, including 2-of-6 in the final three minutes. 

Granada big man Brandon Hahn had a monster game, scoring 35 points and grabbing 18 rebounds. 

Down seven at halftime, O’Dowd came out of the second half firing on all cylinders. 

A 10-3 run to open the third tied the game at 47. After scoring just two points in the first half, Hill-Thomas scored 12 points in the third quarter, giving O’Dowd a three-point lead going into the final eight minutes. 

The fourth quarter was frenetic. Both teams batting on the glass. Multiple players diving on loose balls. Every basket earned the hard way.

The back and forth nature of the period seemed to tilt back in Granada’s favor, even as multiple players got into foul trouble. 

A hook shot from Hahn with under a minute left gave the Matadors a 74-70 advantage, inching the Livermore school to its first North Coast Section title since 1996. 

But Hill-Thomas just wouldn’t let up. 

On the next possession, the junior found Erick Thome for a wide-open 3-pointer on the left wing to cut the Granada lead to one. Two free throws from Damien Miles rebuilt Granada’s lead back to three with 40 seconds remaining. 

That was the last time the Matadors would see the ball go through the basket. 

At the 33.5 second-mark, Kaiden Gibbs got to the rim where he converted an easy layup. The Dragons forced a turnover on Granada’s next possession, setting up Hill-Thomas’ late-game heroics. 

Hill-Thomas caught the ball at the top of the key and got the mismatch he wanted off a screen. The junior dribbled to the free throw line, gave a head fake and rose above a Granada defender to take his shot. 

The ball hit the front of the rim, tapped the back board ever so lightly and fell through the net, giving O’Dowd a one-point lead. 

“I told coach I was feeling it,” Hill-Thomas said. “He told me to go and I got my shot off.” 

With five seconds remaining, Granada had one last shot to win the game but had to go the length of the floor to do it. On the inbound, Gibbs made one of the biggest plays of the game as he timed Granada’s pass perfectly and intercepted it midair. 

He found Hill-Thomas near the basket and the scoring guard put in his last two points of the night as the clock ran out. 

Ball game. 

The win pushes O’Dowd back into the section spotlight after not reaching a section title game since the Dragons won the Open Division crown in 2020. O’Dowd went through one of its lowest points last season, falling to Amador Valley in the first round of the Division I playoffs last year. 

The Dragons had a resurgence this season, beating the likes of Bishop Gorman, Sacramento High, Acalanes and Liberty before Saturday’s game. 

“Our football team got to state, so now it’s our chance,” Hill-Thomas said. “Now it’s us. It’s our time. We’re putting us back on the map.” 

Granada’s season won’t end, but the loss stung for coach Quaran Johnson Sr., who is in the midst of his first season back since taking a leave of absence to care for his newborn child. The Matadors won just eight games last season, and with Johnson’s return, have resurrected a program that was in the Division I state championship just three years ago. 

“We’re just as good as anybody else and we’re playing our way – with no fear,” Johnson said, holding back tears.  “They don’t back down from anything. They don’t back down from a challenge. They allow me to coach them hard. And that’s what I asked him when I first came back. I told them that we’ll get there. We’re going to play in some big games.” 

Both teams will advance to the NorCal championships, presumably in the Division I bracket. Granada and Bishop O’Dowd will find out its playoff fate on Sunday when the CIF releases its playoff brackets.