December was a defining month for our basketball teams, as they faced elite competition in high-level tournaments. With long hours of traveling, back to back practices, and pressure-packed moments, our basketball programs showed great resilience and determination throughout this month. Let’s take a look at their tournaments before EBAL playoffs begin.
The Dublin boys basketball team competed in the Gridley Invitational from December 11-13, a three day tournament held in Farmers Hall. The Gridley Invitational, established in 1953, is known for selecting the top schools in California, making it a highly competitive environment for all participating teams. Dublin opened the tournament strong, earning a 31 point blowout against St. Mary’s and moving on to face Modesto Christian. The Gaels previously faced Modesto Christian in November, losing 49-56, and despite Dublin’s efforts, they came up short once again, falling 52-65 in the semifinals. They played in the third-place match against Folsom, securing a 68-58 win. Two seniors, Aiden Li and Izaiyah Romero, were both named for All-Tournament team, an award given to players recognized for their consistent performance throughout a tournament.
The boys basketball team continued their season and competed in the Don Nelson Tournament from December 18-20, another tournament spanning over the course of three days. This season, the tournament was hosted by Dublin High. Dublin won all three of their matches, including the championship against Placer High School 64-55. Despite the pressure of finals week, our boys team showed up to play!
With the championship on the line, Nick Lee takes deep breaths before shooting free throws. Photo by Chip Dehnert
Boys basketball had their final tournament of the month while competing in The Classic At Damien, a longer tournament from December 26-30. The Gaels reached the semifinals after a promising start, defeating Laguna Hills, as well as Rancho Verde. However, due to their loss to Brentwood 70-64, they didn’t attain a spot in the final match. Unfortunately, they also lost in the match for third-place against Hesperia 62-57. The end of the tournament might’ve been disappointing, but the Gaels definitely played with impressive momentum as they made it all the way to the semifinals.
While the boys stayed in California, our girls basketball team headed off to Las Vegas to compete in the Tarkanian Classic Tournament. For the first time in their program, the team had gone out of state for games; usually they play around the Bay Area, so this marks a new milestone for the girls. The girls faced four teams, making it to the championship for the Ruby Division, the second-best division. They faced Montgomery first and secured a win 50-47. Their next match was against Corner Canyon, a team from Utah, whom the Gaels were able to dominate 57-41. After defeating Westchester 63-57, Dublin entered the finals against Springfield, but were unable to grasp the championship, losing 68-40.
Girls basketball finished off December with the West Coast Jamboree. The tournament consisted of twelve divisions and Dublin competed in the Pearl division. The first match against San Marin was a victory for the Gaels 65-40. A couple of days later, they faced Cosumnes Oaks and achieved another win 53-51. This match was tense, but it was a highly valued win, serving as redemption for Dublin’s loss in the 2023-2024 season. After securing these two wins, girls basketball continued on to championships against Acalanes, which resulted in an unfortunate loss of 57-59. The match against Acalanes was down to the wire with a difficult turnout as Dublin was, once again, so close to winning the championship. Dublin proved their capabilities, facing Acalanes again within the following week and proudly earned a win, playing overtime 56-53.