Oakland High boys, Tech girls basketball head to state title games
Wildcats boys top Tech in thriller at Laney College
By Max Espinoza
Oakland High defeated rival Oakland Tech on Tuesday evening, 77-61, winning the NorCal title for the Division III CIF boys basketball tournament to advance to the Division III State title game. This was the first time in history two Oakland Athletic League teams played each other in a CIF regional playoff basketball game.
Oakland High, fueled by past losses to Tech this season, dominated offensively and never let Tech possess a lead through the game. Money Williams, Oakland High’s leading scorer and a University of Montana commit, used his physicality to power through contested lay-ups and bait defensive switches. He scored 25 points to lead Oakland High to its first win against Oakland Tech this season.
Despite losing a heart-breaking matchup to its rival, Tech fought valiantly in its first loss to Oakland High this season, after beating them twice in the regular season and in the OAL Championship game. Ahmaree Muhammad led the Bulldogs in scoring, dropping 23 points to try and lead a comeback effort against the Wildcats. With this loss against Oakland High, the Bulldogs broke their 12-game win streak.
This was a historic win for the Wildcats as Oakland High not only got its first win against Tech in the 2022-2023 season but it’s also the first time that Oakland High boy’s basketball has made it to a state championship game in the program’s history.
Oakland High (26-8) will play against Buena High School (31-5) for the Divison III Boys’ Basketball State Championship at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Friday, March 10th at 4 pm.
Oakland Tech girls: The Tech girls basketball team is advancing to the state Division 1 championship after knocking off No. 1-seeded St. Mary’s of Stockton, 82-71, on Tuesday night. Tech will face Santiago of Corona at 6 p.m. Friday. The Tech girls are after their third consecutive state championship, but first at the Division I level.
ShaRay Edwards and Max Espinoza are members of OAL & Fam1st student media.