Feb 16, 2019 3 min read

DORMONT – The California boys basketball team fell behind big early Saturday in the first round of the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs against Sto-Rox and was never able to recover.

The Trojans came out with a more determined effort in the second half and trimmed their deficit to 10 points before a late fourth-quarter push by Sto-Rox the was difference as the Vikings defeated California 72-57 at Keystone Oaks High School.

“We had rough week of practice and sometimes our mentality wasn’t there today,” Cal coach Aaron Balla said. “They threw a zone at us early on and it took some time to get adjusted to it. They have a lot of length and is probably one of the quickest teams we faced all year.”

The Vikings (14-9) collected the opening eight points of the contest and extended their lead to 19-6. The squads exchanged baskets the rest of the way, as Cal trailed 25-12 at the end of one quarter.

In the second quarter, the Trojans (12-10) trimmed the deficit to 27-15 after a three-pointer by Nathan Zemany. The No. 7-seeded Vikings responded with a 16-4 run to increase their lead to 43-21.

Cal ended the first half on a positive note with a 7-4 run and was down 47-28 at halftime.

Sto-Rox had the early momentum in the third quarter and extended its lead to 57-34 before the Trojans made their second-half run.

After the Vikings went up 67-46 in the early minutes of the fourth, Cal countered with 11 unanswered points. The spree was started with a three-pointer from Austin Grillo. A free throw by Grillo made it 67-57 with 2:17 left in regulation.

“Our execution was hit or miss today,” Balla said. “I think we played with better energy in the second half. This group never quits and never put their heads down. We were without Malik Ramsey today and he was tough to replace. He always provides us with a good game on the glass and on the inside.”

That was the closest Cal would come as Sto-Rox garnered the first-round triumph. The Vikings will play No. 2 seed Serra Catholic in the quarterfinals Thursday.

Marcus Upshaw scored a team-high 17 points for Sto-Rox and was followed by Dre Frenzly (16) and Jamal Williams (15).

Grillo led all scorers in the game with 21 points.

“Austin is always a step-up player,” Balla said. “He wasn’t afraid of the stage and he was able to control the offense out there. He has a good shot and he is a natural leader. He has progress all season long and he had a heck of a game for us.”

Cochise Ryan chipped in with 14 points and Jaedan Zuzak scored nine off the bench.

“This is my first year, so we are trying to build something here,” Balla said. “I think we need to be more accountable and really focus on the little things. The offseason is going to be critical for this program. You have to show up for practice and work on the fundamentals.”