Boys Basketball: San Marin Survives MCAL Quarterfinal

Fortunately for the boys basketball team, an ugly win counts just as much as a work of art.

On an off night for star center Stuart Wesonga, the Mustangs sneaked past Justin-Siena 51-46 Tuesday night in the quarterfinals of the Marin County Athletic League championship tournament. They’ll play at 7:30 p.m. Thursday night at Redwood High against San Rafael, which beat Redwood 52-48.

Chris Glennon scored nine of his 22 points in the fourth quarter and John Seavey had a critical steal and score early in the final period to help San Marin survive. Seavey had 10 points.

Wesonga, the MCAL’s leading scorer, had 14 points and missed a handful of short-range shots. He contributed 18 rebounds, however, as San Marin turned around a 25-22 deficit at halftime.

Justin-Siena rode the momentum of Dustin Mertens' 50-footer at the first-quarter buzzer through the second quarter, sending a sense of uneasiness through the San Marin crowd. 

A Wesonga dunk off a loose-ball scramble gave the Mustangs a 34-33 lead late in the third quarter.  Early in the fourth, Seavey got the crowd roaring with a spectacular double-spin move drive for a layup after a steal. Seavey's play helped the Mustangs build a five-point lead going into the closing minutes. 

But four missed San Marin free throws late in the fourth gave the Braves life into the final seconds. Only when the Mustangs' Jimmy Burrows stole an inbounds pass with 8 seconds left did San Marin secure the win.

— San Marin scorekeeper John Glennon contributed to this report.