Piratesdaily.com | Pittsburgh Pirates News, pirates Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div>Sacred Heart Cathedral senior Kevin Greene tugged on the rim with a little extra fervor Tuesday night. </div>With 3:33 left in the third quarter, Greene took a pass in transition from point guard Daryl Cooper and rose for a two-handed dunk that all but sealed the Irish's 65-37 victory over St. Ignatius in the second leg of the Bruce-Mahoney Trophy at USF's Memorial Gymnasium. For Greene and fellow senior Jerry Brown, both four-year varsity players, it was the first time the two walked off the court at USF with a victory. "Everybody was asking me this week if we were going to win," said Greene, who finished with six points and eight rebounds. "The last three years I said, 'Yes.' This year I said we were going to play harder than SI." The victory snapped a six-game losing streak to St. Ignatius in the Bruce-Mahoney game and evened the best-of-three series at 1-1. SI won the latest football game 24-10. The Irish and Wildcats will meet in Baseball Mar. 31 at AT&T Park to decide the trophy, which St. Ignatius has won the past 10 years. Brown scored only two points on free throws in the first half as the eighth-ranked Irish 10-2, 0-3 WCAL survived a 2-for-15 shooting performance in the second quarter to lead 25-19 at halftime. Sacred Heart's press proved to be too much in the second half. Brown, who finished with 13 points, led a 10-2 run to open the second half. "It's amazing to have this feeling for the first time walking out of this building," Brown said. St. Ignatius 5-8, 0-3, which committed 13 turnovers before halftime, was led by Drew Raher's 12 points and 10 rebounds. Riordan 51, Serra 50: Danny Orengo made a layup with 10 seconds remaining to lift the visiting Crusaders. Serra had a three-point shot with three seconds remaining, but could not knock it down. Riordan 6-8, 2-1 was led by Ivan Dorsey's 22 points and Orengo's 15. Ryan Jones added 14 rebounds. Serra 8-6, 0-3, which trailed 29-23 at halftime, was led by Ryan Tana's 14 points. #13 Castlemont 59, #16 Skyline 56: Senior forward Brandon Ralls scored six of his game-high 19 points in the final three minutes as host Castlemont-Oakland 12-4 closed out its Oakland Athletic League opener on a 13-4 run. Ralls' three-pointer from the right wing gave Castlemont its 59-56 lead with 1:54 left. Skyline-Oakland 10-7 committed turnovers on its next four possessions and two more in the final two minutes. Skyline junior guard Kevin Jackson hit his first four shots from the field and two attempts from the line for a team-high 12 points, but missed both of his shots in the fourth quarter. - David Saunders #17 Pittsburg 98, Heritage-Brentwood 76: Erick Dargan scored 20 of his game-high 25 points in the first half, leading five Pirates in double figures as Pittsburg rolled to the road victory over scrappy but turnover-laden Heritage 11-4, 3-1 Bay Valley Athletic League. The Pirates 11-4, 4-0, whose tallest player is 6-foot-3, forced 28 turnovers with fullcourt pressure and then drilled a season-high 16 three-pointers, five each from Dargan and Touri McLennon 19 points. Steven Sullivan added 14 points for the winners, Kristopher Manning 13 and Marcus Franklin 12. Jordan Knox had 22 and John Moffatt 17 for Heritage, which was outscored 60-34 in the first and fourth quarters combined. Dargan, a 6-1 junior guard and all-league running back, had 13 in the first quarter when the Pirates raced to a 27-14 lead. - Mitch Stephens Girls #17 Berkeley 44, #4 Pinole Valley 39: Host Berkeley used superior ball-handling and tenacious defense to overcome a 23-14 second quarter deficit in an Alameda Contra Costa Athletic League win. After a 6-0 run closed the gap to 23-20 at the half, Berkeley 11-4, 3-0 forced 11 third quarter turnovers and outscored the visitors 12-4 in the period to take control. Berkeley's Chariese Culberson had a huge game against Pinole Valley's Cal-bound Denesha Stallworth 6-3. The 6-foot sophomore post scored a game-high 20 points, added 14 rebounds and twice blocked Stallworth's shots. Dominique Williams-McNac chipped in 12 points, with seven rebounds and four steals, all the thefts in the pivotal third quarter. Javier Brantley led Pinole Valley 10-3, 1-1 with 16 points. Stallworth, who came into the game as the leading scorer in the state with a 30.5 points-per-game average, finished with a triple-double: 12 points, 13 rebounds and 10 blocks. The double- and triple-teaming of Berkeley held her to four free throws in the second half. - Harold Abend

Sacred Heart Cathedral senior Kevin Greene tugged on the rim with a little extra fervor Tuesday night.

With 3:33 left in the third quarter, Greene took a pass in transition from point guard Daryl Cooper and rose for a two-handed dunk that all but sealed the Irish's 65-37 victory over St. Ignatius in the second leg of the Bruce-Mahoney Trophy at USF's Memorial Gymnasium.

For Greene and fellow senior Jerry Brown, both four-year varsity players, it was the first time the two walked off the court at USF with a victory.

"Everybody was asking me this week if we were going to win," said Greene, who finished with six points and eight rebounds. "The last three years I said, 'Yes.' This year I said we were going to play harder than SI."

The victory snapped a six-game losing streak to St. Ignatius in the Bruce-Mahoney game and evened the best-of-three series at 1-1. SI won the latest football game 24-10. The Irish and Wildcats will meet in Baseball Mar. 31 at AT&T Park to decide the trophy, which St. Ignatius has won the past 10 years.

Brown scored only two points on free throws in the first half as the eighth-ranked Irish 10-2, 0-3 WCAL survived a 2-for-15 shooting performance in the second quarter to lead 25-19 at halftime.

Sacred Heart's press proved to be too much in the second half. Brown, who finished with 13 points, led a 10-2 run to open the second half.

"It's amazing to have this feeling for the first time walking out of this building," Brown said.

St. Ignatius 5-8, 0-3, which committed 13 turnovers before halftime, was led by Drew Raher's 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Riordan 51, Serra 50: Danny Orengo made a layup with 10 seconds remaining to lift the visiting Crusaders. Serra had a three-point shot with three seconds remaining, but could not knock it down.

Riordan 6-8, 2-1 was led by Ivan Dorsey's 22 points and Orengo's 15. Ryan Jones added 14 rebounds.

Serra 8-6, 0-3, which trailed 29-23 at halftime, was led by Ryan Tana's 14 points.

#13 Castlemont 59, #16 Skyline 56: Senior forward Brandon Ralls scored six of his game-high 19 points in the final three minutes as host Castlemont-Oakland 12-4 closed out its Oakland Athletic League opener on a 13-4 run.

Ralls' three-pointer from the right wing gave Castlemont its 59-56 lead with 1:54 left. Skyline-Oakland 10-7 committed turnovers on its next four possessions and two more in the final two minutes.

Skyline junior guard Kevin Jackson hit his first four shots from the field and two attempts from the line for a team-high 12 points, but missed both of his shots in the fourth quarter.

- David Saunders

#17 Pittsburg 98, Heritage-Brentwood 76: Erick Dargan scored 20 of his game-high 25 points in the first half, leading five Pirates in double figures as Pittsburg rolled to the road victory over scrappy but turnover-laden Heritage 11-4, 3-1 Bay Valley Athletic League.

The Pirates 11-4, 4-0, whose tallest player is 6-foot-3, forced 28 turnovers with fullcourt pressure and then drilled a season-high 16 three-pointers, five each from Dargan and Touri McLennon 19 points. Steven Sullivan added 14 points for the winners, Kristopher Manning 13 and Marcus Franklin 12.

Jordan Knox had 22 and John Moffatt 17 for Heritage, which was outscored 60-34 in the first and fourth quarters combined.

Dargan, a 6-1 junior guard and all-league running back, had 13 in the first quarter when the Pirates raced to a 27-14 lead.

- Mitch Stephens

Girls #17 Berkeley 44, #4 Pinole Valley 39: Host Berkeley used superior ball-handling and tenacious defense to overcome a 23-14 second quarter deficit in an Alameda Contra Costa Athletic League win.

After a 6-0 run closed the gap to 23-20 at the half, Berkeley 11-4, 3-0 forced 11 third quarter turnovers and outscored the visitors 12-4 in the period to take control.

Berkeley's Chariese Culberson had a huge game against Pinole Valley's Cal-bound Denesha Stallworth 6-3. The 6-foot sophomore post scored a game-high 20 points, added 14 rebounds and twice blocked Stallworth's shots.

Dominique Williams-McNac chipped in 12 points, with seven rebounds and four steals, all the thefts in the pivotal third quarter.

Javier Brantley led Pinole Valley 10-3, 1-1 with 16 points.

Stallworth, who came into the game as the leading scorer in the state with a 30.5 points-per-game average, finished with a triple-double: 12 points, 13 rebounds and 10 blocks. The double- and triple-teaming of Berkeley held her to four free throws in the second half.

- Harold Abend