SAN FRANCISCO — It just doesn't get better than this.
That's what many Bay Area high school basketball fans are saying about tonight's renewel of the Bruce-Mahoney hoop doubleheader between arch San Francisco rivals Sacred Heart Cathedral and St. Ignatius.
The best-of-five series takes into account games played in five sports: tackle football, girls volleyball, girls basketball, boys basketball and baseball. The winner of three takes possession of the trophy named after Bill Bruce (1935 St. Ignatius graduate) and Jerry Mahoney (Sacred Heart, 1944), who were killed in World War II.
With wins in football and girls volleyball, St. Ignatius already holds a 2-0 lead.
For decades the game drew more than 5,000 fans jammed into USF's War Memorial gymnasium but after the pandemic and the addition of girls volleyball and girls basketball — it used to be a best-of-3 series — the doubleheader model turned into single games at home sites.
In 2024-25, the basketball games not only return to a doubleheader format but move to the posh Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors.
Tip off for the girls game Jan. 14 is 5 p.m. and the boys game is scheduled at 7 p.m.
St. Ignatius' girls are 7-5 and favored Sacred Heart Cathedral is 11. On the boys side, favored St. Ignatius is 9-3 and a very young SHC squad is 8-4.
Cerchiai lay up. SI 68 SHC 32 pic.twitter.com/5nhO1ZCkUh
— SI Scores (@SIscores) January 15, 2025
St. Ignatius is led by a pair of third-year starting juniors Steele Labaugh and Raymond Whitley. Fifth-year coach Jason Greenfield likes his team’s depth — the Wildcats carry a 17-man roster — and experience. The Wildcats three losses were to San Ramon Valley-Danville (67-60), Lincoln-Stockton (72-61) and Inderkum (64-50), all which are state Top-25 ranked.
The Irish’s 14-man roster features two freshmen and seven sophomores, including leading scorer Kiran Tate-Day, a 5-9 sophomore guard who also leads the team in assists and steals.
Welcome to new San Francisco Mayor @DanielLurie visiting with SI players on the bench during the 3rd quarter. pic.twitter.com/QL7iqHkoqW
— SI Scores (@SIscores) January 15, 2025
“The girls are super excited for the Bruce-Mahoney game to return with both games and beyond excited to play at Chase Arena,” said St. Ignatius girls coach Maya Fok, a 1998 St. Ignatius graduate. “And it’s always a great atmosphere for the Bruce-Mahoney game. It’s super, super fun. I can still remember mine back in 1998. I can’t wait for my girls to experience this and just cheer their hearts out.”
Check back here later for live updates, quarterly scores, statistics, photos, video and more.
BOYS: ST. IGNATIUS VS. SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL
1st quarter
SHC starts fast: Two driving layups by Andre Daniels and outside jumper from Kiran Tate-Day gives Irish a 6-2 lead.
Whitley heats up: A driving layup and 3-pointer by Raymond Whitley ends 10-2 run for Wildcats, gives his team a 10-6 lead. Midway through 1Q
End of 1: St. Ignatius 14, Sacred Heart Cathedral 8
2nd quarter
St. Ignatius on a run: Whitley with three layups, 6-8 freshman Alex Moore shows off versatility with a jump hook inside, and a 3-pointer from Curry land. Finishes off 6-0 run to give Wildcats a 26-15 lead.
Moore for three! He’s a freshman 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 SI leads 29-18 with 2:26 until halftime pic.twitter.com/a0lZCigXYj
— SI Scores (@SIscores) January 15, 2025
Another SI flury, before SHC bomb: Kiran Tate-Day finishes off the half with a 3-pointer at the buzzer, but St. Ignatius firmly in command after a 3-pointer by Moore and fastbreak layups by Marco Cerchiai and Whitley. Halftime score: St. Ignatius 35, Sacred Heart Cathedral 24.
SHC with the buzzer beater to bring us to halftime. SI 35 SHC 24 pic.twitter.com/du6X7hgp3D
— SI Scores (@SIscores) January 15, 2025
3rd quarter
The boom: St. Ignatius officially putting on a blitz. A 25-8 third-quarter run and the Wildcats has almost doubled up the score with a 60-32 lead heading into the fourth. Whitley is up to 18 points.
Whitley pushes the lead to 17. pic.twitter.com/zwhzs3k5Ti
— SI Scores (@SIscores) January 15, 2025
4th quarter
Final: St. Ignatius 78, Sacred Heart Cathedral 42. Leading scorers: Raymond Whitley (SI) 18, Alexander Morre (SI) 17. Kiran Tate-Day (SHC) 11.
Lucas Masuda runs out clock the drills 3!!!! St. Ignatius boys win 78-42 over SHC at Chase Center. @SIscores pic.twitter.com/aTEGbA2dPo
— Mitch Stephens (@MitchBookLive) January 15, 2025
St. Ignatius 78, Sacred Heart Cathedral 42
SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL (8-5)
Kiran Tate-Day 5 0-0 11, Andre Daniels 2 2-2 6, Cory Wong 3 2-2 8, Tiyon Williams 0 1-2 1, Trey Carey 2 0-0 4, Michael Sargent 1 0-0 3, Ilias Medios 1 0-0 3, Mickey Williams 1 0-0 2, Marquez Gray 0 1-2 1, Valentino Fierros 1 0-0 2, Isayah Kennedy 0 1-2 1. Totals 16 7-10 42.
ST. IGNATIUS (10-3)
Shawn Boquiren 2 1-1 6, Connor Lewis 2 0-0 4, Raymond Whitley 8 1-1 18, Sebastian Fisher 2 2-2 6, Andrew Ennis 1 2-3 4, Alex Moore 8 0-0 17, Marco Cerchial 3 0-0 6, Ty Landers 3 1-2 7, Simon Webach 2 0-0 4, Luke Miller 1 0-0 3, Webb Wynne 1 0-0 3, Lucas Masuda 1 0-0 2. Totals 34 7-9 78.
SHC 8 16 8 10 — 42
St. Ignatius 14 21 25 18 — 78
3-point goals: SHC — Tate-Day, Medios, Sargent. SI — Boquiren, Whitley, Wynne. Fouled out — none.
1st quarter
End of 1: Sacred Heart Cathedral 12, St. Ignatius 11
SHC jumped out 6-0 thanks to a 3-point play from Aniyah Versosa and a 3-pointer from Kanoe Palmer. The Wildcats caught up thanks to six quick points from Sophia Sanchez. Both teams no problem with depth perception.
Irish with a three. Go up by 2 early the 2Q pic.twitter.com/dMH7EbRbzG
— SI Scores (@SIscores) January 15, 2025
2nd quarter
Halftime: Sacred Heart Cathedral 27, St. Ignatius 27
What a half: Indeed no problem for the girls with depth perception. Back-to-back 3s from SI's Julia Alcantara gave her team a 27-24 lead, before Palmer answered with a 3 just before the horn.
Giometti with her 3rd three of the half. SI 21-20 lead pic.twitter.com/pxszviuvPy
— SI Scores (@SIscores) January 15, 2025
3rd quarter
St. Ignatius run — Back-to-back 3s from Alcantara and Meaghan Manning finishes off 11-2 run giving the Wildcats a 38-31 lead. 3:35 3Q. Timeout SHC
Lulu explosion — St. Ignatius freshman Lulu Giometti drills three more 3-pointers, giving her six for the game as the Wildcats opening up 50-34 lead. 38.8 3Q
Sixth three pointer by the Frosh Giometti. SI leads 47-34 with 1:16 in the 3Q pic.twitter.com/Y4FFEpk1Je
— SI Scores (@SIscores) January 15, 2025
End of 3: St. Ignatius 50, Sacred Heart Cathedral 36
4th quarter
SHC with flurry - Madison Eade scores a pair of nifty inside buckets, Kaylen Alyssa Edora drills a 3, starting a 7-0 run. Irish closes to 50-43 midway through 4Q. Wildcats go cold.
Alacantara answers — Wildcats finally answer on great halfcourt set, finished off with a Julia Alcantara left-handed layup. St. Ignatius 52, SHC 43. Alyssa Edora hits 3 for SHC and Mary Ennis with nice interior LH layup, makes it St. Ignatius 54, Sacred Heart Cathedral 46. 2:10 4Q.
The Irish on a run closing the gap until a Wildcat two pushes SI lead to 9 with 3:36 to go in the game pic.twitter.com/1DZjHxXvsh
— SI Scores (@SIscores) January 15, 2025
Final: St. Ignatius 58, Sacred Heart Cathedral 48. The Wildcat girls clinch the Bruce-Mahoney trophy.
A win on the Warriors court. Pretty sweet. pic.twitter.com/Kp5GaxbRC3
— SI Scores (@SIscores) January 15, 2025
St. Ignatius 58, Sacred Heart Cathedral 48
ST. IGNATIUS (8-5)
Sophia Sanchez 1 2-2 5, Tatum Conroy 1 1-1 3, Lulu Giometti 6 0-0 18, Meaghan Manning 1 4-4 7, Hayley McGee 2 0-0 5, Julia Alcantara 5 0-0 14, Mary Ennis 3 0-0 6. Totals 19 7-7 58.
SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL (11-2)
Aniyah Verosa 3 4-4 10, Carolyn Alapati 1 0-0 3, Kanoe Palmer 2 0-0 6, Lea Escobar 0 1-2 1, Kosi Anibuko 1 0-0 2, Kaylen Alysa Edora 3 0-0 9, Maddie Eade 5 5-5 15, Monet Oliver 1 0-0 2. Totals 16 10-11 48.
St. Ignatius 11 16 23 8 — 58
SHC. 12 15 9 12 — 48
3-point goals: SI — Giometti 6, Alcantara 4, Sanchez, Conroy, McGee; SHC — Palmer 3, Edora 3, Alapati. Fouled out — none.
St. Ignatius girls clinch the Bruce-Mahoney trophy with 58-48 win over Sacred Heart Cathedral. pic.twitter.com/WlkzIxPa3c
— Mitch Stephens (@MitchBookLive) January 15, 2025
ATTENDANCE ANNOUNCED: Sacred Heart Cathedral officials announced the attendance at 8,064 making it the most attended high school basketball game in the San Francisco Bay Area in more than 35 years.