Carmel-Santa Cruz boys hoops

CCS Division IV quarterfinals
Saturday's game
 No. 9 Carmel (17-8) vs. No. 1 Santa Cruz (20-6) at Kaiser Arena, 10 a.m.
 What ever was preached in practice this past week, the Padres need to bottle it to extend their season.
 Carmel came out firing in Thursday's win over San Lorenzo Valley, building a 23-9 lead, then going on a 16-0 third quarter run to turn a game in doubt into a route.
 Runner-ups in the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League to Aptos, the Cardinals have impressive wins on their resume, having beaten Palma, St. Mary's and Aptos in the SCCAL tournament.
 Containing 6-foot-2 junior Kaijae Yee-Stephens is critical for Carmel. The sharpshooter is averaging over 20 points a game for Santa Cruz. Point guard Kiree Hutchings is dropping in nearly 15 points a game and handing out 4.9 assists.
 John Stivers has been a double-double machine for Carmel, averaging 18 points and 13 rebounds a game. Connor Marden is coming off a 21-point effort against SLV.
 Playing a 10 a.m. game on the road is rare. The Padres can't afford a slow start against an up tempo team.