Carmel-SLV boys hoops

CCS Division IV playoffs
Thursday's game
 No. 9 Carmel (16-8) at No. 8 San Lorenzo Valley (12-13), 7 p.m.
  The Cougars struggled down the stretch, closing the regular season with a 2-5 mark. Four players are averaging nearly 10 points a game, with Sebastian Vroman-Nell having buried 52 3-point goals.
  Having seen its run of four straight Mission Trail Athletic League titles end, the Padres have relied on double-double machine John Stivers all season.
 The 6-foot-5 reigning two-time MTAL Most Valuable Player is averaging just under 18 points and 12 rebounds a night. Stivers has also been unselfish, producing 58 assists this year.
  To take some of the pressure off Stivers in the paint, production needs to come from the perimeter where Connor Marden has buried 38 3-point goals.
 During its current four-game winning streak, Carmel averaged 60.2 points a game. It has held eight teams under 40 points this year.