Boys Basketball Playoffs: Bella Vista Advances

A deep  team was too much to handle on Wednesday for a  squad that didn't make the playoffs until the final day of the regular season.

The Broncos ran away with a 71-50 win in Division II of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs.

Bella Vista junior guard Ahmad Smith led all scorers with 15 points while junior Tyler Berkness had 13. Junior Zach Suarez led Rio with 13 points and senior Jude Aka added 10.

The Raiders squeaked into the postseason with a win over rival  on Feb. 17 and carried a losing record (12-14) going into Wednesday's opening round game in Fair Oaks.

"We made them play our game and they didn't like that," Broncos coach Dave Gonzalez said. "Our team played some great defense and we made shots when we needed to."

Bella Vista next hosts Cosumnes Oaks of Elk Grove on Friday.

In other Fair Oaks playoff basketball news,  was upset at home by Yuba City 74-65.

Senior captains Johnny Hayes and David Saghatelyan with 16 points each led the Cougars but that equaled the output by Honkers senior guard Matt Hayes, who finished with 32 on the night.

In Division V, , led by scoring phenom Christopher Schwartz-Edmisten, hosts Elliot Christian of Lodi, also on Friday.

In girls’ action tonight, the Sacramento Waldorf girls head to Rosemont to face .