The wrapup from Mission Prep

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SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – The basketball teams from Cypress Bay and Taft high schools went about winning championships in very different – but equally impressive – fashions Tuesday night.

Cypress Bay (from Weston, Fla.) used a stout half-court defense and precise offensive attack to build a quick advantage and then coast to a 66-45 victory over the Mission Prep Royals in the Elite Division of the Mission Prep Christmas Classic.

And, in the final contest of the event, Woodland Hills (Calif.) Taft came from 14 points behind late in the first half to overtake Carlsbad (Calif.) La Costa Canyon, 58-52, for the championship of the National Division of the tournament.

Six-foot-five junior forward Ben Antoine scored 15 points and grabbed at least that many rebounds for Cypress Bay, which lost to Taft (57-45) in a Challenge Bracket contest on Friday night before National Division games began Saturday.

Taft, under first-year Head Coach Jason Hart (a long-time NBA guard), was behind 33-19 before scoring the final bucket of the first half. His team dominated play with its depth and vastly superior overall quickness in the final 16 minutes.

The Toreadors became the favorites to bag the L.A. City with the addition of 6-7 senior Anthony January, who became eligible to play (he last played for Compton last December) on Monday.

The ultra-athletic January scored a game-high 20 points Tuesday night while 6-6 center Brandon Perry – selected the division’s Most Valuable Player – added 16 and dominated play inside the lane.

Six-five Matt Shrigley – who signed with San Diego State last month – scored 18 points for La Costa Canyon before suffering an apparently sprain to his left ankle with a few minutes to play.

My all-tournament selections and a rundown on Tuesday’s other games:

All-Tournament: Perry, January and Kris Yanku (6-3 Jr.) of Taft; Shrigley and David Travers (6-1 Sr.) of La Costa Canyon; Antoine and Shea Jones (6-1 Sr.) of Cypress Bay; Zach Allmon (6-7 Sr.) and Connor Woolpert (6-4 Jr.) of Mission Prep; Mitch Brewe (6-7 Sr.) of Seattle Prep; Danny Powell (6-5 Sr.) of Phoenix Desert Vista; Robert Upshaw (7-0 Sr.) of Fresno San Joaquin Memorial; Hunter Walker (6-4 Sr.) of Santa Maria Righetti; Leland King (6-6 Jr.) of Los Angeles Brentwood; Joey Goodbreault (6-3 So.) of Orinda (Calif.) Miramonte; Terrance Smith (6-6 Sr.) of Ft. Lauderdale Dillard; Aaron Holiday (6-1 Fr.) of North Hollywood Campbell Hall.

 

THIRD-PLACE

  NATIONAL

  Seattle Prep 53, Phoenix Desert Vista 40: Future UC Santa Barbara Gaucho Mitch Brewe bounced back after struggling against Taft Monday night to score a game-high 28 points while dominating a lot of quality big men for the team from Phoenix.

  ELITE

Riverside (Calif.) J.W. North 68, Oxnard (Calif.) Santa Clara 39: Six-foot sophomore DeShawn Taylor scored a game-high 18 points as his team rolled the Saints.

FIFTH-PLACE

  NATIONAL

  Santa Maria (Calif.) Righetti 58, Fresno San Joaquin Memorial 56: Six-four senior Hunter Walker scored 17 points as the Warriors ended the tourney with back-to-back wins.

Seven-footer Robert Upshaw dominated play for stretches of the contest while scoring 21 points for the Panthers.

  ELITE

  Orinda (Calif.) Miramonte 53, L.A. Brentwood 52: Six-three Joey Goodbreault hit a 16-footer from along the left baseline with three seconds to go to cap a rally from a 14-point deficit for the Matadors. Goodbreault, a left hander who should be considered among the best sophomores in the state, led his team with 15 points.

Six-six junior Leland King had 24 points for Brentwood.

  SEVENTH-PLACE

  NATIONAL

  Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) Dillard 51, L.A. Washington 40: Forward Terrance Smith, among the best of the unsigned seniors in the event, led the winners with 14 points while senior forward Ralph Harvey led the Generals with 15.

  ELITE

  N. Hollywood (Calif.) Campbell Hall 71, San Luis Obispo 60: Freshman guard Aaron Holiday scored 31 points and Nevada-bound senior forward Cole Huff added 28 as the Vikings headed back to the San Fernando Valley with their only win of the event.