REDONDO BEACH, Ca. — The first seven games played during Monday’s opening round of the 64th Dijon Thompson/Pacific Shores Tournament went pretty much to script at Redondo Union High.
As for Game No. 8, though . . . well, that wasn’t quite the case.
Encino Crespi returned four starters from a squad that won CIF Southern Section 4AA and State Division IV crowns last March and the Celtics were No. 7 in the BurlisonOnBasketball Southern California preseason Top 25.
But apparently none of those things made a dent in the resolve of the Peninsula Panthers, who are projected to finish in third place in the Bay League standings this season behind Pac Shores host Redondo and another tourney participant, Inglewood.
Behind the 24 points of senior guard Mickey Babek, Peninsula built an 11-point advantage at intermission and fell behind by four points after three quarters before re-grouping and stunning the Celtics Monday night, 59-56.
USC-bound senior guard De’Anthony Melton, taking an inbounds pass after two Peninsula free throws with seven-tenths of a second showing on the game clock, came startling close to banking in a 30-footer at the buzzer.
Monday’s only upset moved the Panthers into a Wednesday evening (5 o’clock) championship quarterfinal game against Eastvale Roosevelt (a 44-37 winner over Harbor City Narbonne Monday).
In other Monday games:
*The host Seahawks overcame a sloppy first half to cruise to a 76-33 win over Lakewood Mayfair as senior center Wesley Gilbert led the way with 18 points.
It put Coach Reggie Morris Jr.’s squad into a Wednesday night (6:30) quarterfinal with Oak Park.
Oak Park edged Temecula Rancho Christian, 48-45, despite trailing by seven points late in the third quarter.
Sophomore center Riley Battin scored 23 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for Oak Park while freshman center Isaiah Mobley added 20 points for Rancho Christian in his first-ever high school game.
Mayfair and Rancho Christian will play in a consolation quarterfinal Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the school’s auxiliary gymnasium.
*L.A. City power Westchester had way too much of pretty much everything against a short-handed (via injuries and eligibility issues) Lynwood club, 90-41.
Four Comets scored from 11 to 14 points for Coach Ed Azzam, with center Keith Fisher (an all-L.A. City selection as a junior) leading the way with 14 points.
The Comets will meet Compton (at 3:30 p.m.) in the other upper-bracket championship quarterfinal on Wednesday.
Compton got 28 points from senior forward Raysean Scott during its 72-69 decision against Woodland Hills El Camino Real, which was led by the spectacular 36-point effort from senior guard Brandon Russell.
The left-handed Russell is the son of former Long Beach State and Utah Jazz standout forward Bryon Russell.
*Long Beach Poly could never quite pull away from North Hollywood Campbell Hall until the closing moments, 48-42.
Junior post Zafir Williams scored 20 points for the Jackrabbits while senior guard Drew Buggs (who signed with the University of Hawaii earlier in the month) chipped in with 13 – two of those coming via a spectacular dunk in the fourth quarter.
Senior guard Jordan Cohen (who signed with Lehigh a few weeks ago) led Campbell Hall with 24 points.
The Jackrabbits of Coach Shelton Diggs take on Inglewood in the final championship quarterfinal Wednesday night at 8 o’clock.
Inglewood got 19 points from senior point guard Terrell Gomez in its 73-62 decision against Newhall Hart.
The Pac Shores’ second round competition was moved from Tuesday to Wednesday because Redondo’s volleyball team will play host to a State Division I first-round match Tuesday night.
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