LA VERNE, Ca. – The respective tables have been set for the championship semifinals Thursday during the first-ever Classic at Damien.
The matchups were set with the results of quarterfinals in the Gold, Silver and Bronze divisions Tuesday on the respective campuses of Damien and San Dimas High Schools.
Bracket play will take a one-day hiatus on Wednesday when 12 “cross-bracket” contests will be played in the Athletic (starting at 11:30 a.m.) and Event (tipping at 2 p.m.) centers on the Damien campus.
In the Gold Division, top seed Santa Ana Mater Dei (74-67 over Lake Balboa Birmingham), host Damien (topping Long Beach Poly, 71-63), Eastvale Roosevelt (74-65 against Bellflower St. John Bosco) and Corona Centennial (77-63 over Etiwanda) won their second-round games on the championship side of the bracket Tuesday.
Top seed Woodland Hills Taft will be joined by Hacienda Heights Los Altos, Compton Dominguez and Vista Thursday in the Silver semifinals (also in Damien’s Athletic Center) while top seed La Canada, along with Hesperia, Pasadena La Salle and Diamond Bar make up the Bronx semifinals that will be contested at San Dimas High Thursday.
Here is Wednesday’s complete “crossover” schedule, followed by closer looks at all of the Tuesday action:
(Damien’s Athletic Center) 11:30 a.m. Palmdale Highland vs. Verrado (AZ); 1 p.m., San Dimas vs. Playa del Rey St. Bernard; 2:30, Ontario Colony vs. Rialto; 4, St. John Bosco vs. West Covina; 5:30, Mater Dei vs. Palmdale Knight; 7, Corona Centennial vs. Claremont; 8:30, Damien vs. La Salle.
(Damien’s Event Center) 2 p.m., Rancho Christian vs. Fontana Kaiser; 3:30, Taft vs. Pico Rivera El Rancho; 5, Alta Loma vs. SLO Mission Prep; 6:30, Etiwanda vs. La Canada; 8, Rancho Cucamonga vs. Victorville Victor Valley.
Tuesday games round-up:
GOLD DIVISION
Championship quarterfinals
Damien 71, L.B. Poly 63: The host Spartans improved to 13-0 as junior guard Cameron Shelton scored 17 of his game-high 25 points after intermission, including crucial pair of free throws and 3-pointer in the closing minutes against the Jackrabbits.
Six-foot-six senior Justin Hemsley added 11 points and 12 rebounds for Damien while Poly got 16 points from junior point guard Darryl Polk Jr. and 12 points (all in the second half) from Loyola Marymount-bound forward Zafir Williams.
Freshman forward Austin Cook hit two 3s in the third quarter to help Damien build a 10-point lead going into the final quarter.
Damien meets Roosevelt at 7 o’clock Thursday night in a championship semifinal while Poly hooks up with St. John Bosco in a consolation semi at 11:30 a.m.
Mater Dei 74, Birmingham 67: The Monarchs improved to 13-1 (the only loss coming to Chino Hills in the Tarkanian Classic championship game on Dec. 20) but not before holding off a tough challenge from what the No. 1 team in the L.A. City Section.
The Patriots (9-3) built leads of as many as nine points – at 34-25 – in the second quarter behind the play of 6-4 senior Devante Doutrive, who scored 19 points before intermission.
But the Monarchs closed to within 36-35 as 6-9 junior Michael Wang hit a 3 and then center Miles Brookins scored a layup after being set up with a pass from junior point guard Spencer Freedman.
Mater Dei took the lead for good (at 49-48) on another Wang 3 with 3:42 to go in the third quarter and built its advantage to as many as 12 early in the fourth quarter. The Patriots never got any closer than to within three with about four minutes to go.
Doutrive finished with 27 points but was limited in part in the second half from a solid defensive effort by junior Harrison Butler (Doutrive was also guarded, at times, by senior Matt Weyand), who added 16 points as five Mater Dei players scored in double figures.
Freedman added 10 points and (according to my unofficial stats) seven assists while Wang led the way with 19 points followed by senior forward Justice Sueing’s 18 and Brookins’ 10.
Doutrive’s junior brother, Devonaire, added 14 points for Birmingham while senior point guard Deschon Winston chipped in with 13.
The Monarchs face Corona Centennial in the second Thursday night semifinal at 8:30.
Roosevelt 74, St. John Bosco 65: The Mustangs built leads of as many as 14 points in the second quarter then had to fight off multiple spirited comebacks from the Braves, falling behind once by a point after a layup by junior center JoJo Bush with 3:47 to go in the third quarter.
But Coach Steve Singleton’s Roosevelt squad (7-3) has seniors Matt Mitchell and Jermal Baker on its roster – and that, ultimately, is the prime reason the Mustangs will be playing Damien Thursday night at 7 o’clock.
The Cal State Fullerton-bound (what a “steal” for the Titans) Mitchell finished 29 points and an unofficial 13 rebounds.
Baker picked up his fourth foul with 7:25 to go in the fourth quarter and spent a lot of time on the bench in the quarter but still scored 18 points.
Junior forward David Agba scored eight of his 11 points for Roosevelt in the fourth quarter.
Six-three J.J. Watson – among the very best of the unsigned senior guards in the West – led St. John Bosco with 27 points, including five 3s.
Corona Centennial 77, Etiwanda 63: The Huskies improved to 11-2 in the final game of the evening with their second win over the Eagles in three tournament meetings this season.
Coach Josh Giles’ team will get a Thursday night semifinal game with the Mater Dei program that beat the Huskies in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Open Division playoffs last season.
Six-nine, UCLA-bound Jalen Hill (25 points and an unofficial 13 rebounds) continued his inside dominance for the Huskies this season while senior guards Gio Nelson (17) and Isom Butler (13) combined for 30 points while supplying a lot of defensive pressure on Etiwanda.
Junior forward Kessler Edwards led the Eagles with 22 points while senior point guard Miles Oliver added 20.
Consolation bracket
Santa Monica 71, Encino Crespi 69 (OT): Sophomore Kyle Owens of Crespi put the game into overtime with a 3-pointer but the Vikings used a balanced scoring attack – led by the jump shooting of junior Rip Economou (22 points, 17 of those after intermission) – to prevail after losing a first-round game to Roosevelt Monday afternoon.
The Celts (who lost to St. John Bosco Monday) were led by the 6-5, left-handed Owens, who scored a career-best 24, including 13 in the fourth quarter and knocked in four 3s.
Mission Hills Alemany 74, L.V. Centennial 69 (OT): Six-ten junior center Fred Odhiambo scored eight of his points in overtime as the Warriors moved into a Thursday consolation semifinal after suffering a 20-point loss to Corona Centennial Monday night.
Odhiambo, who had three dunks in OT, also blocked 10 shots. Junior D.J. McDonald added 25 points for Alemany, including six 3s.
University of Oregon-bound Troy Brown scored 24 points for Centennial, which lost to Etiwanda Monday night.
Oak Park 67, Lynwood 49: Junior post Riley Battin scored 35 points Monday during his team’s narrow (three-point) loss to Birmingham in the first round.
He was just as difficult to defend Tuesday while scoring 30 points against the Knight and helping put his team into a Thursday consolation semifinal against Alemany.
Temecula Rancho Christian 66, Hayward Moreau Catholic 63: Sophomore Isaiah Mobley hit a 3 from straightaway with four seconds to give his team the win after Damari Milstead had tied the score for Moreau Catholic with a 3 with 30 seconds remaining.
Mobley scored 24 points after a 21-point effort in a loss to Poly Monday.
SILVER DIVISION
Championship quarterfinals
Los Altos 77, Rancho Cucamonga 76: The Conquerors (10-0) trailed by as many as 15 points in the third quarter but was able to pull out the victory via a 3-pointer from the left corner by Jordan Ramirez with seven seconds to play, set up by a penetration pass by Jarod Lucas.
Lucas, a 6-3 junior who was the MVP for the El Rancho and Pioneer tournaments, scored 32 points while the Cougars were led by another outstanding junior, guard Toby Okwuokei, who scored 26.
Los Altos faces Visa in a championship semifinal Thursday afternoon (4) in the Athletic Center.
Vista 64, L.A. Windward 58: Junior guards Taurus Samuels (23) and Isaiah Morris (21) combined for all but 20 of the Panthers’ points as they were able to withstand a 31-point performance from 6-5 junior Jules Bernard to get to the Thursday semifinal.
Dominguez 79, Lawndale Leuzinger 63: Six-three Wayne Arnold – one of the multitude of very good junior prospects in this event – scored 27 points to help the Dons get to a 5:30 semifinal game with Taft Thursday.
Taft 61, Claremont 54: The top-seeded Toreadors trailed by three points at intermission but hung on for the win behind senior Abdurrahman Zaid’s 23 points.
Consolation bracket
Long Beach Jordan 70, Playa del Rey St. Bernard 54: The Panthers bounced back from a loss to Los Altos Monday night (a game in which they were in front by 10 points at intermission) as senior guard Jordan Heard led the way with 21 points
Junior forward Malcolm Bray had 17 points for the Vikings.
Ontario Colony 71, Palmdale Knight 54: Four Titans scored in double figures, with 6-5 senior Rodrick McCobb topping them with 19 points.
Six-five sophomore Dajour Lewis scored 17 points for Knight.
Palmdale Highland 62, San Luis Obispo Mission Prep 49: Dante Williams (17) and Deshay Gipson (15) combined for 32 points recovered nicely from its 19-point loss to top seed Taft on Monday.
Moreno Valley Rancho Verde 57, L.A. Price 29: Senior forward Ajani Kennedy scored 17 points and sophomore guard Jaxon Turner added 15 for the winners.
BRONZE DIVISION
Championship quarterfinals
La Canada 57, Kaiser 47: Sean Estes (LC) 19 points.
Diamond Bar 56, San Dimas 54: Miles Corey (DB) 15 points. Donnell Leffridge IV (SD) 22.
La Salle 89, West Covina 86: Darius Henderson and A.J. Akobian (LS) 25 points apiece. Nick Hart (WC) 25.
Hesperia 43, La Sierra 36: Ronnie Green and Levontay Ott (H) 11 points apiece.
Consolation bracket
Trinity Classical 57, Rialto 55; Victor Valley 49, Pomona 38; Silverado 52, Verrado 50; Alta Loma 55, El Rancho 48.
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