LA VERNE, Ca. – The first day of the third version of The Classic at Damien had more than its share of spectacular efforts – and a few stunning conclusions, as well.
The No.’s 6 (Etiwanda) and 9 (St. John Bosco) in the latest BurlisonOnBasketball Top 25 suffered first-round upsets – mild as they may be, in a bracket so tough – in the Platinum Division at Damien High.
And the No. 10 and host Spartans came oh-so-close to being dispensed to the consolation side of the bracket as well, in the final game of Wednesday night.
Other brackets saw spectacular individual efforts by junior Amound Anderson of Leuzinger (32 points in his team’s 72-63 win over Hesperia) and by senior Sedrick Altman of Colony (25 in the squad’s 76-41 toppling of Fresno Central) in the Gold bracket; by Oregon State-bound guard Jarod Lucas (40 points in Los Altos’ 96-67 Silver win over Jasper of Canada); and by future USC football All-American Drake London (44 points and 17 rebounds as Moorpark knocked off South Pasadena, 72-53, in the Bronze Bracket).
Back to those Platinum “upsets” . . .
*Senior guard Kendall McHugh tossed in an 8-footer at the buzzer as No. 13 Santa Margarita knocked off Etiwanda, 50-48, and earn a spot in a Thursday 5:30 p.m. quarterfinal with No. 2 Rancho Christian (which beat Birmingham Wednesday, 53-36).
Santa Margarita was playing without USC-bound forward Max Agbonkpolo (home recovering from mononucleosis) but a future UCLA Bruin, Jake Kyman, more than picked up the slack with 28 points and nine rebounds.
In its win, Rancho Christian got a combined 11 points and 18 rebounds from junior Evan Mobley.
*Junior guards Lamont Butler (18 points) and Evan Oliver (22, in his debut after his 30-day, transfer sit-out/PICTURED), propelled No. 25 Riverside Poly past St. John Bosco, 75-72, with a 17-for-17 fourth-quarter free-throw effort playing a big role.
The win got the Bears a Thursday 7 p.m. quarterfinal with No. 5 Corona Centennial, which cruised past St. Bernard Wednesday morning, 85-38, as juniors Jaylen Clark and Paris Dawson combined for 47 points.
Damien got double-figure scoring from four players, including senior Jarred Hyder (25) and junior Austin Cook (19), to edge Second Baptist of Houston, 78-74, to land the Spartans in a Thursday night, 8 o’clock quarterfinal with No. 3 Fairfax (which improved to 11-0 earlier Wednesday with a 64-53 win against No. 17 Rancho Verde).
The team from Texas got a spectacular effort from senior guard Cameron Chon, who had 29 points which included eight 3s, along with seven assists.
For Fairfax, UNLV-bound guard Ethan Anderson (already the MVP in two tournaments) had 14 points and junior guard Keith Dinwiddie, making his Fairfax debut following a 30-day sit-out after his transfer from Culver City, added 16 points.
Junior forward Ziaire Williams scored 31 points for No. 12 Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks but another Notre Dame – this one from Riverside and ranked No. 16 – used its half-court defense and offensive execution to pull out a 57-50 win and get a Thursday afternoon (4:30) game with No. 15 Chino Hills.
Senior Pierce Sterling led four Titans in double figures with 14 points.
Chino Hills, playing without two injured and ill starters, had a healthy Onyeka Okongwu and that’s why the Huskies were able to send Buckeye of Arizona to the consolation bracket, 82-62.
Future USC Trojan Okongwu had 33 points, 19 rebounds and five blocked shots.
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