LOS ANGELES – Coach Josh Giles’ Corona Centennial High team continued to play like The 2019-20 High School Basketball Story in California Saturday night at Harbor College during the Rolling Hills State Preview/Presented by Scorebook Live.
The 21-2 Huskies rapidly turned what had been expected to be a possible down-to-the-wire matchup into nothing short of a blowout, blistering Windward (No. 10 in last week’s BurlisonOnBasketball Top 25), 66-45.
It was their 17th consecutive win, collected in much the same fashion utilized in their 21 victories – with constant full-court pressure applied at both ends of the floor.
They forced the Wildcats (18-7) into eight first-quarter turnovers and the virtual defensive clinic never took a break as Windward ultimately turned it over 22 times.
The Huskies had doubled the score on the Wildcats – 58-29 – going into the fourth quarter and were up, 66-38, when Giles cleared the court of all of his starters with 3:15 remaining.
Just a reminder: This is the same program that lost three seniors – considered three of its four best players at the time – to transfer over the summer.
One of the seniors who did stick around, guard Paris Dawson, continued to build his “Southern California Player of the Season” resume while nailing four 3s in the first quarter and finishing with a game-high 23 points.
He and his No. 3-ranked teammates may still be startling folks the consistency of their excellence this season.
But Dawson?
Maybe back in November, when they opened the season what was then considered an upset with a 13-point victory at JSerra and then an upset of Rancho Christian in a third-place game of the Battle Zone Tournament.
But now?
“No, nothing surprises me anymore about what these guys are doing,” he said afterward, largely referencing the cluster of freshmen and sophomores have been integral elements in those 21 wins.
Guard Jared McCain (pictured) – a formidable candidate for SoCal Freshman of the Year kudos – knocked in three 3s and scored all 14 of his points over the first three quarters.
In other games Saturday:
*Santa Monica collected the week’s biggest upset in Southern California, knocking off No. 5 Harvard-Westlake (20-3), 49-35, as senior Malachi Jones and sophomore Daniel Jackson led the way with 11 points apiece.
Princeton-bound Mason Hooks scored 16 points for the Wolverines.
*In a game figuratively played with a “you score and I’ll score” approach, Birmingham scored the final points – via a deep 3-pointer from junior David Elliott with about four seconds to go – to edge Mayfair, 83-80.
A 40-footer (give or take) by Josh Christopher wasn’t close at the buzzer.
The 6-foot-4 Christopher – announced as a McDonald’s All-American Wednesday – scored an event-best 40 points (15 in the fourth quarter) while sophomore teammate Dior Johnson had 33.
Elliott scored 13 of his 22 points in the fourth quarters, while teammates Corey (27) and Elisha Cofield (20) combined for 47 points.
Elisha (a senior) grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked four shots.
*Six-seven Peyton Watson continued to look remarkably like the best junior prospect in Southern California, scoring 33 points with six rebounds, five assists and five blocked shots as Long Beach Poly cruised past Taft, 68-48.
*Senior center Marland Harris scored 18 points in Westchester’s 52-34 win against Colony.
*J.T. Tan, Benny Gealer and Vaughn Flowers combined for 46 points as Rolling Hills Prep improved to 21-2 with its 68-49 defeat of Loyola.
*Post players Thomas Oosterbroek (20) and Brayden Thomas (16) led Brentwood past El Camino Real, 65-63.
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