GARDENA – The host Gardena High Panthers trailed just once Wednesday night while en route to a 76-67 victory against Taft in an L.A. City boys’ basketball playoff game for fifth place in the Open Division.
Both teams will be part of the State Southern Regional playoff brackets – likely in Division I or II – that will be unveiled Sunday afternoon.
State regional action begins on Tuesday night for Divisions I thru V, with a likely eight-team Open getting underway the next night.
The Panthers (27-4) took a 12-point advantage after the first period with each starter scoring.
But the Toreadors (21-10) kept gnawing at the deficit, getting four 3s (two by junior Langston Taylor and one apiece from sophomore Jason Hart Jr. and senior Demetrius Calip) in the second quarter to slice Gardena’s lead to five points at intermission.
In the second half it was senior Khalil Haywood (who scored 23 of his career-best 33 points over the final two quarters) and Hart (10 points in the second half to finish with 13) scoring all but two of Taft’s points keeping the visitors within arm’s length.
Haywood’s layup gave the Toreadors that first – and last – advantage, at 56-54, with 5:17 to go in the fourth quarter.
But that lead lived just 11 seconds as junior Chris Page nailed a 3 from the left wing in transition to put the hosts back in front.
Page (pictured/he scored a team-high 20 points) and senior guard Michael Frankling (16) scored six points apiece down the stretch with of Frankling’s coming from the free-throw line.
Seniors Kolby Kimbrough and Ramiah Adedigba added 17 and 14, respectively, for the Panthers.
Taft was without sophomore Ramel Lloyd (sore ankle).
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