LA VERNE, Ca. – The busiest boys’ high school basketball team was back at it Saturday afternoon.
The host Damien Spartans used a 28-point second quarter – by way of 10 of 14 from the field, including four 3s – to coast to an 80-61 victory over the Orange Lutheran Lancers.
Coach Mike LeDuc’s team improved to 15-0 behind a balanced scoring attack led by 6-foot-8 sophomore Jimmy Oladokun (pictured), with 20 points that he coupled with 11 rebounds.
Returning starters Malik Thomas (18), R.J. Smith (eight) and Chris Nickelberry (6) – who make up on of the better set of perimeter players in California – combined for 32 points.
The USC-bound Thomas’ 3 with three seconds to go – his third – pushed his team’s advantage to 14 points (43-29) at intermission.
The Spartans also got 21 points from reserves, including 10 from junior guard Spivey Word.
Smith’s eight points landed him at 1,000 during his two-plus seasons. Thomas exceeded 2,000 for his career last season.
The Lancers of Coach Daniel Dunbar fell to 3-1 despite 16 points (including four 3s in the first) half from senior guard Yigit Arcan, who is from Istanbul.
Transfers Denim Jones Dawson (Colony) and Seth Brown (Ayala) added 20 and 12 points, respectively, for the Lancers.
They open Trinity League play Wednesday night (5) at Servite.
The Spartans play host to Etiwanda Tuesday night (6:30) in a Baseline League opener, one of two meetings between the programs (the other is May 7 and hosted by the Eagles) that will not only likely decide the league’s championship but also help shape the CIF Southern Section’s Open and Division I playoff seedings.
The Eagles, who’ve lost in State Southern Regional finals in the past three seasons (Sierra Canyon twice, sandwiched around Chino Hills in 2019), will be making their season’s debut.
They had a “pause” in their practices a couple of weeks ago for COVID-19 reasons.
Etiwanda is led by 6-4 Jahmai Mashack, a two-time all-Southern Section selection who signed with the University of Tennessee in November.
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