CORONA, Ca. – The Centennial Huskies were the best boys’ basketball team in California when their season opened on Nov. 16 with a 75-point victory over Paloma Valley.
And, based on the work they did en route to a second consecutive CIF Southern Section Open Division title, someone is going to be hard-pressed to knock them off them perch – leading to and during the March 12 State Open Division championship game in Sacramento.
The Huskies, withstanding a third-quarter rally by a determined Harvard-Westlake squad that brought a 24-2 record into Corona Friday night, pulled away for a 68-48 victory behind their usual multi-pronged offensive and defensive attacks.
Guards Jared McCain (20, including a couple of 3s in the fourth quarter) and Donovan Dent (14, with 13 of those in a first half that ended with the Huskies up by 17 points) combined for half of their team’s points.
But it was the physical dominance of Coach Josh Giles’ bookend junior post players, Devin Williams and Aaron McBride, that was the biggest reason the Wolverines – who trailed by 19 late in the second quarter – could never get closer to within nine points a minute and a half into the fourth quarter.
The slender, 6-foot-9 Williams went for 15 points, 10 rebounds (five of those in the fourth quarter) and three blocked shots
The 6-7, 215-pound McBride – he of the 4.3 weighted Grade Point Average – had 12 points and eight rebounds.
The University of New Mexico-bound Dent (pictured), who had 11 assists and four steals, was co-Open Player of the Year last June (with Amari Bailey of Sierra Canyon) and seems likely to be the sole Player of the Year this time around.
The offensive tools of junior forward Brady Dunlap (18 points) senior guard Cameron Thrower (17) helped keep the Wolverines with reasonable striking distance until the 30-1 Huskies pulled away in the final six minutes.
Centennial’s four Open Division victories (including three in pool play) have come by an average margin of 28 points.
The Wolverines came into the game with a 5-0 record vs. the Huskies over the past four seasons – including a pool-play win last May.
The teams are likely to be seeded 1-2 with the State Southern Regional Open bracket is unveiled on Sunday afternoon.
Regional Open games are set for Wednesday and Saturday of next week, with the final set for March 8 and the State Open final (in Sacramento) scheduled for four days later.
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