LAS VEGAS – A year after three Las Vegas (or thereabouts)-based teams played in the semifinals of the Tarkanian Classic’s Platinum Division, only one advanced to the quarterfinals Monday in the Orleans Hotel Arena in the 11th edition of one of the nation’s finest boys high school basketball events.
Durango, 58-55 to Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei; Liberty, 69-68 to Marietta (GA) Kell; and Coronado, 60-57 to Cleveland St. Ignatius each moved left on the 16-team bracket with action resuming Tuesday morning – and continuing thru Thursday’s final games – at Bishop Gorman High.
The host Gaels, who captured the Platinum a year ago, had no problem avoiding joining their “neighbors” in the consolation round while cruising past Oklahoma City’s Putnam City West, 77-49.
Joining Mater Dei as Southern California-based representatives to the winner’s side of the bracket were still-unbeatens Valencia West Ranch (9-0 after its wire-to-wire, 78-52 decision against Seattle’s Rainier Beach) and San Diego St. Augustine (which is 8-zip after holding off Orlando Oak Ridge in the final game of the long day, 56-51).
Tuesday’s Platinum play tips Tuesday at 9 a.m., with Arlington (VA) O’Connell facing Durango, followed at 10:30 by Rainier Beach vs. Liberty; Playa del Rey (CA) St. Bernard against Coronado at noon; and PCW vs. Oak Ridge at 1:30 in the afternoon in consolation games.
What could be four dandy championship quarterfinals are scheduled to get underway at 3, as Mater Dei (6–1) takes on Monday’s most impressive team, Ft. Lauderdale Calvary Christian (4-3 after a strong second-half performance in its 79-62 toppling of O’Connell); West Ranch plays Kell at 4:30; Dallas Oak Cliff Faith Family (14-0 after handing St. Bernard its first loss in resounding fashion, 84-63) vs. St. Ignatius at 6; and St. Augustine will attempt to upend underclassmen-laden and 4-1 Gaels on their home floor at 7:30.
Seniors Jaylen Curry and Carl Cherenfant (21 apiece) and multi-skilled, 6-foot-7 sophomore Shon Abaev (18) combined for 60 of Calvary Christian’s points Monday.
The slick and left-handed Curry is on a short list of the best of the unsigned Class of 2023 point guard prospects. Cherenfant signed a National Letter of Intent with the University of Memphis last month.
Mater Dei was able to overcome 20 turnovers as 6-8, University of Montana-bound Zack Davidson – the only senior in Coach Gary McKnight’s rotation – went for 28 points (12 of 13 on free throws) and seven rebounds.
Junior forward Taj Degourville got a good look and release from the left corner but a potential tying 3 was off at the buzzer.
Faith Family used its significant size advantage (notably, by way of 6-11 sophomore Doryan Onwuchekwa and 6-8 senior Jadyn Toppin) to punch out the Vikings inside the lane and got a superb all-around performance from its backcourt of 6-5 senior Peyton Gusters (three 3s) and 5-11 junior Jazz Henderson.
Senior guard Tyler Rolison had 26 points for the Vikings while freshman teammate Tajh Ariza added 11.
Senior guard Jaqari Miles scored 21 points for Coach Jeff Bryant’s West Ranch club, which – like St. Bernard and Liberty – will also compete in the Platinum Division of the top post-Christmas tournament in the west next week, The Classic at Damien in the Southern California city of La Verne.
Monday, Liberty – behind the near-flawless of floor direction of junior point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. (26 points something close to a dozen assists) – held a 17-point advantage early in the second half against Kell (now 9-0).
But the team from Georgia amped its half-court man defense, choking off a lot of passing angles for Thomas to the multitude of quality jump shooters at his disposal, for a 13-zip run.
With Liberty up a point and the shot clock about to expire, Angelo Kamballa (scoreless in the second half after a 15-point effort in the first 16 minutes), missed a difficult attempt with 33 seconds to go on the game clock.
And Kell Coach Jermaine Sellers knew where he wanted the ball to go for a potential game-winning shot.
Junior guard Jaylon Colon carried those wishes out explicitly.
He dribbled the ball up the ride side of the floor and found an inviting target posting on the right side of the lane – 7-footish and 320-poundish junior Peyton Marshall, who had sealed off at least a couple of defenders.
Colon led him with an-on-target pass and Marshall immediately turned over his left shoulder and slammed the ball thru the iron with about 14 seconds to go for the one-point advantage.
After a Liberty timeout, Thomas’ passing options were again (relatively) choked off, leaving him with a fallaway jumper from the right baseline (13 feet or so away), the ball falling off the iron as the buzzer sounded.
Marshall (pictured), who committed on Dec. 9 to signing a NLI with Auburn next November, scored 21 points and likely had something north of 10 rebounds.
In the other three Monday games:
*UCLA-bound guard Sebastian Mack scored 24 points, but Coronado dropped its fourth game in a row.
*Sophomores Chris Nwuli (15) and Jase Richardson (14) combined for 29 points for Bishop Gorman.
*And seniors Derrius Carter-Hollinger (16 points) and Jurian Dixon (11), as well as junior point guard LoLo Rudolph (13) were in double figures in St. Augustine’s “mild upset” of an Oak Ridge team that lost by just two points to the supposed “best” non-prep school team in the country (Duncanville of Texas) last week.
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