LAS VEGAS – The West Ranch boys’ basketball team made the most of another opportunity Wednesday evening to show why it’s one of the top teams in Southern California – and beyond.
The Wildcats led wire-to-wire while knocking off Mater Dei, 60-55, at Bishop Gorman to advance to the Thursday night (6 o’clock) Platinum Division championship game of the
11th Tarkanian Classic.
Coach Jeff Bryant’s team, after improving to 11-0, will take on the host and defending division champion Gaels.
Freshman Jaxon Richardson picked off a short pass intended for 6-foot-9 Jacob Toppin with three seconds to go to give Bishop Gorman an 82-80 win in overtime against Dallas Oak Cliff Faith Family, which took a 14-0 record into the game.
In the first semi, West Ranch – getting six 3s – led by as many as 13 points in the first half at 25-12 before the Monarchs pared their deficit to seven points at intermission.
Mater Dei hit a collective 12 shots from behind the arc (eight by sophomore Owen Verna) in their quarterfinal win over Ft. Lauderdale Calvary Christian Tuesday.
But the Wildcats did a quality job of chasing the Monarchs’ jump shooters off the line Wednesday, forcing Mater Dei to final starting scoring via back-cuts and post-up action by the likes of senior Zack Davidson (10 points but held to five of 15 shooting against a front line led by 7-foot Jazz Gardner and 6-7 Andrew Meadow) and freshmen Brennan Martinsen (15 points) and Che Brogan (14).
And the Monarchs hit their first 3 – by another freshman, Keith Barnett – with 8:32 to go and another by Martinsen, with three minutes remaining.
Martinsen scored a layup (after a pass from Davidson) while being fouled with 49 seconds to go and converted the free throw to get his team to within 56-55.
And the other end, the Wildcats went deep into before Meadow missed a short jumper, but he beat the Mater Dei players to snag the rebound and get the ball to junior guard Darrell Morris, who was fouled with 12 seconds remaining.
Morris swished both free throws for a 3-point edge and, after inbounding the ball to near mid-court, the Monarchs called timeout with eight seconds remaining.
When they returned to play, Barnett lined up to inbound the ball but when he did, Miles jumped the passing lane, snatch the ball and sail to the rim for the final margin as time expired.
Meadow went for 22 points and 10 rebounds while Miles added 17 points.
Junior Juni Mobley turned in another superb scoring effort – 25 points; he had 32 Tuesday night vs. San Diego St. Augustine – to help the Gaels overcome a seven-point deficit with 10 minutes to go in regulation and a four-point deficit a minute into overtime.
Six-foot-eight senior Ryan Reynolds scored 20 points as Santa Margarita – like Mater Dei, a member of the Trinity League – beat Oakland, 53-44, to move into Thursday’s 1:30 p.m. Nike Division title game against another Southland-based team, Santa Monica Crossroads (which edge Florida’s Mater Lakes, 59-58, in the other semi.
Nine championship games will be played on Thursday:
*Orleans: 9 a.m., Irvine (CA) Crean Lutheran vs. Houston Christian, BG Gym 1.
*Baller TV: 10:20 a.m., San Gabriel Academy vs. Augusta (GA) Christian, BG Gym 2.
*Team Athletics: Noon, Payson (UT) vs. Mother Teresa Academy (CN), BG Gym 2.
*Nike: 1:30 p.m., Santa Margarita vs. Crossroads, BG Gym 1.
*Spalding: 3, Fresno Clovis West vs. Orlando Jones, BG Gym 1.
*Gatorade: 4:30, San Diego Lincoln vs. Ft. Carson (CO) Fountain, BG Gym 2.
*Platinum: 6, Bishop Gorman vs. West Ranch, BG Gym 1.
*Captain U: 1:30 p.m., Lawndale (CA) Leuzinger vs. Orem (UT) Mountain View, Faith Lutheran.
*Select: 3 p.m., L.A. Salesian vs. Provo (UT), Faith Lutheran.
In a high-profile, consolation championship game Thursday, Liberty and Coronado hook up at noon in Bishop Gorman’s main gym.
The Las Vegas-based programs are paced by two of the top backcourts in the west, via Liberty’s Dedan Thomas Jr. (the best 2024-point guard in the country), Angelo Kambala (he hit seven 3s in a win over another Las Vegas team, Durango, Wednesday morning; he signed with Utah Tech last month) and Thomas’ frosh brother, Tyus.
And UCLA signee Sebastian Mack, along with junior Josiah Cunningham, will be on the floor for Coronado.
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