LA VERNE – Unbeaten Richmond Salesian will be joined by St. John Bosco, Eastvale Roosevelt and the host Spartans in Friday night’s Platinum Division championship semifinals of the 7th Classic at Damien.
And, in one of the 128-team event’s other seven brackets, Downey St. Pius X/St. Matthias inched a round closer to another high-profile tournament title Thursday night.
OK, so let’s take a deep breath before taking a deep dive into some of the Thursday action and looking into what’s in store for Friday’s fourth day of the top “true high school”, post-Christmas event in the country . . .
*Now 12-0 Salesian had to come from 10 points behind for the second day in a row before edging Corona Centennial, 59-57, with — also, for the second consecutive outing — senior Zander Jimenez nailing a gutsy deep 3 to help secure the victory and semifinal slot against St. John Bosco (7 o’clock Friday in Damien’s Athletic Center).
Northern California’s top-ranked club knocked off the Huskies for second time in 12 days, also beating them on Dec. 12 in the title game of the Owyhee Tournament in Meridian, ID.
Sophomore guard Isaiah Rogers almost “jump shot” the Huskies (10-7) to the victory, scoring a game-high 19 points — 12 of them from behind the arc.
Centennial’s “Big Two” of Carter Bryant (bound-for Arizona) and Eric Freeny (headed for UCLA) were limited to a cumulative one fourth-quarter bucket.
Hawaii-bound Aaron Claytor – as good a “floor leader” as there is in California – directed Salesian’s comeback while scoring a team-high 17 points.
*Roosevelt (14-1) took a 19-point advantage into the fourth quarter of the afternoon’s first quarterfinal, only to see Owyhee (6-2) stripped all but three points of it away with 35 seconds to go, as USC-bound Liam Campbell (with 13 of his team-high 21 points in the quarter).
But Brayden Burries – snagging an inbound pass, on the run, just before it might have been picked by an Owyhee defender – and teammate Darnez Slater hit a couple of free throws with 18 seconds to go for the final points in the 71-66 victory.
Burries scored 18 points, with 12 rebounds, while Slater and Issac Williamson (with three 3s for the second game in a row) scored 19 apiece and junior point guard Myles Walker had nine points, four steals and five assists.
With Campbell (picking up his third with 3:29 to go in the second quarter and fourth a minute into the fourth quarter) hampered with foul issues much of the way, Owyhee sophomore Logan Haustveit and juniors Jackson Rasmussen and Boden Howell were impressive while combining for 41 points.
Owyhee and Damien play in the second semifinal at 8:30.
*While taking on unbeaten Concord De La Salle (11-0), the host Spartans fell behind by nine points with just less than five minutes remaining in the third quarter.
But Damien’s half-court defense was able to get to DLS’s shooters the rest of the way before they could set up cleanly and hold the visitors to 10 points over the final 13 minutes and pull out the 51-42 victory.
For the second games in a row, 7-foot junior Nate Garcia was a dominant low-post presence at both ends of the floor for Damien (13-1) and senior guard Xavier Clinton’s jump shot was sizzling in the second half.
Garcia was limited seven field-goal attempts but scored 10 points with 13 rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots.
The 6-4 Clinton (pictured)– who, after picking up three first-half fouls, scored all 20 of his points after intermission of the 80-75 overtime decision against Sunnyslope Wednesday night – missed 11 of his first 12 shots Thursday night, with most of those heavily contested.
But he was eight of 13 the rest of the way (with five of the buckets 3s) and scored 19 of his game-high 25 points in the second half.
Eli Garner scored only three points for Damien, but the 6-5 sophomore did a commendable defensive job against 6-6 Alec Blair, one of the elite juniors in the west (and a power-hitting outfielder of note). Blair had a team-high 15 points (with eight rebounds and three assists) but missed 10 of his 15 shots from the field.
*And, in the final Platinum quarterfinal, St. John Bosco improved to 12-1 after holding off a game American Fork squad, 69-64, as Kade Bonam (19), Brandon McCoy (18) and Elzie Harrington and Jack Turner (16 apiece) scored all the Braves’ points.
The team from Utah (6-3) trailed by 10 points late in the first half but led by one once in the third quarter and trailed 60-59 after a transition layup by Jared Shepherd with a bit more than four minutes to go.
But Bonam (a 6-7 junior) and Dominic Perfetti (a 6-7 sophomore) had key blocked shots in the lane down the stretch for the Braves and Shepherd – the best jump shooter in the game – missed a clean look from the right wing that would have tied the score with about 50 seconds to go.
Shepherd scored 21 points (including five 3s) while fellow seniors Tiger Cuff and Blake Rawson added 18 and 13, respectively.
*Friday’s Gold Division semifinal lineup in the Athletic Center has St. George (UT) Dixie (9-1) playing West Ranch (9-5) at 4 o’clock and defending champion Danville San Ramon Valley (10-3) facing SP/SM (10-1) at 5:30.
The SP/SM Warriors – who won the Platinum Division title at the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas last week – built a 20-point advantage late in the first half before holding off Redondo, 85-74, Thursday in Damien’s Event Center.
Six-six Tyrone Riley (who signed with the University of San Francisco last month and was the Most Outstanding Player in Las Vegas) scored 25 points Thursday.
*Glendale (AZ) Ironwood (the runner-up in the Gold last year) continued its Diamond Division dominance Thursday, knocking off L.A. Brentwood, 58-43, at Ramona Middle School a day after toppling Newport Pacifica Christian, 69-46.
Coach Jordan Augustin’s Eagles (12-2) move down the road to Damien Friday, where they will 11-0 Auburn of Washington in the Event Center in a 6:30 Diamond semifinal.
In the other semifinal, San Pedro Rolling Hills Prep (15-2) – after edging Anaheim Fairmont Prep, 53-51, at Ramona MS Thursday – takes on 8-1 Lehi of Utah at 8 o’clock in the Event Center.
Guard Cooper Lewis (son of Lehi Coach Quincy Lewis) scored 38 points for Lehi in its 68-58 win over Riverside Poly Thursday night.
*Friday’s Silver Division semifinals will be played at two sites, Lynwood (10-4) taking on San Gabriel Academy (6-3) at St. Lucy’s High at 2 o’clock and Seattle Roosevelt (9-0) facing Pasadena (13-1) at Bonita High at 8:30 p.m.
*For complete Classic at Damien schedules and results, go to www.classicatdamien.org
Leave a Reply