LAS VEGAS — The Downey St. Pius X/St. Matthias High boys’ basketball team needed three significant second-half comebacks to earn its way into the Thursday evening Platinum Division championship game of the 12th Tarkanian Classic.
But once they got there, the Warriors wasted little time in exerting their collective will on things, going on a 10-zip blitz to start things en route to their 89-79 victory over Scottsdale Desert Mountain at Bishop Montgomery High.
The wire-to-wire victory capped a remarkable week for Coach Donte Archie’s team, which improved to 8-1 following wins over Henderson (NV) Coronado, Sandy (UT) Alta, San Diego St. Augustine and, finally, a Desert Mountain club that took its own impressive path to the final.
Senior Tyrone Riley and junior Douglas Langford were two of the most impressive in the first three days of the eight-division event — and nothing changed Thursday.
The 6-foot-6, University of San Francisco-bound Riley (pictured) scored 24 of his game-high 31 points in a first half that ended with his team up, 51-43.
And the 6-8 Langford scored 13 points and grabbed 13 rebounds before fouling out with just less than three minutes to go and his team up, 77-73, after holding 15-point advantages three times in the second half.
But, after a timeout, the Warriors returned to the floor and did a sturdy job of “team rebounding” and got layups by Dayvon Gates and Tariq Bridges and eight free throws down the stretch to keep enough distance between them and the frenetic Wolves.
Bridges, a 6-5 junior, turned in his best scoring effort of the week with 16 points.
Desert Mountain (9-2, with one of those victories by way of Sierra Canyon’s only loss) got only 16 points from terrific sophomore guard Kaden House, who scored 27, 37 and 43 prior to the finale.
He was bothered by a strained groin — he didn’t start while trying to loosen the leg by stretching and bouncing on his toes behind the bench — but the Warriors individual and collective effort against him also deserves a lot of the credit for holding him to six of 15 shooting from the field.
His brother, Kalek House, led the Wolves with 24 points.
The Warriors are back at it next week during the top post-Christmas tournament in the west, where their Wednesday first-round, Gold Division opponent in the Classic at Damien will be Lone Peak of Utah.
In some of the other championship games played Thursday:
*BALL DAWGS: Bracket Most Outstanding Player Jaylen Peters scored 11 points as Baton Rouge Liberty Magnet (13-2) knocked off Stockton Weston Ranch (6-2), 59-49.
*SPALDING: Sophomore guard JRob Croy hit a contested 3-pointer to tie the score but senior Tony Duckett responded seven seconds later with a buzzer-beating 3 as Carlsbad edged Riverside Poly, 53-50.
The Bears, who fell to 10-4, open play in the Classic at Damien next Wednesday, facing Sacramento Inderkum at Ramona Middle School in a Diamond Division contest.
*NIKE: Rancho Verde suffered its first loss after winning its first 12 games, falling to Layton (UT) Christian, 61-46 — scoring just 12 points after leading, 34-30 at intermission. Six-eight junior Tyrin Jones was the bracket Most Outstanding Player for the Eagles (8-2).
The Jermaine Washington-led Mustangs are also in the Diamond Division of the Classic, facing Brentwood Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at Ramona MS.
*BALLER TV: Vista Murrieta improved to 13-1 after breezing over Las Vegas Desert Oasis, 81-40, behind bracket MOP, 6-6 senior Donovan Ford.
The Broncos are in the Bronze Division at the Classic and will open against Fresno Central East Tuesday tonight at 5:30 at Bonito High.
*ORLEANS: Senior guard Jordan Houegban scored 38 points (18 of those vis 3s) and was the obviously MOP choice as Brentwood used a decisive second half to get past Gilbert (AZ) Higley, 71-58, and improve to 9-3 going into next week’s Classic at Damien.
12 for the 12th Tarkanian Classic
Most Outstanding Player
Tyrone Riley/Downey St. Pius X-St. Matthias/Platinum Division
All-Tournament
Shon Abaev/Ft. Lauderdale Calvary Christian/Platinum
Jase Butler/Ross (CA) Branson/Platinum
Jason Crowe Jr./Lynwood/Ball Dawgs
Kaden House/Desert Mountain/Platinum
Kalek House/Desert Mountain/Platinum
Jaxon Johnson/Sandy (UT) Alta/Platinum
Douglas Langford/St. Pius X-St. Matthias/Platinum
David Mack/St. Pius X-St. Matthias/Platinum
LoLo Rudolph/San Diego St. Augustine/Platinum
Mike Simcoe/Phoenix O’Connor/Spalding
Bryson Tucker/Arlington (VA) McConnell/Spalding
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