SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO – The St. John Bosco High team used an overpowering third quarter Wednesday night at JSerra High to demonstrate why it’s got the goods to repeat as the Trinity League champion and challenge for a CIF Southern Section Open Division title.
The visiting and No. 3-ranked (via the BurlisonOnBasketball SoCal Top 30) Braves, after committing nine turnovers, trailed by three at intermission in the Trinity League opener with the No. 4 Lions.
But the Braves tighten the clamps, defensively, and dialed up their offensive execution in the third quarter, outscoring the hosts by 13 points without turning the ball over and pulling away for a 67-51 victory.
Junior Elzie Harrington (pictured) and sophomore Brandon McCoy Jr. combined for 24 second-half points, McCoy finishing with a team-high 17 – hitting seven of 10 shots from the floor – while Harrington had seven assists to go with his 13 points.
Coach Matt Dunn’s squad (14-2 overall) got nifty offensive balance, with senior Jack Turner 11 points (including three 3s) and junior Kade Bonam 10 (three of five from of the floor and four of four free throws) also scoring in double figures while junior Chris Komin just missed with three 3s.
The Braves (who lost to now-No. 2 Eastvale Roosevelt in the Platinum Division championship game of the Classic at Damien Saturday night) limited JSerra standout guard Aidan Fowler to four points – not letting him get to the free-throw line while holding him to 12 shots – and just two after intermission.
Six-foot-nine, University of Colorado-bound Sebastian Rancik led the Lions (15-2) with 17 points – 11 in the first half – and eight rebounds.
Coach Keith Wilkinson’s team doesn’t have the luxury of spending much time in contemplation of the loss – the Lions travel to Santa Ana Friday night to take on No. 6 Mater Dei (15-1 overall after the Monarchs’ 62-41 win at Orange Lutheran) at 7 o’clock.
The Lions have never beaten the Monarchs in a boys’ varsity game.
The Braves take on Mater Dei in a “home” Trinity contest Saturday evening at 6 o’clock in the Crypto.com Arena as part of the Catholic Coastal Catholic.
But they’ve got a “real home game” on tap beforehand, as they play host to Servite in another Trinity contest Friday night at 7 o’clock.
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