LA VERNE, CA – Three of the best boys’ basketball teams from California – and another from Utah – powered their way into the Saturday night championship semifinals of the Platinum Division in the eighth edition of The Classic at Damien with strong Friday performances.
The top-ranked team in California – 13-0 St. John Bosco – faces a second challenge in 15 days from 12-2 La Mirada at 7 o’clock.
And defending Platinum champion Roosevelt (13-1) and Utah’s Layton Christian Academy (7-4) follow at 8:30. Both games will be played in the school’s Athletic Center.
The title game is set for Monday, as are the championship games in the event’s seven other 16-team brackets.
The Gold semifinals immediately precede the Platinum clashes in the Athletic Center with Crespi (11-4) playing Campbell Hall (9-2) at 4 o’clock, and Canyon of Anaheim (10-2) taking on Glendale (AZ) Ironwood (8-0) at 5:30.
For Saturday’s complete schedule and results in each division, go to www.classicatdamien.org/daily-schedule.
Gene Roebuck scored 30 points and Julien Gomez added 24 as La Mirada earned a rematch with the top-ranked Braves in Saturday night’s semifinal by way of its 82-72 win over Redondo Union in the first Platinum quarterfinal played Friday.
The 6-foot-5 Roebuck (pictured, courtesy Greg Stein Media) – the No. 1 sophomore in California – scored nine of his points in the fourth quarter, including a nearly 25-footer with 3:12 remaining that padded the Matadores’ advantage to seven points, and four free throws down the stretch.
The left-handed and crafty Gomez (who signed with Texas-Rio Grande Valley last month) scored 12 of his team’s 22 points in a third quarter that ended with his team up by eight points.
Four players scored in double figures for the Sea Hawks (11-2), senior forward Hudson Mayes leading the way with 24 points.
But La Mirada’s defense was superb in taking away Redondo’s potent deep shooting attack, limiting the Sea Hawks to two 3s (both by junior S.J. Madison, who scored 15 points) and none – in seven attempts – from their best deep shooters, senior Brayden Miner, and juniors Devin Wright and Zach Khatib.
Matt Dunn’s SJB Braves moved into the semifinals with his 500th win as a head coach, 52-43 over Heritage Christian (13-1).
Senior Elzie Harrington (21) and junior Christian Collins (15) scored 70 percent of the Braves’ points.
They knocked off La Mirada, 66-47, during the Dec. 13 semifinal of the Braves’ Winter Classic in Bellflower.
Layton Christian Academy earned its semifinal slot with a wire-to-wire, 59-43 decision against Phoenix Sandra Day O’Connor.
Senior forwards Alan Gballou (who signed with Eastern Washington last month) and Tyrin Jones (UNLV) scored 18 and 17 points, respectively, for the winners while UC Santa Barbara-bound forward Michael Simcoe scored 19 for O’Connor – which, like LCA, is called the Eagles.
They’ll get the Mustangs Saturday, via Roosevelt and its Big Three of seniors Brayden Burries, Issac Williamson and Myles Walker.
Clovis North (13-2) hung tough for about a quarter and a half but the Mustangs padded their advantage to 17 points at intermission before prevailing, 90-58.
With coaches from at least three of the college programs pursuing him – Arizona, UCLA and USC – sitting courtside, Burries scored 19 of his game-high points in the first half before finishing with a game-high 35 before being subbed out with Walker and Williamson with 4:34 remaining.
Junior forward Elias Gish led the Broncos with 18 points.
*Twenty-four hours after Jason Crowe, Jr. of Inglewood and Alijah Arenas of Chatsworth combined for 89 points in Inglewood’s 88-84 victory, Arenas and Uriah Tenette of Prescott of Arizona went 21 points better Friday afternoon.
The 6-foot-5 Arenas, who scored 34 points Thursday, broke Crowe’s one-day Classic record with 56 points.
But Prescott prevailed in overtime, 93-87, largely because the 5-10, left-handed Tenette (who signed with UC San Diego last month) scored 54 points.
*Two of the better five teams from Orange County – Los Alamitos and Santa Margarita – will meet in a consolation semifinal Saturday morning (11:30) in the Athletic Center.
The Griffins (8-4) earned their spot in the matchup by holding off San Ramon Valley (6-6), 74-71, while withstanding the jump shooting of UC Irvine-bound Luke Isaak (22 points, including four 3s in the fourth quarter).
Seniors Trent Minter (24), Liam Gray (16), Wes Trevino (14) and Samori Guyness (12) combined for 66 of the Los Alamitos scoring.
The Eagles (10-2) jumped to a 14-2 lead over the host Spartans in the first quarter before falling behind by five points in the fourth quarter.
But they got a nice lift from junior reserve Jacob Sears (eight points, five in the fourth quarter) while classmates Kaiden Bailey (23 points; five 3s) and Drew Anderson (12 of his 14 points in the second half) also were strong a Santa Margarita pulled away down the stretch, 65-54.
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