LAS VEGAS – Three Southern California-based boys’ basketball programs will be joined by a gifted club from Utah in Friday night’s Platinum Division semifinals of the 12th Tarkanian Classic.
In the first, played at 7 o’clock in the Orleans Hotel Arena, the Eastvale Roosevelt Mustangs – No. 2 in the BurlisonOnBasketball SoCal Top 30 – faces No. 5 Redondo Union of Redondo Beach.
In the 8:30 clash, No. 3 Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks takes on Layton (UT) Christian Academy.
All the Tarkanian Classic games are live-streamed and archived by BallerTV.
In the last of the quarterfinals played Thursday night at Bishop Gorman High, Notre Dame improved to 11-0 as junior Tyran Stokes scored 32 points and the Knights outscored Provo Timpview by 15 points in the third quarter en route to a 77-64 win.
Sophomore guard NaVorro Bowman, Jr., sparked the 17-0 run to start the third quarter with nine points and an assist.
Six-foot-eight junior Dean Rueckert of Timpview (5-3) – with 19 of his eventual 31 points – was most responsible for the score being deadlocked at intermission.
Earlier Thursday afternoon, Rueckert scored 28 points as the Thunderbirds knocked off Philadelphia St. Joseph Prep, 70-51.
The other 14 teams in the bracket played first-round games Wednesday.
Bowman (whose father was a former NFL standout and coaches the linebackers for the Chargers) scored a career-high 17 points with three assists and five rebounds while Rutgers-bound Lino Mark added 16 points, four assists and six steals for the Knights, who forced 21 Timpview turnovers.
Layton Christian Academy (5-2) joined Roosevelt and Redondo as Classic at Damien participants next week that will be in Friday night’s semifinals.
The Eagles got a combined 38 points from posts Tyrin Jones (UNLV) and Alan Gballou (Eastern Washington) in the 61-50 win over the host Gaels.
The Roosevelt Mustangs (9-1) never trailed while handing the defending Florida State 2A champion, Miami Riviera Prep, its first loss in 16 games (eight of those this season).
But it was a struggle throughout and Coach Steve Singleton’s squad needed every bit of the offense (a combined 52 points) – and assorted big plays – provided by Brayden Burries (27 points, seven rebounds and three assists) and Isaac Williamson (pictured/25, including five 3s, while never leaving the floor).
Another senior, Myles Walker, and junior Jackson Haggins didn’t score in the first half, but each hit a 3 in the fourth quarter and combined for seven steals.
And, after Burries fouled out with 1:23 to go, Walker and freshman Cameron Anderson kept the Bulldogs from cutting too deeply into the nine-point edge they had when Burries went to the bench by hitting four free throws apiece.
The team had a significant size advantage but, even with 6-9 sophomore Jeremy Jenkins and 7-foot senior Gustavo Guimaraes combining for 33 points and 21 rebounds, couldn’t exploit it enough to seize control.
In the previous quarterfinal, Redondo (9-0) trailed deep into the fourth quarter for the first time this season when J.J. Buchanan scored off a Sea Hawks’ turnover to put the Cougars up, 82-21.
But, on the next possession, senior Brayden Miner came off a screen and, after a pass from junior Chace Holley, knocked in his third 3 of the game to put his team up by two points with 1:41 remaining.
A missed jumper and turnover sandwiched around three of four free throw attempts by senior Hudson Mayes (17 points and six rebounds) provided the final margin.
Along with Miner’s 11 points and Mayes’ 17, Holley (18), junior S.J. Madison (17 and four steals) and sophomore Chris Sanders (13) also scored in double figures while senior Lantz Stephenson led five Cougars in double figures with 20.
*In a Platinum consolation game Thursday, Westchester (4-6) edged Corona Centennial (3-8) in overtime, 62-56, as junior Tajh Ariza led the way with 26 points after scoring 31 in his team’s loss to Bishop Gorman Wednesday night.
It was the third OT defeat for the Huskies, who were led by junior guard C.J. Richardson’s 18 points, five rebounds and four assists.
*Leuzinger improved to 8-3 while earning a slot in a Friday Baller TV Division championship semifinal with its 70-66 win over Bilingual Christian Academy (Lake Wales, FL) Thursday at Coronado High.
The Olympians led by 18 points in the first half but fell behind late in the fourth quarter before sophomore Boogie Bagsby and freshman Jace Jones hit two free throws apiece and senior Malachi Knight (who scored 53 points in two games) got a steal, layup and free throw to seal the deal.
They will play Cathedral Prep of Pennsylvania at Silverado High at 6 o’clock.
*Two other programs from Southern California, San Diego Montgomery and Crossroads of Santa Monica, also advanced to Friday division semifinals.
Montgomery improved to 8-0 while beating Democracy Prep (63-58) and takes on another Las Vegas-based foe (Sierra Vista) in a Nike Division game at 1 in the afternoon in the Orleans Hotel Arena.
And Crossroads (7-4), after knocking off Stockton Weston Ranch Thursday night, 60-47, faces Alta of Utah in a 9 o’clock Gatorade semifinal in Bishop Gorman’s auxiliary gymnasium.
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