Harrington-led Braves bag Trinity League road win

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RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA – The St. John Bosco High boys’ basketball team may not have played with quite the consistency of excellence Friday night that will be required to extend its season deep into March – and into Sacramento.

But, in pulling away in the final few minutes for a 77-67 Trinity League victory at Santa Margarita, the Braves called on all the elements that can carry them, ultimately, all the way to the State Open Division championship in California’s capital on March 15.

Coach Matt Dunn’s team, which came in Orange County in the No. 3 slot in both the CIF Southern Section computer ratings and the BurlisonOnBasketball SoCal Top 30, got 28 points and seven assists from senior guard Elzie Harrington to improve to 21-3 overall and 5-1 in league, respectively.

The hosts, who fell to 17-5 and 3-2, were hit with an offensive attack that connected on 14 3s – six of those by Harrington, and three apiece from senior Chris Komin and junior Christian Collins – and five dunks.

Coach Justin Bell’s team – which travels to Bellflower for a rematch Monday night – got a 3 from Dallas Washington (who finished with three more 3s for 21 points and eight rebounds) and pull-up jumper from junior guard Rodney Westmoreland III for the game’s first points.

But the Braves – who also got double-figure scoring from Collins (16 points, nine in the fourth quarter, and eight rebounds), Komin (11) and junior Brandon McCoy, Jr. (10) – went on a 15-2 run and led by as many as 10 points in the second quarter.

Junior guard Kaiden Bailey (who scored 28 points in the Braves’ 3-point loss at Mater Dei Wednesday night) hit a 3 and pull-up jumper late in the first quarter.

But a defense (with McCoy and Komin usually drawing the primary assignment) did more than a commendable job in preventing Bailey from getting open for, and knocking in, jumpers as he missed seven shots in a row in a period that stretched into early into the fourth quarter while also committing five turnovers.

His ability  to deliver on-target passes – especially into rolls into the post by 6-7 junior Drew Anderson (14 points, 12 after intermission) and Washington – kept the Braves within striking distance.

Trailing 47-40, the Eagles went on a 9-zip run capped by a layup from reserve forward Ekene Anyiam-Osigwe with a minute to go for their first lead since the first 90 seconds.

It proved to be their final advantage, though, as McCoy followed in his own miss (while reminding that there aren’t many players anywhere in high school who get up as high, and as quickly, on their second jumps of a sequence) on the next possession.

Then Harrington (pictured), despite being closed out on hard by defenders Anyiam-Osigwe and 6-8 junior Brayden Kyman, hammered his fourth 3 just before the buzzer.

Bailey (who scored 13 points despite missing 10 of 15 shots but had 10 assists) finally freed himself for some decent looks in the fourth quarter.

He converted an “And 1” on a short drive from the left, a 60-foot sprint and finish off the dribble and a 22-footer as the Braves got to within 69-65 with 2:57 to go.

But Collins (from the left corner) and junior Max Ellis (from the top) – both via Harrington passes – knocked in the team’s 13^th and 14^th 3s, and Harrington closed out their scoring with his first free throws of the game.

The uber-talented McCoy – playing in his third game of the week after missing 19 games in a row because of an injury to his left foot – had three or four “oh, my goodness!” plays on both ends of the floor.

But last season’s SoCal and State Sophomore of the Year (who was three of 14 from the field, with early foul trouble and three turnovers) didn’t play with nearly the sharpness that will come shortly.

And that could come as soon as next week, with Servite (at home on Wednesday) and Mater Dei (Saturday at the Intuit Dome Arena in Inglewood).

*In another Friday night clash involving  two the better teams in Southern California, No. 1 (in both raking entities) Harvard-Westlake went on the road to Sherman Oaks and – after taking a 29-7 lead into the second quarter – knocked off host Notre Dame, 73-63.