Burlison on Basketball

Frank Burlison | High School Basketball | College Basketball

Harvard-Westlake knocks off Arizona powerhouse

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MESA, AZ – Two of the nation’s best boys high school basketball programs – and players –  hooked up Thursday night, capping nearly 13 hours of action in the Nike Tournament of Champions/HoopHall West event at Highland High.

And those in the gym who were able to power their way through the first eight games on the schedule were justly rewarded.

The Harvard-Westlake Wolverines  – winners of consecutive California State Open Division championships – relied on the playmaking and shot-making of senior Nikolas Khamenia to hold off the “host” Perry Pumas, 57-54, in the opening round of the eight-team bracketed tournament.

The Pumas, whose campus is in Gilbert, just short of five miles southwest of the Highland gym, have won three consecutive Arizona 6A titles – which corresponds to how long senior Koa Peat has worn Perry uniforms.

The Duke-bound Khamenia and Keat – yet to make a college decision – are trying to close out their high school careers by making big dents into their respective states’ hoops history books.

Khamenia wants to become the first boys player to be a part of three consecutive California Open crowns while Peat is on target to be the first hooper to win four Arizona state titles.

Khamenia struggled to hit shots in the first half, missing six of seven from the field  – including three attempts from behind the arc.

But he assisted on six of the 11 buckets his team scored in a first half that ended with the Pumas up, 33-32.

The “shooters keep shooting” adage paid off for Khamenia in the third quarter, when his consecutive 3s put his team in front to stay.

The Pumas (11-1) trailed by four points when Peat’s handoff and screen led to senior guard Dominic Avalos’ third 3 with 25 seconds to go.

Khamenia (who finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists) was fouled on the inbound pass and sank one of two free throws.

And his defense helped keep Peat (14 points, 12 rebounds , five assists and two blocks) from creating a good target for a pass, so sophomore Bruce Branch III (seven points, seven rebounds and five assists) was left to launch a 3 from the right corner that was off with sophomore Cole Holden rebounding with 3.6 seconds to go.

After being fouled Holden hit one of his two free throws and Peat’s heave from 60 feet away after the rebound of the miss never approached the realm of “makeable”.

The going gets even bumpier for Coach David Rebibo’s crew (16-1 and No. 4 in the BurlisonOnBasketball SoCal Top 30) Friday night (9, MT) – even if the opponent’s campus is 2,300 miles east from Highland.

Washington, D.C. ‘s Gonzaga College High’s Eagles improved to 11-1 early Thursday after pulling away after intermission to knock off Phoenix Sunnyslope, 69-53, as six players scored from six to 15 points for Coach Steve Turner’s team.

The Eagles (whose only loss came to the Boozers Bros and Miami Columbus) got 13 points and five assists from University of North Carolina-bound guard Derek Dixon. He’s one of five seniors bound for Division I college programs next season.

 

 

 

 

NorCal’s top team, Concord De La Salle, held up well in its toughest test of the season to improve to 13-0 in another first-round game by way of the Spartans’ 65-62 win against Duncanville of Texas.

Texas Christian University signee Kayden Edwards, after taking an inbound pass with 1.7 seconds to go, fired a 3-pointer that was off for the Panthers (9-5).

Alec Blair (who plans to play basketball and baseball at the University of Oklahoma) scored 21 points with three rebounds and three assists for the Spartans while fellow senior forward David Balogun added 18 points and eight rebounds.

They face St. Louis Chaminade in the other semifinal Friday night (7:30, MT).

*Earlier in the day, the top three teams in the BurlisonOnBasketball SoCal Top 30 opened play in the Showcase Division of the event.

No’s 1 Roosevelt (77-59 vs. Henderson, NV, Coronado) and 2 St. John Bosco (58-42 against Phoenix Sandra Day O’Connor) – about 70 or so hours after their overtime clash at The Classic at Damien – won with relatively stress-free efforts.

But No. 3 Notre Dame – in a game sandwiched between those two – suffered its second loss, 54-53, to Layton Christian Academy of Utah.

It was a rematch of a Dec. 20 Tarkanian Classic Platinum Division semifinal in the Orleans Hotel Arena, won by the Knights, 73-60.

But Coach Matt Sargeant’s team (13-2) was minus two key elements in that win – senior Lino Mark (six points and six steals) and sophomore NaVorro Bowman (20 points and four steals) because of injury and illness.

Junior Tyran Stokes scored 27 points in the first meeting and – despite missing all seven of his attempts from behind the arc – led scorers with 20 points Thursday.

With his team trailing by four points, Stokes scored on a drive while being fouled and his free throw got the Knights to within a point with 38 seconds to go.

Teammate Zachary White then stole the inbound pass and scored four seconds later for a one-point edge.

But Albert Ntungicimpaye – who had committed four turnovers and missed six of eight shots – scored on a drive to the left with his off (left) hand with 12.5 seconds to go.

After a timeout, Stokes drove hard right but the ball rolled off the rim before being knocked out of bounds and it was ruled the Knights’ ball with .7 of a second to go.

Stokes inbounded to sophomore Josiah Nance, but his catch-and-shot attempt was off at the buzzer.

Forwards Tyrin Jones (UNLV) and Alan Gballou (Eastern Washington) combined for 27 points, 22 rebounds, six assists and four blocked shots for the Eagles (8-6), who split their eight games in the Platinum Divisions of the Tarkanian Classic and The Classic at Damien the past two weeks.

They can avenge another of those losses when they face Roosevelt Friday (3 p.m., MT).
Roosevelt (16-1) – which edged St. John Bosco in OT Monday night, 56-55, Platinum title game of The Classic at Damien – knocked off the Eagles by 21 points in a semifinal at Damien last Saturday.

The Mustangs got 18 points, six assists and six steals from Myles Walker – a two-time, all-Classic at Damien selection who is the best unsigned senior point guard in California.

And junior forward Christian Collins continued his path of destruction for opponents, scoring 22 points and grabbing 14 rebounds for St. John Bosco (15-1), which held O’Connor to 11 of 51 from the field.

*In some of the Tournament of Champions’ bracket competition scattered in and around Mesa, La Mirada and Redondo Union – No.’s 5 and 7 in the Top 30 – won first-round games Thursday in the Saguaro Division at Skyline High.

The Matadores (14-3) got 34 points from senior Julien Gomez and 17 from sophomore Gene Roebuck to knock off Phoenix Brophy Prep, 73-58.

And the Sea Hawks (14-2), behind 23 points apiece from senior Hudson Mayes and junior S.J. Madison, toppled another squad from Phoenix (St. Mary’s), 81-65.

La Mirada beat Redondo Union, 82-72, in a Dec. 27, second-round Platinum Division game of The Classic at Damien.

If the Matadores and Sea Hawks are going to meet in a Saturday night (7:30, MT) “rematch” for the Saguaro championship, they need wins Friday night against Chandler Basha (6 o’clock, MT) and Albuquerque Volcano (7:30), respectively.

*No.’s 8 Santa Margarita (12-3) and 11 St. Pius X/St. Matthias Academy (9-5), after respective 1- and 3-point losses to Boulder Creek (AZ) and Higley (AZ) Thursday, play in a Sorano consolation semifinal at Skyline Friday at 10:30 a.m., MT.

*No. 17 Rolling Hills Prep (13-5) plays Oakland Tech at 6 o’clock and 27 Rancho Cucamonga (13-6) meets Cienega (AZ) at 7:30 in Jackrabbit semifinals at Red Mountain High Friday.

*No. 15 Anaheim Canyon (12-3) takes on Kaysville (UT) Davis at 7:30 p.m. at Mountain View High in a Jackrabbit semifinal Friday.

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