SANTA ANA – Eastvale Roosevelt should hang on to the No. 2 spot in the two most significant Southern California boys’ basketball team ratings, while Mater Dei should climb this week in those entities after Saturday wins in the 30th Nike Extravaganza.
The Brayden Burries-Roosevelt Mustangs (25-2) played a much crisper and more efficient second half in knocking off Las Vegas Bishop Gorman, 70-64.
And the host Monarchs continued their improved play of the past few weeks by using a strong third quarter to knock off Crean Lutheran, 71-60.
Those were two of nine games played during the second day of the event, which included six teams in last week’s BurlisonOnBasketball SoCal Top 30 and five from within the CIF Southern Section’s computer ratings that were last updated on Jan. 21.
Burries, one of three or four of the best of the “non-committed” members of the national class of 2025, scored 14 points in each half – going 14 of 17 from the free-throw line – to go with a game-high six rebounds.
Sharp-shooting University of New Mexico-bound guard Issac Williamson added 15 points for the Mustangs despite missing four of his five attempts from the arc.
Point guard Myles Walker, who didn’t play in his team’s win vs. Corona Thursday night before of an injury suffered to his right foot in his team’s loss to Washington, DC, Gonzaga Monday in Springfield, MA.
But the left-handed senior – despite a noticeable lack of his usual dynamic speed and quickness – played 24 minutes Saturday, hitting two 3s in second half while finishing with eight points (all after intermission) and four assists.
Sophomore Kameron Cooper and freshman Trey McKinney led the 17-5 Gaels with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Crean Lutheran (12-11 overall and 4-1 in the Crestview League) trailed the Monarchs by three points at intermission.
But Mater Dei (19-5 and 5-1 in the Trinity League) continued to get solid play at both ends of the floor, holding the Saints to .382 shooting from the field while hitting 50 percent of their field-goal attempts.
Junior guard Luke Barnett scored 24 points (including four 3s), bringing his three-game average for the week to 25.7 ppg.
And 6-foot-6, left-handed sophomore DeMarcus Henry (pictured) wrapped up a terrific three-game week, too, for the Monarchs with 21 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three blocked shots and two steals.
The Saints’ 6-8 Jacob Majok (with 21 points, 10 rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals) continued to justify my stance that he’s among the most underrated (from college recruiters and “media”) in Southern California
In the other seven games played Saturday (the first number is the BurlisonOnBasketball Top 30, the second via the CIF Southern Section computer) . . .
*No. 30/65 Corona Centennial 76, San Diego St. Augustine 60: In a rematch of a game played in the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas last month, the Huskies got double-figure scoring from five players with junior Isaiah Rogers (25 points, including six 3s, 10 rebounds and five assists) to improve to 13-5.
The Saints (9-13), who lost in the teams’ first meeting (70-53) saw their six-game win streak snapped despite 29 points (he also knocked in six 3s) from junior guard Jaden Bailes.
*No. 16/16 Los Alamitos 68, Foothill 62: The Knights (14-11) took a 1-point lead into the fourth quarter before the Griffins (16-8) got enough defensive stops, and key shots, down the stretch to improve to 11-1 against Orange County-based competition.
Senior guard Liam Gray (22 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals) was one of five Griffins to score from eight to 22 points while 6-10 senior Danny Kennard had 12 points, 10 rebounds and three assists for the Knights.
*Concord De La Salle 50, No. 11/10 Mira Costa 42: The Mustangs (21-3) took a three-point lead in the third quarter before the Alec Blair-led Spartans (19-3) pulled away.
The 6-7, University of Oklahoma-bound Blair (for baseball and basketball) returned after being sidelined for several games with a shoulder injury and finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
The Spartans, a top 3 team in NorCal, are 3-1 against SoCal competition.
The Mustangs, on a stretch of five games in eight days, got 10 points apiece from seniors Jacob DeArmas and Eneasi Piuleini.
*San Clemente 58, No. 20/19 Damien 50: The Tritons got 27 and 12 points, respectively, from seniors Christian Fernandez and Parker Hansen while improving to 20-5.
The Spartans, hampered by illness and injury, dropped their third game of the week (two of those to Baseline League foes Rancho Cucamonga and Etiwanda), fell to 18-9.
Junior Eli Garner had 22 points, four rebounds and three steals in defeat.
*Village Christian 57, Orange Lutheran 54: In a clash of programs from the San Fernando Valley (Sun Valley) and the O.C., the Lancers trailed by 20 points in the but moved in front by four points in the fourth only to fall to the Crusaders.
Left-handed senior Sydney Natche led all scorers with 22 points (10 of 15 from the field), to go with five rebounds and seven steals, for the 13-8 Crusaders while junior forward Jonathan Dzabatou paced the 13-12 Lancers with 16 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots.
*Dana Hills 43, Aliso Viejo 42: Josh Harris hit a mid-range jump shot with two seconds to go to give the Dolphins (9-15) the win against the Wolverines (18-7), which got 10 points and 14 rebounds from Jay Keys in the morning’s first game.
*Henderson (NV) Coronado 63, Chicago Whitney Young 62: Seniors Lantz Stephenson (25 points and nine rebounds) and Jalen St. Clair (17 points and seven assists) helped the Cougars improve to 11-7 with their seventh consecutive victory in the event’s final game.
Junior guard Marquis Clark (21 points and three assists) led the 13-9 Dolphins.
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