SANTA ANA – The 30th Nike Extravaganza tips off Friday afternoon in the Meruelo Center on the Mater Dei Campus.
Fourteen games are set for Friday and Saturday, one of those being the Friday night, 7:30, clash between the host Monarchs’ girls squad and its counterpart from Las Vegas Bishop Gorman.
Seven boys’ teams among the BurlisonOnBasketball SoCal Top 30 are scheduled to participate, with No. 15 Rolling Hills Prep facing Phoenix St. Mary’s (6 o’clock) and No. 18 Mater Dei 18 playing Servite (9 o’clock in what is a Trinity League game) Friday night.
In Saturday’s de facto “headliner”, Roosevelt of Eastvale – No. 2 in the SoCal and the CIF Southern Section’s computer ratings – plays Coach Grant Rice’s Bishop Gorman squad at 6 o’clock.
Roosevelt is led by one of the country’s best seniors, Brayden Burries. He scored 28 points, with 12 rebounds, five assists and four steals, while leading the Mustangs past Coronado at the event a year ago, 75-51.
The host Monarchs (17-5 overall and 4-1 in league before their Friday night game) play their second game Saturday night (7:30) against Crean Lutheran.
Junior guard Luke Barnett, who scored 30 points in Mater Dei’s Tuesday night, 62-59, Trinity League win over Santa Margarita, hit a buzzer-beating 3 to lead the Monarchs past Los Alamitos in the 2024 Extravaganza.
In other Saturday games involving Top 30 teams Saturday, No. 20 Damien faces San Clemente (noon); No. 16 Los Alamitos takes on Foothill (3 o’clock) and No. 30 Corona Centennial plays San Diego St. Augustine (4:30.
Action opens Friday at 3 pm. (Colony vs. Villa Park) and Saturday morning at 9 (Dana Hills vs. Aliso Niguel).
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