Roosevelt, Sierra Canyon hoopers Sacramento-bound

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The top seeds in the Southern Regional’s Open and D-I divisions held off determined, down-to-the wire challenges Tuesday night to earn slots in the California Interscholastic Federation title games this weekend in Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center.

*In Eastvale, Brayden Burries hit a go-ahead 3-pointer from the left wing with 1:08 remaining to help No. 1 Roosevelt (34-2) edge third seed Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, 79-76, in a rematch of the CIF Southern Section’s Open championship game 10 nights before in Ontario’s Toyota Arena.

The victory earned Burries – who finished with 37 points – and the rest of the Mustangs a pop at 29-1, North Region-winner San Francisco Riordan (52-40 over visiting De La Salle of Concord Tuesday night) Saturday night at 8 o’clock in the Sacramento Kings’ arena.

*And, in Chatsworth, Sierra Canyon scored the game’s final seven points over the final 49 seconds to help the top seed Trailblazers (26-7) pull away from No. 3 Redondo Union, 74-68.

Coach Andre Chevaliers’ program returns to a State title game for the first since the Trailblazers won back-to-back Open crowns in 2018 & ’19.

They won the 2020 Open region final against Etiwanda, but the state championships were canceled due to the COVID pandemic.

Coach Steve Singleton’s Roosevelt program, the Section and Region Open runner-up a year ago, will play in its first state Open final but won the D-I championship eight years ago.

Burries (pictured) got plenty of support from plenty of help from his two long-time buddies who sit on the hoops firm of B,W&W ­– Issac Williamson and Myles Walker – who went for 21 points, and 10 points and 10 assists, respectively.

Redondo Union’s players couldn’t keep the Trailblazers off the free-throw line Tuesday night, as the hosts hit 25 of 33 free throws to the Seahawks’ 14 of 15.

Senior point guard Gavin Hightower (who started for three seasons at Windward) scored a game-high 25 points while hitting 15 of 18 free throws for the Trailblazers, who play Stockton Lincoln (31-4).

With the Seahawks up, 68-67, junior Maximus Adams (22 points and eight rebounds) missed a 3 from the right but the 6-foot-1 Hightower ripped the rebound away from a couple of visitors and scored while being fouled.

His free throw put his team up by two points and a 12-foot, pull-up jumper from the left side by Hudson Mayes (who led Redondo with 19 points) spun off the rim with Adams rebounding and Chevalier getting a timeout with 27 tics in regulation.

Six seconds after the ball was inbounded, Hightower was fouled by sophomore Chris Sanders and swished his 24^th and 25^th points.

Junior S.J. Madison (14 points) missed a 3 from the left corner, senior guard Jayden Alexander rebounded, was fouled and got the game’s final two points from the free-throw line.

It was a rematch of Southern Section Open Pool B game won by Sierra Canyon in the same building in overtime on Feb. 12, 69-66.

Notre Dame (28-8), while losing to the Mustangs for the third time this season, was led by 23 points from junior forward Tyran Stokes and 19 from sophomore guard NaVorro Bowman.