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RIVERSIDE – How stacked is the CIF Southern Section’s basketball Open playoff division?

It’s so deep in quality teams that two squads that came into Saturday night’s semifinals at Cal Baptist University with a combined one loss will be playing for third place Tuesday night.

That Etiwanda at Bishop Montgomery contest came about as a result of Saturday night victories by No.5 seed Sierra Canyon over unbeaten- and top-seed Bishop Montgomery (77-74 in double overtime) and No. 3 Mater Dei over once-beaten and No. 2 seed Etiwanda (76-66).

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CHINO HILLS – Some assumed the days of the Chino Hills High basketball program being one of the most formidable in Southern California – and beyond – were numbered once social media legend Melo Ball withdrew from school with two full seasons of eligibility remaining.

“Some” assumed incorrectly, as the Huskies continued to demonstrate Friday night.

Melo Ball and older brothers Gelo (he’s with Melo playing in Lithuania) and Lonzo (of the Lakers, and Ground Zero for Big Baller Mania) are playing professional, and two-year standout Eli Scott is one of the West Coast Conference’s best freshmen at Loyola Marymount.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL, Ca. – The Southern Section’s representatives to the State Southern Regionals are set following the quarterfinal results of Tuesday night in Divisions I-to-4A.

The section’s regional Division I field was completed via the road victories of Long Beach Poly (Oak Park, 85-76), Chino Hills (Corona Centennial, 87-74), Pasadena (Damien, 88-75) and Moreno Valley Rancho Verde (Eastvale Roosevelt, 53-43).

Those results set up Friday night semifinal matchups of Rancho Verde-Pasadena and Poly-Chino Hills.

Each of those teams will join Open first-round losers Crespi, Rancho Christian, Santa Margarita and St.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL, Ca. –  The top four teams in the updated BurlisonOnBasketball SoCal Top 10 Plus 15 will be in the same building Saturday evening.

Unbeaten and top-ranked will face No. 3 Sierra Canyon while No. 2 Etiwanda hooks up with No. 4 Mater Dei at Cal Baptist University in Riverside during the CIF Southern Section’s Open Division championship semifinals.

And, roughly 60 miles to the northwest of CBU, the L.A. City will be holding its Open championship semifinals when No. 6 Westchester faces Granada Hills (an upset winner at Narbonne Saturday night) and No.’s

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LOS ANGELES – The “next man up” approach was in full effect Saturday night at Westchester High during the first-round L.A. City Open Division playoff game between defending champion Birmingham and the host Comets.

Six-foot-three junior Jordan Brinson – arguably Westchester’s best all-around player – stood with his back against a wall behind the basket as his teammates warmed up 20 minutes before the 7 o’clock scheduled tip-off.

He wasn’t in uniform and – even if he decides to put on a uniform – he won’t be playing for the Comets during their trek for a City crown and deep run into the State Open Division tournament.

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