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LAS VEGAS – Three of the very best teams in California and the perennial Nevada power Bishop Gorman make up the championship semifinals field for the Platinum Division Monday as the fifth Tarkanian Classic continues after taking Sunday off.

Each semifinal game in the event’s top bracket will be played in the Orleans Hotel Arena, with championships in all divisions to be played Tuesday at tournament host Bishop Gorman.

Eastvale Roosevelt, led by a couple of NCAA Division I program signees in guard Jemarl Baker (Cal) and forward Matt Mitchell (Cal State Fullerton), faces defending California State Open Division champion Chino Hills at 4 o’clock, with Santa Ana Mater Dei faces the Bishop Gorman Gaels at 5:30.

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LAS VEGAS – Two nights after knocking off top-ranked Mouth of Wilson (VA) Oak Hill Academy on national television in Indiana, Southern California’s top-ranked team was in the Bishop Gorman High gymnasium Saturday night.

And the Trailblazers showed little in the way of “hangover” during their brief stint in Las Vegas while holding off Las Vegas Centennial, 61-52, in a “showcase” contest as part of the fifth Tarkanian Classic.

Earlier in one of the Platinum (top) Division quarterfinals at Bishop Gorman, defending California State Open Division I champion Chino Hills stretched its win streak to 44 with an 87-77 victory over Northern California power Oakland Bishop O’Dowd.

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LAS VEGAS –The fifth Tarkanian Classic almost produced a “first” on Friday’s first day of the event’s high school play:

Southern California’s Chino Hills High Huskies were oh-so-close to suffering their first loss since March 27 of 2015 – nearly 21 months – before pulling off a furious rally to knock off Las Vegas Clark, 91-87, in a Platinum (top) Division game at Bishop Gorman High.

How close was “oh-so-close”?

The Huskies, who last lost (in double overtime) when they fell to Danville San Ramon Valley in the 2015 State Division I championship contest in Berkeley, trailed by nine points late in the first half and by 10 a few times deep into the second half.

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SCOTTSDALE, AZ – There are those who follow such things closely that believe that the La Lumiere School has the most gifted roster in all of high school and prep school basketball.

And, based upon what happened during the final game of the two-day HoopHall West Invitational, those same folks are feeling vindicated about their beliefs.

The LaPorte, IN-based Lakers had no difficulty in improving to 9-0 while subduing a talented but young Houston Westbury Christian squad, 91-44, Saturday night in the Chaparral High gymnasium in the 11^th and final game of the event.

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SCOTTSDALE, AZ – The front-court of DeAndre Ayton, Alfred Hollins and Shamiel Stevenson accounted for a collective 50 points and 30 rebounds Friday night.

And that was more than enough as Hillcrest Prep of Phoenix pulled away in the second half for a 73-51 victory over Houston Westbury Christian during the HoopHall West Invitational at Chaparral High.

It was a five-game, eight-hour first day of the event, with action tipping between New York City’s Christ the King and Phoenix St. Mary’s at about 4 o’clock and wrapping up with the Hillcrest Prep-Westbury Christian a few minutes past midnight.

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