Frank Burlison

LAGUNA NIGUEL – After taking big hits Monday in Springfield during the Hoop Hall Classic, three of Southern California’s best boys’ hoops teams are back in action with key games this week.

The most notable spot to be during the week be Harbor College in San Pedro, where the Rolling Hills Prep State Preview/Presented by Scorebook Live will be held on Saturday.

Six teams in the updated SoCal Top 25 team rankings will participate, notably in the 8:30 finale when No. 3 Corona Centennial takes on No.

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BELLFLOWER – There’s plenty of basketball yet to be played before the March 14 California State Open Division championship game is played in Sacramento.

But the Sheldon High Huskies are firmly on the path of staying home and playing in that Open finale for a third year in a row.

That was apparent Monday night, during the last of the nine games played at St. John Bosco High during the Bosco Dream Showcase.

Coach Joey Rollings’ Huskies blasted Josh Christopher and his Mayfair teammates, 91-53.

The Huskies are 15-2 but lost only once when Arizona State-bound forward Marcus Bagley was healthy (a Tarkanian Classic Platinum semifinal with Las Vegas Bishop Gorman).

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NORTHRIDGE – It was a 77-mile drive for myself, and fellow CIF Southern Section Open Division Committee member Jerry DeBusk, to trek from the southern realm of Orange County to this San Fernando Valley community on Saturday afternoon.

All in all, though, it was worthy navigating and enduring the quasi-torture that the 405 Freeway can provide in order to watch the Windward and host Heritage Christian boys’ hoops teams clash.

The game delivered all of what one could hope to get out of a match-up of two of Southern California’s best teams and best players.

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ETIWANDA – The host Etiwanda High Eagles – with the best player in the program’s history looking on from court-side – handled their Baseline League opponent Friday night with the same approach that have served them so well this season:

Depth, defense and (scoring) balance.

The Eagles’ starters scored from six to 16 points, with their three top subs chipping in with a cumulative 26 points in their 82-60 victory over the Damien Spartans.

Etiwanda (No. 4 in the BurlisonOnBasketball Top 25) improved to 18-2 overall and 4-0 in league while Damien (No.

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LOS ANGELES – Fairfax High and its top-ranked L.A. City team will play host to the four-game, Harvey Kitani Classic Saturday afternoon.

The host Lions (17-3), No. 15 in the BurlisonOnBasketball Top 25, faces Lynwood at 6:30 in the event’s finale.

The 5 o’clock game pits Chaminade (No. 14 in the Top 25) takes on Amound Anderson-led Leuzinger.

The complete schedule:

2 p.m., Hawthorne Math and Science vs. Compton Early College;

3:30, Verbum Dei vs. Beverly Hills;

5, Chaminade vs. Leuzinger;

6:30, Fairfax vs. Lynwood

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