Frank Burlison

LA VERNE – The eight-game, Southern California Boys Basketball Shootout tips off at Damien High at 10 o’clock, Saturday morning.

The host Spartans, who face La Mirada in the event’s 8:30 p.m. finale, have one of the most prolific scorers in the west’s Class of 2021 in Malik Thomas (pictured).

Complete schedule: 10 a.m., Ontario Christian vs. Charter Oak; 11:30, Walnut vs. Crean Lutheran; 1 p.m., Mark Keppel vs. Covina; 2:30, Servite vs. Glendora; 4, Oak Park vs. Troy; 5:30, Valencia vs. Leuzinger; 7, San Gabriel Academy vs.

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PASADENA – A rematch between the top boys’ basketball teams in Southern California headlines the five-game (but two-session) Elite Invitational Showcase at Pasadena City College Saturday.

Rancho Christian edged Sierra Canyon in overtime, 85-81, when they met on Dec. 30 for the Platinum Division Championship of the fourth annual Classic at Damien. Rancho Christian guard Dominick Harris (pictured) led the scoring with 30 points.

Another program expected join the aforementioned Eagles and Trailblazers in the CIF Southern Section Open Division playoffs, Etiwanda, faces Renaissance Academy in the opening game Saturday at 12:30 in the afternoon.

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NEWPORT BEACH – Pacifica Christian High will play host to the four-game, BSN Sports Showcase boys’ basketball event Saturday.

Action gets underway at 3:30 in the afternoon with Bakersfield Christian taking on Scottsdale Rancho Solano.

Four players who have signed with, or committed to, NCAA Division I-affiliated programs are scheduled to participate: forwards Judah Brown (PICTURED/Pacifica Christian/Saint Mary’s); Devin Tillis (Windward/UNLV); Hunter Ruck (Rancho Solano/UC Irvine); and guard Donavan Yap (Las Vegas Arbor View/UNLV).

Two of the eight teams in the event, Windward and Heritage Christian, are strong candidates to be selected to play in the CIF Southern Section’s eight-team Open Division playoff field.

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LONG BEACH – The sixth annual Ron Massey Memorial Tip-Off Classic is set for Saturday at Long Beach City College.

Seven games will be played (beginning at 10 a.m.) in honor of Massey, who died of heart failure at 64 on April 8 of 2014.

Massey is a legend in high school coaching circles, not only in Long Beach but throughout Southern California.

He a teach and head basketball coach at Jordan High for 28 years (retiring in 2010), with his Panthers’ squad winning more than 500 games to go with three CIF Southern Section championships.

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REDONDO BEACH – To borrow the moniker of the guy who played on seven NBA championship teams, the St. Anthony High basketball team had its own “Big Shot Rob” Saturday night at Redondo Union High during the seventh Take Flight Challenge.

But, to modify the tag hung on Robert Horry – mostly during his three-championship stint with the Lakers – the Saints’ version should be  “Big Shot Lo” after 6-foot-4 junior Lorenzo Marsh nailed the jump shots that both extended the game by a four-minute overtime and gave his team its 58-57 win over Harvard-Westlake.

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