Frank Burlison

LONG BEACH – The Sierra Canyon High basketball team held its collective breath as a potential score-tying jumper by Etiwanda’s Krystian Wilson was just off the front of the rim as the buzzer sounded in Long Beach State’s Pyramid.

With the miss came a 58-55 victory for the Trailblazers over the Eagles in the Southern Regional Open Division final and earned them a spot in the state championship game next Saturday night in Sacramento.

Sierra Canyon’s “NBA bloodlines” came through at critical moments for Coach Andre Chevalier’s team as Kenyon Martin Jr.,

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LONG BEACH – The St. John Bosco High basketball team dominated, more or less, the first three quarters of its Southern Regional Division I championship game with Chino Hills Saturday afternoon in the Pyramid on the Long Beach State campus.

But the fourth quarter, well, not so much.

Sparked by the both-ends-of-the-floor dominance of 6-foot-9 junior Onyeka Okongwu, the Chino Hills Huskies outscored the Braves over the final eight minutes 27-2 to prevail, 67-51, and earn a spot in the State championship game, against Las Lomas of Walnut Creek, next Friday night in Sacramento’s Golden 1 Arena.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL, Ca. – Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, family dogs . . .

Here are my game-by-game selections for the NCAA Tournament, culminating with the Final Four in San Antonio:

 

SOUTH

First Round: No. 1 Virginia-UMBC; Creighton-Kansas State; Kentucky-Davidson; Arizona-Buffalo; Miami-Loyola/Chi.; Tennessee-Wright State; Nevada-Texas; Cincinnati-Georgia State.

Second Round: Virginia-Creighton; Arizona-Kentucky; Tennessee-Miami; Cincinnati-Texas.

Regional Semifinals (Atlanta): Virginia-Arizona and Cincinnati-Miami.

Final: Cincinnati-Arizona

 

WEST

First Round: No. 1 Xavier-Texas Southern; Missouri-Florida State; Gonzaga-UNC/Greensboro; Ohio State-South Dakota State; Houston-San Diego State; Michigan-Montana; Texas A&M-Providence; North Carolina-Lipscomb.

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LOS ANGELES – Lake Balboa High’s basketball team may just 15-14.

But Coach Nicholas Halic’s Patriots are just a Saturday win away from a trip to Sacramento and a spot in the State Division II championship game next week.

Led by the all-around play of 6-foot-5 Devonaire Doutrive and the low-post dominance of 6-11 junior Christian Koloko (PICTURED), the Patriots held on to edge the host and top seed Brentwood School Eagles Tuesday night, 48-43.

The Patriots will take on Shareef O’Neal-led Crossroads – the No.

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BELLFLOWER – The St. John Bosco High basketball team rolled a Hard Eight on its Long Beach Poly counterpart Saturday night.

After falling behind by five points after Malik Salahuddin’s 12-footer with 2:50 remaining, the host Braves outscored the Jackrabbits 8-zip the rest of the way to pull out a 64-61 victory in the State Southern Regional Division I quarterfinal.

Coach Matt Dunn’s team, the top seed in the division after winning the consolation crown in the Southern Section’s Open Division playoffs, will be back in its gym Tuesday night for a semifinal against Temecula’s Rancho Christian.

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