Frank Burlison

LAGUNA NIGUEL – The State Regional playoffs get underway Tuesday evening, with games spread across five divisions – No.’s 1-V.

Open play tips off Wednesday night in Southern California, with quarterfinal games at CIF Southern Section Open semifinalist Sierra Canyon (vs. Central Section runner-up St. Joseph) and San Diego Open champion Carlsbad at home to CIF SS Open semifinalist St. Pius X/St. Matthias Academy.

With 39 boys’ games set for Tuesday in the Southern portion of the regionals, there are a multitude of viewing options, based upon your location and interest – “rooting” or otherwise.

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ONTARIO – Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks fell behind briefly late in the game before Mercy Miller did what he does best:

He took over the closing moments to give the Knights a 69-65 victory over Windward – and a CIF Southern Section Division 1 boys basketball championship – Saturday night at the Toyota Center.

The 6-foot-3 University of Houston-bound Miller scored 16  of his game-high 22 points in the second half via his usual terrific offensive display.

It was the third Southern Section boys’ title won by a Mission League program in 24 hours, joining Harvard-Westlake (Friday night over Roosevelt in the Open final) and Alemany (in three overtimes against Bosco Tech early Saturday in the 3A final).

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RIVERSIDE – This Harvard-Westlake boys’ basketball team has already accomplished something that last season’s, 33-2, State Open Division-winning squad couldn’t:

It has rung up a CIF Southern Section championship.

And, after the results of the boys and girls Open title games at Cal Baptist University Friday night, the same can be said of the Wolverines’ Etiwanda girls’ counterpart.

Coach David Rebibo’s Harvard-Westlake team trailed just three times ­– at 2-0, 5-3 and 7-5 ­– and used its stout half-court defense  with just enough offensive efficiency to grind out a 54-47 win over No.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL – Eight o’clock games Friday and Saturday nights, at Cal Baptist University in Riverside and Toyota Arena in Ontario, respectively, highlight the weekend’s ten CIF Southern Section boys’ basketball championship games.

Defending State Open Division champion Harvard-Westlake (29-3) and Eastvale Roosevelt (30-2) are each in pursuit of their initial sectional title when they hook up Friday at Cal Baptist.

And Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (28-3) and Windward (28-3), which came into the playoffs as the No.’s 1 and 2 seeds, face off Saturday night in Ontario with the CIF SS D-1 title at stake.

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The Windward High boys’ basketball team extended its winning streak on the Damien High home floor to four Friday night.

More importantly, the 67-60 victory over the host Spartans earned Coach D.J. Gay’s team a slot in the CIF Southern Section’s Division 1 title championship game next Saturday evening in Ontario.

The 28-3, No. 2 seed Wildcats – who will face top-seed Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks at 8 o’clock in the Toyota Arena – extended their overall winning streak to 18.

Their last loss came on Dec.

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