Frank Burlison

NORWALK, Ca. – The defending CIF Southern Section and State Open championship program is among the 16 squads set to play in the Rolling Hills High State Preview, presented by ScorebookLive.com, Saturday at Cerritos College.

Bishop Montgomery (21-0 going into its Del Rey League game at Serra Friday evening) faces Fairfax (14-6 before its Western League game with University Friday night) at 7 o’clock in a game pitting the Southern Section’s top-ranked program and the L.A. City’s No. 2 squad.

The Knights – who needed a buzzer-beating 3-point to beat Cantwell Sacred-Heart Wednesday night – haven’t lost since dropping a 73-67 decision to Montverde (FL) Academy on Jan.

[Click to continue reading]

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Ca. – The Mater Dei High Ivy League basketball duo aced its Trinity League test Wednesday night.

Point guard Spencer Freedman (bound for Harvard) scored a game-high 20 points, on seven of nine shooting from the field, to go with eight assists, six rebounds and three steals as the Monarchs turned in a near-impeccable performance at both ends of the floor while knocking off the host Santa Margarita Eagles, 67-49.

And teammate Michael Wang (a future University of Pennsylvania Quaker) chipped in with 17 points and four rebounds, 12 of those points coming by way of 3-pointers set up by Freedman dishes.

[Click to continue reading]

LA VERNE, Ca. – The Etiwanda High boys’ basketball team extended its winning streak to 18 Tuesday night with its Baseline League victory over host Damien Spartans.

But none of those first 17 wins came nearly as hard-fought as did the 69-67 overtime decision over the Spartans.

In improving to 22-1 overall (and 5-0 in league), Coach David Kleckner’s crew had to overcome:

*A sterling performance by Damien’s Northern Arizona-bound Cameron Shelton, who scored 24 points with five rebounds, seven assists and two seals;

*A tremendous effort by Spartans’ freshman Malik Thomas, who scored all 13 of his points after intermission, including four free throws in the four-minute extra stanza;

*An uncharacteristic display of careless passing and ball-handling after intermission.

[Click to continue reading]

SAN DIEGO – The fifth and final game of Saturday’s Battle at the Bay could have easily been deemed a sneak preview of the CIF San Diego Section’s Open Division championship game in March.

El Cajon Foothills Christian and the host Mission Bay team are as good as there is in San Diego this season and they looked the part Saturday night, going into a four-minute overtime before the visitors prevailed, 61-58, in front of an elbow-to-elbow and hip-to-hip packed building.

The Foothills Christian Knights (17-5) took the lead for good (at 54-53) on junior Dorian Blue’s sixth 3-pointer of the contest with 3:17 to go in overtime.

[Click to continue reading]

LA VERNE, CA – A showdown between two of the best guards in California could be on tap during the final contest of the eight-game “Southern California Shootout” at Damien High Saturday.

In 7:30 finale, the Damien Spartans (17-3 before their Friday night Baseline League game with Rancho Cucamonga) face the Los Altos Conquistadors (17-2 going into their Friday Hacienda League game with West Covina)

Damien is led by senior Cameron Shelton (PICTURED), a left hander who signed with Northern Arizona University in November while Los Altos is paced by 6-foot-3 junior Jarod Lucas, who was the Most Outstanding Player while leading his team to the Gold Division title during the Dec.

[Click to continue reading]