Frank Burlison

Temecula’s Rancho Christian High and L.A. Fairfax will be the sites for two noteworthy “one-day” hoops events Saturday.

Rancho Christian (313000 Community Way) plays host to the Eagle Showcase, with the first of six games getting underway at noon and a field that includes two of the Top Five teams in Southern California in Etiwanda and the host Eagles.

Etiwanda (17-1), led by seniors Kessler Edwards and Elijah Harkless, faces Twenty-Nine Palms at 3 while the Eagles (15-2) play Chula Vista Mater Dei at 6.

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LA VERNE, Ca. – The Chino Hills basketball team that left Las Vegas on Dec. 23 after dropping its final three Tarkanian Classic games wasn’t the same one that showed up for its Baseline League opener at Damien High Tuesday and won in oh-so-impressive fashion, 85-72.

The Huskies, under first-year Head Coach Dennis Latimore, were punched out by 21 (Rancho Christian) and 15 points (Corona Centennial), respectively, during the Nov. 27-Dec. 2 Battle Zone Tournament in Corona.

It was then on to Scottsdale in Arizona where they held 10 point-plus advantage against that state’s best team, Phoenix Shadow Mountain, before dropping an 85-81 decision in the Dec.

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NORWALK, Ca. – The Santa Margarita and Sierra Canyon high school basketball teams bounced back Saturday night from losses to collect what could prove to have been significant victories once the CIF Southern Section’s Open Division playoff field is announced on Feb. 9.

On the second and final day of the fifth Take Flight Challenge, held at Cerritos College, Santa Margarita – behind junior Jake Kyman’s career-high 31 points – toppled Shareef O’Neal-led Crossroads, 72-61.

And, in the last of the eight games played Saturday in front of an estimated crowd of 1,200, Sierra Canyon finally pulled away from Mayfair, 84-79, as sophomore forward Terren Frank (PICTURED) chipped in with his own career-best of 33 points.

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NORWALK, Ca. – The Bishop Montgomery High basketball team may come into its Take Flight Challenge 18 game against one of the west’s most gifted starting fives Friday night at Cerritos College.

In terms of out the outcome, though, it was status quo for Coach Doug Mitchell’s Knights.

Bishop Montgomery, minus three starters in UCLA-bound David Singleton (broken nose) and juniors Gianni Hunt (broken leg) and Will Crawford (foot injury), trailed Sierra Canyon by as many as 10 points in the first half and by seven with less than three minutes remaining.

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NORWALK, Ca. – A Friday night game pitting the top-ranked teams in Southern California highlights the 12-game, “Take Flight Challenge 18” to be held Friday and Saturday at Cerritos Community College.

Bishop Montgomery (12-0) and Sierra (Canyon (9-1 before its Wednesday night game with Cantwell-Sacred Heart) are scheduled to tip off at 7:30 as the fourth game to be played Friday.

Sierra Canyon lost every key player from the squad that was beaten by eventual CIF Southern and State Open Champion Bishop Montgomery last March in USC’s Galen Center.

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