Frank Burlison

SCOTTSDALE, AZ – There are those who follow such things closely that believe that the La Lumiere School has the most gifted roster in all of high school and prep school basketball.

And, based upon what happened during the final game of the two-day HoopHall West Invitational, those same folks are feeling vindicated about their beliefs.

The LaPorte, IN-based Lakers had no difficulty in improving to 9-0 while subduing a talented but young Houston Westbury Christian squad, 91-44, Saturday night in the Chaparral High gymnasium in the 11^th and final game of the event.

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SCOTTSDALE, AZ – The front-court of DeAndre Ayton, Alfred Hollins and Shamiel Stevenson accounted for a collective 50 points and 30 rebounds Friday night.

And that was more than enough as Hillcrest Prep of Phoenix pulled away in the second half for a 73-51 victory over Houston Westbury Christian during the HoopHall West Invitational at Chaparral High.

It was a five-game, eight-hour first day of the event, with action tipping between New York City’s Christ the King and Phoenix St. Mary’s at about 4 o’clock and wrapping up with the Hillcrest Prep-Westbury Christian a few minutes past midnight.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL – The end of the first full week of Southern California high school basketball will have some potentially sweet tournament championship games Saturday.

Among them:

*Long Beach Poly vs. defending California Open Division champion Chino Hills (the Battle Zone/Corona Centennial High/7:30 p.m.);

*Santa Ana Mater Dei vs. San Diego Saint Augustine (Diablo Inferno/Mission Viejo High/4 p.m.);

*L.A. Fairfax vs. Altadena Muir (Rose City Classic/Pasadena Maranatha High/7:30 p.m.)

*Torrance Bishop Montgomery vs. L.A. Westchester (Trevor Ariza Tournament/L.A. Westchester High/7:30 p.m.)

*Las Vegas Trinity International vs.

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NEWARK, Ca. – In a game of three big runs, it was the “middle run” that proved decisive Saturday night in the finale of the 10^th NorCal Tip-Off Classic at Newark Memorial High.

Oakland Bishop O’Dowd fell behind to Torrance Bishop Montgomery 17-1 just four minutes into the game.

The Dragons answered by outscoring the Knights by 35 points over the next 23 minutes.

Bishop Montgomery then countered by its own 20-5 run in a four-minute stretch.

But sophomore center Raymond Hawkins finally closed the deal for the North California power as the Dragons held off the Knights, 70-63, to wrap up the seven-game affair.

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REDONDO BEACH, Ca. – Westchester and Birmingham held off for narrow semifinal victories Friday night to set the stage for an all-L.A. City final for the championship of the 65^th Dijon Thompson Pacific Shores Tournament Saturday night at 8:30 at Redondo Union High.

Devante Doutrive, an all-L.A. City selection as a junior, scored 21 including the winning points on a drive with 2.3 seconds to go in Birmingham’s 69-67 over another L.A. City club, Narbonne.

And, in the second semi, senior point guard Chris Simmons scored 20 points while hitting eight of nine free-throw attempts in the four quarter of Westchester’s 81-75 win over Eastvale Roosevelt.

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