Frank Burlison

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Ca. – It will be “Rematch Tuesday Night” during semifinal action of the State Southern Regional boys basketball playoffs.

*In an Open Division semifinal, host Mater Dei (No. 2 in the updated BurlisonOnBasketball Top 25) takes on No. 8 St. Augustine for the third time – courtesy the Saints’ upset of Sierra Canyon Friday night in Chatsworth.

The Monarchs beat St. Augustine in the Dec. 3 championship game of the Mission Viejo Diablo Inferno Tournament and then knocked off the Saints again during the February Nike Extravaganza at Mater Dei.

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MISSION HILLS, CA – The third time proved quite charming for the Studio City Harvard-Westlake boys’ basketball team Saturday night at Alemany.

The Wolverines lost to Alemany twice in Mission League play, where the Warriors went unbeaten.

But, despite trailing by 11 points after the first quarter Saturday night in a State Southern Regional Division II quarterfinal, Coach David Rebibo’s club finally overcame its Mission League rival, 72-64.

The win moved the Wolverines into another “rematch”, this one on Tuesday night at home against Pasadena in a Division II regional semifinal.

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ONTARIO, Ca. – Things went pretty much as expected Friday night in the opening round of the California Southern Regional boys basketball action.

“Pretty much”, though, didn’t extend to Chatsworth in the San Fernando Valley.

That’s where the host Sierra Canyon Trailblazers – the top-ranked team in not only California, but in all of the U.S. of A for a healthy hunk of the season – were stunned in the only upset of the night.

Saint Augustine, which captured the San Diego Open Division crown Saturday night with a narrow win over Torrey Pines, broke out to an 18-point lead at intermission and then held off Sierra Canyon, 88-81.

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LONG BEACH, Ca. – There was smattering of upsets – some of those of the eye-raising and “oh my goodness” variety – during Wednesday’s first night of the State Southern Regional action in boys basketball.

The most notable of those stunners game in Division I, where a buzzer-beater and near-buzzer beater ended the seasons of No. 6 seed Santa Margarita and No. 7 Foothills Christian, respectively.

In the former, junior Isaiah Morris nailed a 3 at the buzzer to help San Diego Section team Vista trip of host Santa Margarita in two overtimes, 97-94.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL, Ca. – It’s time for the “best vs. the best” with the release of the bracketing in the Northern and Southern Regionals of the California State championships Sunday afternoon.

And, not surprisingly, the CIF Southern Section’s Open Division dominated the seeding in the South.

The South’s eight-team Open Division’s first four seeds come from the Southern Section, with champion Bishop Montgomery followed by runner-up Mater Dei, and Sierra Canyon and Chino Hills, which lost in the semifinals.

The top six seeds in Division I are also from the Southern Section’s Open Division, as are its No.

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