Frank Burlison

REDONDO BEACH – On a Saturday where there were multiple high-profile “showcase” boys basketball games played across Southern California, the region’s top two teams did their part to demonstrate did enough to show why they sit in those positions during the Take Flight Challenge at Redondo Union High.

In two of the 14 games played in the two Redondo gymnasiums, Harvard-Westlake (No. 1 in the BurlisonOnBasketball SoCal Top 30) held off No. 23 Heritage Christian, 74-62, while No. 2 Eastvale Roosevelt scored the final nine points in the closing two minutes to knock off Central California’s top squad, Santa Maria St.

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SANTA ANA – The Mater Dei High boys’ basketball team did its part Friday night to set the stage for a Trinity League showdown with its St. John Bosco counterpart Saturday evening at the Crypto.com Arena.

The host Monarchs never trailed while improving its league and overall records to 2-0 and 16-1, respectively, with their 78-67 victory over visiting JSerra.

Coach Gary McKnight’s squad (No. 6 in the BurlisonOnBasketball Top 30 to the Lions’ No. 4) got 14 to 17 points from four players.

Junior  forward Brandon Benjamin leading the way while hitting six of nine from the field and all five free throws and grabbing six rebounds with five assists and two blocked shots.

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Twenty-four of the BurlisonOnBasketball SoCal Top 30 boys’ basketball teams will be in action Saturday during seven “showcase” events scattered throughout Southern California.

Two of those – No.’s 3 St. John Bosco and 6 Mater Dei – will be in a key league clash, playing their Trinity contest in the Crypto.com Arena (at 6 o’clock) as part of the five-game Catholic Coastal Classic.

The Braves (Servite) and Monarchs (No. 4 JSerra) will have play host to Trinity League games Friday night before their showdown less than 24 hours later.

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SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO – The St. John Bosco High team used an overpowering third quarter Wednesday night at JSerra High to demonstrate why it’s got the goods to repeat as the Trinity League champion and challenge for a CIF Southern Section Open Division title.

The visiting and No. 3-ranked (via the BurlisonOnBasketball SoCal Top 30) Braves, after committing nine turnovers, trailed by three at intermission in the Trinity League opener with the No. 4 Lions.

But the Braves tighten the clamps, defensively, and dialed up their offensive execution in the third quarter, outscoring the hosts by 13 points without turning the ball over and pulling away for a 67-51 victory.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL – Harvard-Westlake, despite suffering its first loss to Miami Columbus Saturday night on a closing seconds rebound shot, maintains the top spot in the first 2024 version of the 2023-24 BurlisonOnBasketball Top 30 SoCal team ratings.

The 2023 State Open Division champion Wolverines, who open Mission League play Friday night at Alemany, also have the BurlisonOnBasketball top senior for the 2023 portion of the season in USC-bound guard Trent Perry.

The No.’s 2 and 3 teams in the Top 30, Eastvale Roosevelt and St.

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