Frank Burlison

BEVERLY HILLS — Justin Pippen’s 3 from the left wing against the Redondo Union zone put Sierra Canyon High’s basketball team ahead to stay with 2:46 remaining and started a 10-1 closeout to a 68-59 victory over the Seahawks Saturday night at Beverly Hills High.

The 6-foot-4 Pippen (who finished with 23 points, seven assists and six steals) seemingly made ever critical play at both ends of the floor on a night when the Trailblazers needed them to hold off Redondo (6-1) and improve to 8-1.

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Ten nights after taking on the No. 1 team in the state, the La Mirada High boys’ basketball squad takes on No. 2 St. John Bosco Friday night (6 o’clock) during the semifinals of the Braves’ Varsity Winter Classic on the SJB campus.

Coach Randy Oronoz’ Matadores improved to 10-1 Wednesday night with their 74-54 decision against Hesperia (1-4), behind the 27 points — including  three 3s — from 6-foot-5 freshman Gene Roebuck (pictured) and 17 from 6-3 junior Julien Gomez.

The Scorpions of Coach Bobby Tossetti (who got 11 points from freshman forward Jasiah Williams and 10 from junior guard Mark Jones) have played one of the state’s toughest schedules, having also lost to Roosevelt, St.

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Wednesday offers a multitude of quality high school basketball viewing options in Southern California.

So where do we start?

*Studio City, where top-ranked – via BurlisonOnBasketball’s SoCal Top 30 – and defending state Open champion Harvard-Westlake (7-0) plays host to No. 13 St. Pius X/St. Matthias (2-0) at 6 o’clock.

*Some five miles west via Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks, another Mission League power is at home at 7 o’clock as No. 7 Notre Dame (5-0) faces visiting and No. 20 Campbell Hall (2-2).

*At Beverly Hills High, Normans’ Coach Jarvis Turner has a Wednesday lineup made up of L.A.

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SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Four of the top seven boys’ basketball teams from Southern California tested themselves against some exceptional opponents during Saturday’s final day of the HoopHall West at Chaparral High.

And No.’s 1 and 2 — who hold that status from border to border in California — held up quite well, indeed.

Top-ranked (via the BurlisonOnBasketball SoCal Top 30) Studio City Harvard-Westlake was down by 13 points early in the second quarter of its final-game clash with Perry of Gilbert, the two-time defending, top-division state champion in Arizona.

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SCOTTSDALE, AZ — He and his teammates were making their season debut Friday night at Chapparal High against significant competition as part of the HoopHall West.

But, after 32 minutes of game time against the best team — and player — in Arizona, guard Boogie Fland and his Archbishop Stepinac buddies (by way of White Plains in New York) proved every bit as good as their preseason hype declared they are.

Fland, who signed a National Letter of Intent with the University of Kentucky last month, took an inbound pass with seven seconds to go and, a big stride beyond mid court, drilled a pass to the left wing and into the “shooting pocket” of sophomore Danny Carbuccia, a foot or so behind the 3-point arc.

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