Frank Burlison

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, CA – The Trinity League used games in three different Orange County gymnasiums Thursday night to demonstrate just how formidable its representation in the CIF Southern Section boys’ basketball playoffs is going to be over the next three weeks.

*At Santa Margarita, St. John Bosco was in control from jump while knocking off the host Eagles, 56-48, to wrap up its regular season at 9-1 in league and 24-4 overall.

The Braves are No. 6 in this week’s BurlisonOnBasketball SoCal Top 25 and will be snuggly among the eight teams in the Open Division bracket when its officially unveiled by the CIF SS administration Sunday at noon.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA – And then there was one . . . week remaining in the Southern California high school basketball regular season.

The L.A. City Section playoff brackets will be unveiled on Saturday with the Southern Section following on Sunday.

There are multiple games remaining this week that will impact those brackets, notably for the eight-team field in the Southern Section’s Open Division.

*The first of those tips off in Playa del Rey Monday evening, with St. Bernard (No. 7 in the updated BurlisonOnBasketball Top 25) plays host to No.

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SANTA ANA – Four teams likely to make up one half of the CIF Southern Section’s Open Division playoff field showed why that’s the case on Saturday’s second and final day of the 28^th Nike Extravaganza at Mater Dei High.

Corona Centennial, Harvard-Westlake, West Ranch and Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks – the No.’s 1, 2, 4 and 8 teams in last week’s BurlisonOnBasketball SoCal Top 25 – reeled off impressive wins Saturday during four of the 11 games played over 15 ½ hours in the Meruelo Athletic Center.

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SANTA ANA – Senior Zack Davidson scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Mater Dei High boys’ basketball team outscored visiting Orange Lutheran by 26 points in the second half in route to a 74-47 Trinity League victory Friday night.

The game was the last of five played in the Meruelo Athletic Center Friday as part of the two-day 28^th Nike Extravaganza.

About 20 miles south Friday night in another Trinity game, league-leading St. John Bosco suffered its first league loss at JSerra, 58-53.

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BELLFLOWER, CA – Despite its 7-0 start, the St. John Bosco High basketball team hasn’t quite yet clinched at least a share of the Trinity League championship.

But the Braves took a bold step in that direction Wednesday night – even after trailing the visiting Mater Dei Monarchs by 21 points at intermission.

Coach Matt Dunn’s team methodically lopped 18 points off the deficit while limiting the visitors to five third-quarter points.

The Braves – by way of a 3-pointer from senior center Xinyi Li (and set up by a pass from sophomore guard Elzie Harrington – took their first lead since 90 seconds into the game (at 4-2) with 5:28 remaining at 48-45, and then pulled away for a 65-57 victory in front of capacity crowd during the host’s “Senior Night” and last regular-season home game.

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