Frank Burlison

SANTA ANA, Ca. – Four CIF Southern Section boys’ basketball teams collected important “Open Division-related” victories during Saturday’s second day of the 27^th Mater Dei/Nike Extravaganza.

The Open Division’s defending champions – the Corona Centennial Huskies – wrapped up the nine-game slate on Saturday by rallying from a 12-point deficit in the first half and edging Henderson (NV) Coronado, 80-71.

The other victories that figure to makeup and/or seedings in the eight-team field that is unveiled on February 7 were:

*Studio City Harvard-Westlake (76-68 vs.

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SANTA ANA, Ca. – The Valley Christian and Rolling Hills Prep high teams pulled out down-to-the-wire victories in the first two games played Friday during the first day of the 27^th Mater Dei/Nike Extravaganza in the on-campus Meruelo Athletic Center.

*Senior guard Nathan Medina hit a turn-around, 21-footer from the top of the key with 4.9 seconds to go to give Valley Christian its 63-60 victory over St. Margaret’s.

Sophomore guard Jacob Bayla led the Defenders with 26 points and three steals while another sophomore guard, Russell Frye, scored 20 with six assists for the Tartans.

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SANTA ANA, Ca. – Seniors Kaden Minter and Gabriel Quiette split 16 of their team’s 21 fourth-quarter points to help the Mater Dei High boys’ basketball program maintain its dominance – but barely – over its counterpart from Santa Margarita Thursday night.

The host Monarchs, trailing by 15 points with a little more than a minute to go in the first half, got 16 third-quarter points from junior forward Zach Davidson and then used the Minter-Quiette Class of 2022 combo to catch and then hold off the Eagles, 61-58, in a Trinity League game.

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LONG BEACH, Ca. – Senior guard Jaayden Bush scored eight points of his game-high 22 points – and came up with a critical steal – to help the host St. Anthony High Saints toppled Bishop Montgomery, 52-47, Wednesday night in a Del Rey League clash on Darrick Martin Court in Jack Errion Memorial Gymnasium.

With the league’s schedule ripped asunder by COVID issues, the teams will have a “rematch” on Saturday at 6 o’clock on the Knights’ home court.

St. Anthony is scheduled to play at Cathedral in another Del Rey League clash Friday night.

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SANTA ANA, Ca. – Fifteen games – including a girls’ clash between the Mater Dei and Aliso Niguel squads Friday night at 7:30 – are on that this weekend during the 27^th Nike Boys Basketball Extravaganza in Mater Dei High’s Meruelo Athletic Center.

Games get underway Friday afternoon at 1:30, when Cerritos Valley Christian takes on Rancho Santa Margarita’s St Margaret’s. They wrap up Saturday night with the 9 o’clock tipoff between the top high school team in California, Corona Centennial, facing Henderson (NV) Coronado.

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