Frank Burlison

MESA, AZ – Two of the nation’s best boys high school basketball programs – and players –  hooked up Thursday night, capping nearly 13 hours of action in the Nike Tournament of Champions/HoopHall West event at Highland High.

And those in the gym who were able to power their way through the first eight games on the schedule were justly rewarded.

The Harvard-Westlake Wolverines  – winners of consecutive California State Open Division championships – relied on the playmaking and shot-making of senior Nikolas Khamenia to hold off the “host” Perry Pumas, 57-54, in the opening round of the eight-team bracketed tournament.

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LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA – The Roosevelt High Mustangs – after knocking off the now-No.’s 2 and 3 teams in the ratings in the past two weeks – have moved atop the updated BurlisonOnBasketball SoCal Top 30.

Coach Steve Singleton’s squad improved to 15-1 after handing St. John Bosco its first loss, 56-55, in overtime of the Platinum Division title game during the 8^th The Classic at Damien Monday night.

The Mustangs’ repeat Platinum title, coupled with their 76-58 Platinum title victory over Notre Dame on Dec.

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LA VERNE, CA – It took a gut-twisting extra four minutes, but the Roosevelt High Mustangs repeated as Platinum Division champions of The Classic at Damien Monday night.

The Mustangs needed a successful inbound pass from Issac Williamson to Christian Benjamin with 1.4 seconds to go in overtime to finally prevail, 56-55, over the St. John Bosco Braves in a rematch of last year’s final.

Coach Steve Singleton’s program became the first to win back-to-back Platinum crowns since Rancho Christian did it in 2018 and ’19.

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LA VERNE, CA – A high school basketball rematch – 365 days in the making – is set for Monday night at 8:30 in the Athletic Center on the Damien High campus.

A year-to-the-day that the Roosevelt High Mustangs knocked off the St. John Bosco Braves (68-65) in the Platinum Division championship game of The Classic at Damien, the same programs – with much of the same casts – will be at it again in the finale of the Platinum Division of the country’s top “traditional high schools-only” post-Christmas tournament.

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LA VERNE, CA – Three of the best boys’ basketball teams from California – and another from Utah – powered their way into the Saturday night championship semifinals of the Platinum Division in the eighth edition of The Classic at Damien with strong Friday performances.

The top-ranked team in California – 13-0 St. John Bosco – faces a second challenge in 15 days from 12-2 La Mirada at 7 o’clock.

And defending Platinum champion Roosevelt (13-1) and Utah’s Layton Christian Academy (7-4) follow at 8:30. Both games will be played in the school’s Athletic Center.

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