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  LAGUNA NIGUEL – Fifteen teams that were part of the third Classic at Damien Tournament in December play in CIF sectional championship semifinal games Saturday night.

 *In the L.A. City Open semifinals at Venice High, top seed Fairfax faces another Damien team, Washington Prep, while Damien participant Birmingham takes on No. 2 seed Westchester.

   *In the Southern Section’s Division 1 semifinals, Classic at Damien Platinum Bracket teams Chino Hills (at Windward) and Santa Margarita (at Harvard-Westlake).

   *CAD Gold Division champion Valencia travels to another Damien Gold Bracket participant, Rancho Cucamonga in a 2AA contest.

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  LA VERNE – A Trinity League-ending loss at JSerra High eliminated the Santa Margarita High boys’ basketball team from any real hope of a fourth consecutive appearance in the CIF Southern Section Open Division playoff bracket.

   But, a little more than two weeks later, the Eagles find themselves just one victory away from a slot in the Feb. 23 Southern Section Division I championship game at Cal Baptist University in Riverside.

   Coach Jeff Reinert’s team advanced to a Saturday night division semifinal at Harvard-Westlake with its 83-64 victory over host Damien Thursday night.

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  CORONA – The last of the CIF Southern Section Open Division’s Pool-Play competition is set for Friday night.

   And – and so far, at least – it would be difficult to argue with the success of the format in its first season.

   Not only do six of the eight teams remain in the battle for both spots in the Feb. 23 championship game but each of the first eight games have been every bit of “competitive”:

   *The average margin of victory was ever-so-slightly less than 8 points (7.8);

   *The most lopsided margin came in host and top-seed Rancho Christian’s 61-49 win against No.

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  TEMECULA – The Bishop Montgomery High basketball team came into the Chaparral High gymnasium Saturday night with some significant obstacles facing it for its CIF Southern Section Open Division game with the host Rancho Christian.

   For one, senior forward Nick Schrader was in street clothes and unavailable because of a concussion suffered in practice earlier in the week.

   Not to worry – Coach Doug Mitchell inserted 6-foot-6 junior Isaiah Johnson into the starting lineup and he eventually gave the Knights eight points and eight rebounds.

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  HUNTINGTON BEACH – A 100-mile or so Friday round-trip from La Canada was a small price for the St. Francis High boys’ basketball team to pay for a nifty come-from-behind CIF Southern Section Playoff-opening victory over the host Marina Vikings.

  Trailing by 13 points late in the second quarter and by five going into the fourth quarter, the Golden Knights got all 21 of their points over the final eight minutes from Dennis Flowers III and Andre Henry to prevail in the 3AA contest, 66-62.

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