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LAGUNA NIGUEL, Ca. — The first part of the 2016-17 high school hoops season – the pre- and post-Christmas tournaments – is officially a wrap.

It’s now time to dive full-bore league campaigns with the “showcase” events scattered among them – Part II – before mid-February thru March when Part III (the playoffs) get underway.

Along with league play this week, there are a spattering of solid non-league matchups on hand, as well as “showcase events”, including the Take Flight Classic (Redondo High/Friday and Saturday), Sierra Canyon Super Showcase (Sierra Canyon High/Saturday), the Coach Dwan Hurt Cavalier Classic (Gardena Serra High/Saturday) and the Westchester Challenge (Westchester High/Saturday).

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LA VERNE, Ca. – Four teams that have already won a collective 48 games a month into the season make up the Thursday night championship semifinal field in the Gold Division of the first-ever Classic at Damien basketball tournament.

The host Damien Spartans (14-0) faces the Eastvale Roosevelt Mustangs (7-3) at 7 o’clock, with top seed Santa Ana Mater Dei (14-1) following against Corona Roosevelt (12-2) at approximately 8:30 in Damien’s Athletic Center.

Day IV of the tournament also includes championship semifinals in the Silver and Bronze divisions.

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LA VERNE, Ca. – Three of the four Gold Division championship semifinalists in the first Classic at Damien Tournament won “crossover” – against teams outside of their tourney divisions – Wednesday at Damien High.

The event hosts Damien Spartans improved to 14-0 by toppling Pasadena La Salle (which is in a Bronze Division semifinal Thursday), 79-55, behind 19 points apiece from senior Justin Hemsley and junior Elijah McCullough.

The Spartans play Eastvale Roosevelt (which didn’t play a crossover – or “cross-bracket” – game) in the first Gold semifinal at 7 o’clock Thursday night.

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LA VERNE, Ca. – The respective tables have been set for the championship semifinals Thursday during the first-ever Classic at Damien.

The matchups were set with the results of quarterfinals in the Gold, Silver and Bronze divisions Tuesday on the respective campuses of Damien and San Dimas High Schools.

Bracket play will take a one-day hiatus on Wednesday when 12 “cross-bracket” contests will be played in the Athletic (starting at 11:30 a.m.) and Event (tipping at 2 p.m.) centers on the Damien campus.

In the Gold Division, top seed Santa Ana Mater Dei (74-67 over Lake Balboa Birmingham), host Damien (topping Long Beach Poly, 71-63), Eastvale Roosevelt (74-65 against Bellflower St.

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LA VERNE, Ca. – Day II of the first Classic at Damien tips off Tuesday morning, with championship quarterfinals in the Gold and Silver divisions set for the Damien High campus.

For my rundown on Monday’s action, plus preview of Tuesday games, go to www.classicatdamien.com where you can also get complete brackets and schedules.

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