February 29, 2008 | 9:48
pm
The Cerritos Valley Christian boys' basketball team went to work on the inside in the second half, scoring 18 straight points in the paint to pull away from Twentynine Palms in the Southern Section Division IV-A final and win, 60-45, at Colony High.
The score was tied, 31-31, when the top-seeded Crusaders started finding room beneath the basket.
Cody Ayon sank a three-pointer for Twentynine Palms on the opening possession of the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to three, but Cerritos Christian went back to work on the inside and the Wildcats were not able to match its physical style of play.
Jeff Rochon, a 6-foot-6 senior forward for the Crusaders, had a team-high 20 points and seven rebounds. Blake De Jong and Kurtis Korver added 12 points each.
Montreal Harris scored 16 points to lead Twentynine Palms, the only player in double figures.
--Dan Arritt
February 29, 2008 | 9:38
pm
Coach John Maggiora pulled out all the stops for Saugus' season opener Friday against Burbank Burroughs. He invited Principal Bill Bolde to throw out the first pitch and Dylan Mascarenas provided the fireworks with a two-run home run to spark a 9-2 rout that marked the 500th win in school history.
"A lot of people are picking us as favorites to win the [Foothill] league," said Maggiora, beginning his third season at his alma mater. "But it's always a battle. Hart is gonna' be good and you can never count out Valencia--they always seems to find a way to come out on top."
Valencia has won five of the last six Foothill League titles. Saugus won in 2005, the year before Maggiora arrived. The Centurions' last league title before that was in 1992, Maggiora's sophomore year under longtime coach Doug Worley.
February 29, 2008 | 9:01
pm
The Cerritos Valley Christian boys' basketball team shot 56.6 percent from the field in the first half, compared to 28.1 percent for Twentynine Palms, but the top-seeded Crusaders only lead by four points heading into the second half of the Southern Section Division IV-A championship game at Colony High.
Kurtis Korver has seven points to lead Valley Christian. Brad Alston and Montreal Harris have nine each for the second-seeded Wildcats.
Pretty nice crowd for the small schools, especially since Twentynine Palms is located on some bombing range in the middle of the desert.
--Dan Arritt
February 29, 2008 | 8:53
pm
Sherman Oaks CES was doing everything it could to hang on to its 3-2 lead over Elizabeth Learning Center in the City Section Small Schools Division championship game at Contreras High.
But in the 73rd minute Bulldogs sophomore forward Luis Suarez had an open net because Knights' goalkeeper had to venture far to his right to make a save. Suarez -- who scored for Elizabeth on a penalty kick in the first half -- knocked home his second goal to square the Friday night match at 3-3.
The contest will now go into two 10-minute overtime periods. If no team scores in either period, there will be two five minute sudden-death periods. After that, the game will be decided by penalty kicks.
-- Mike Terry
February 29, 2008 | 8:52
pm
"I thought it would be a game but we didn't bother showing up for it," said Millikan Coach Lorene Morgan after her Rams scored only 33 points to Long Beach Poly's 66 in the Southern Section Division I-AA girls' basketball final.
Yes, that's what I like about Coach Morgan -- blunt and honest.
-- Anthony Stitt
February 29, 2008 | 8:40
pm
Their offense is impressive. But it's their defense that is awesome. They swat passes, they contain and constrict, they swarm like locust, sudden and blinding.
The Long Beach Poly Jackrabbits showcased their world-class "D" in the Southern Section Division I-AA finals, beating the Millikan Rams, 66-33, Friday night at the Pyramid in Long Beach. The 'Rabbits did not allow more than six points in any of the first three quarters, and over the span of about 20 minutes, they yielded a microscopic eight points. No surprise, it was Millikan's lowest scoring output all season.
Guess that ancient axiom is true, offense wins games, but defense wins titles.
And, in Poly's case, it's a defense that can also smother an opponent.
-- Anthony Stitt
February 29, 2008 | 8:16
pm
The St. Bonaventure boys' basketball team went cold from the field down the stretch and Rosamond found its touch from the free-throw line, adding up to a 51-44 victory for the top-seeded Roadrunners in the Division V-A final at Colony High.
The second-seeded Seraphs tied the score, 44-44, on Matthew Sinclair's putback with 4 1/2 minutes remaining, but they missed their final seven field-goal attempts.
Meanwhile, Rosamond made six of its last eight free throws after missing 11 of its first 16.
February 29, 2008 | 8:09
pm
For the Millikan Rams, this is an impossible voyage -- eight minutes to go, trailing by 27 points against one of the top teams in the galaxy, Long Beach Poly, in the Southern Section Division I-AA girls' basketball finals.
Yes, the Rams' season soon will be extinguished. Unless there is the miracle of all sports miracles, which won't happen tonight.
-- Anthony Stitt
February 29, 2008 | 8:06
pm
As the first half ends, the Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies has a 3-2 lead over Elizabeth Learning Center in Friday's Small Schools Division title game at Contreras High.
Knights sophomore Israel Sandoval has a hat trick, and his third goal, which came in the waning minutes of the half, gave SOCES its first lead of the game.
Luis Suarez and Jorge Avila scored for Elizabeth. Suarez narrowly missed a second goal, as his free kick from 30 yards out hit the top of the crossbar.
February 29, 2008 | 7:31
pm
It's pretty so far for Long Beach Poly.
It's flat-out ugly for Millikan.
The Jackrabbits have a 21-point lead heading into halftime, leading 31-10 in the Southern Section girls' basketball Division I-AA championship game.
