A huge week in high school basketball will conclude with the Nike Extravaganza on Friday and Saturday at Mater Dei. Six games featuring five top-10 teams will be streamed live on PREP ZONE beginning Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
No. 1 Bishop Montgomery (23-0, 5-0 Del Rey League)
It was another dominant week for the Knights. In their three games, just one team managed to score more than 30 points against them. That was shorthanded San Diego Lincoln in a 79-34 win for the Knights on Saturday at the Fairfax State Preview Classic. Bishop Montgomery began the week with an 86-29 win at St. Bernard before defeating Bishop Amat, 65-25. A much stiffer Del Rey league challenge awaits in Serra on Wednesday.
No. 2 Long Beach Poly (19-2, 8-0 Moore League)
The Jackrabbits are up a spot this week. They bounced back from their lopsided loss at the Hoop Hall Classic by defeating city and league rivals Jordan and Cabrillo handily. Compton is the clear cut No. 2 in the Moore League and the Tarbabes are next for the Jackrabbits. The week ends with a very interesting matchup with No. 6 St. John Bosco in the Nike Extravaganza on Saturday at Mater Dei. That game can be seen on FOXSportsWest.com at 6 p.m.
No. 3 Mater Dei (21-1, 7-0 Trinity League)
The Monarchs drop a spot this week. They picked up their first loss of the season and it only took them traveling 2,300 miles to get it, losing to Ohio St. Edward 56-44. After scoring 23 points in the first quarter, Mater Dei was held to five, eight, and eight-point quarters the rest of the way. Elijah Brown scored 13 points in what turned out to be a sour homecoming playing against his former school. Stanley Johnson had a double-double, 16 points and 11 rebounds, but did not start the game because he missed the team flight, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Up next is Mater Dei vs St. John Bosco Part 2 followed by Nike Extravaganza games against Eisenhower and Westchester on Friday and Saturday respectively. The game against Westchester can be seen right here on FOXSportsWest.com at 9 p.m.
No. 4 Etiwanda (18-1, 6-0 Baseline League)
The Eagles win streak is up to 16 games entering this week but win No. 16 came with a serious scare. The Eagles squandered a 15-point lead and found themselves trailing by one with under 30 seconds to play on Saturday night against San Diego La Costa Canyon in the Southern California Shootout at Azusa Pacific. Dave Kleckner’s bunch got defensive forcing three turnovers in that span and came away with a 56-51 win. The Eagles host Los Osos and Alta Loma this week in Baseline League action before taking on No. 8 Loyola in what could be a Division IAA playoff preview on Saturday at the Nike Extravaganza at Mater Dei. The game can be seen live on FOXSportsWest.com at 7:30 p.m.
No. 5 Corona Centennial (22-1, 6-0 Big VIII League)
The Huskies have now won 14 in a row since their seven-point loss to No. 4 Etiwanda last month, however like the Eagles, Centennial was pushed on Saturday at the Southern California Shootout at Azusa Pacific, squeaking past Damien with a 72-66 win. It’s all Big VIII games from this point on for the Huskies to conclude the regular season. This week they’ll host Norco and travel to Riverside King.
No. 6 St. John Bosco (17-4, 6-1 Trinity League)
The Braves move up two spots after a tough Trinity League week which included a 72-70 win at Orange Lutheran and a 77-68 home win over JSerra. The week concluded with a 67-64 win over No. 8 Loyola at the Fairfax State Preview. Sophomore Tyler Dorsey had a big week scoring 27 points against JSerra. He followed that up with 23 points and 15 rebounds against Loyola. The Braves play just two games this week but it’s arguably their toughest week of the season. Both of their games will be at Mater Dei, beginning Wednesday against the No. 3 Monarchs in a Trinity League battle with an opportunity to pull into a first place tie and concluding on Saturday against No. 2 Long Beach Poly in the Nike Extravaganza, which can be seen live on FOXSportsWest.com at 6 p.m.
No. 7 Pacific Hills (17-3, 7-1 Alpha League)
The Bruins drop a spot after losing their first Alpha League contest of the season in a 66-62 loss to Windward last week. The loss to Windward was sandwiched in between an 18-point win over West Ranch at the Providence Martin Luther King Jr. Classic and a 72-66 league win over Campbell Hall thanks to 23 points from Marcus Jackson. This week it doesn’t get much easier with Brentwood, Sierra Canyon, and Paraclete all on the schedule.
No. 8 Loyola (16-5, 6-2 Mission League)
The Cubs drop another spot this week after their tough 67-64 loss to No. 6 St. John Bosco on Saturday at the Fairfax State Preview. Trey Mason had a season-high six 3-point baskets but it wasn’t enough for the Cubs who continue to press on without star point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright. The Cubs are now 6-3 with Jackson-Cartwright out of the lineup. This week they’re at St. Francis and at Crespi before Saturday’s matchup against No. 4 Etiwanda in the Nike Extravaganza at Mater Dei. That game can be seen live here on FOXSportsWest.com at 7:30 p.m.
No. 9 Mission Viejo (20-2, 4-1 South Coast League)
Redemption is sweet and the Diablos will certainly get their crack at it this week when they host El Toro on Wednesday with a first-place tie on the line. El Toro is the lone South Coast League team that has been able to knock off the Diablos. However, that doesn’t mean it’s been a cake walk for Mission Viejo. The Diablos defeated Aliso Niguel by just two points in their earlier matchup and the Wolverines will be waiting on Friday. On Saturday, Mission Viejo will take on Colony in the Nike Extravaganza.
No. 10 Brentwood (19-2, 6-1 Alpha League)
The Eagles return to the top 10 for the second time this season. Their lone loss in Alpha League play was a 75-71 defeat at the hands of No. 7 Pacific Hills. They’ll get an opportunity to avenge that loss on Monday. They’ll finish the week with games at Viewpoint and Campbell Hall. Senior forward Leland King is averaging 20 points and 14 rebounds, while shooting 57 percent from the field.
Dropped Out: Santa Monica
