By Joe Snyder
Gardena High’s girls’ basketball team advanced to the CIF-Los Angeles City Section Division IV championship game after holding off Grant High from Van Nuys 49-41 in the semifinals last Saturday at Gardena.
The Lady Panthers, who crushed their first two opponents in Sun Valley Magnet (51-8 on Feb. 10) and Diego Rivera (65-9 on Feb. 14), knew they would face more competition from the Lancers. Gardena, though, started off well with leads of 16-5 after the first quarter, 25-14 at halftime and 41-23 after three periods. Gardena, which is 15-9 overall after finishing third in the Marine League at 6-4, led by as many as 21 points in the third quarter. Grant attempted a fourth period rally outscoring the shorthanded Panthers, who were without a couple of key players, 18-8 but Gardena was able to score enough points for the win.
“We were a little fatigued with some defensive miscues,” Gardena head coach Tracey McNeil said.
Lauren Tobia-Williams led the Panthers with 15 points, followed by India Session with 12.
Against Rivera in the quarterfinals, Gardena had a commanding lead from the start. Already leading 34-9 at halftime, the Panthers shut out Rivera 31-0 in the second half.
India Session led the Panthers with 18 points, followed by Tobia-Williams with 12. India Cage added eight points.
Gardena moves to the final against Fremont High on Friday, Feb. 23, 4 p.m. at El Camino College in Torrance. The Pathfinders made the final by topping Chavez 30-26.
North Torrance was eliminated in the CIF-Southern Section Division I quarterfinals by Santiago High from Corona 60-54 on Feb. 14 at North.
The Lady Saxons led 29-23 at halftime but could not hold off Santiago.
North ended its season at 26-5 after winning the Pioneer League with an unbeaten record of 12-0.
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Shorthanded Saxons fade
By Joe Snyder
North Torrance High’s boys’ basketball team was having high hopes after winning its first two games of the CIF-Southern Section Division IIIA playoffs over Santa Barbara San Marcos and Pasadena Blair but, in its dramatic come-from-behind 75-73 win over Blair on Feb. 9, it lost key player Kai Bradley to a broken leg and he could not play in its quarterfinal home game against Irvine Woodbridge on Feb. 13.
Even though, the Saxons looked like they would get a win over the Warriors. Down 18-16 at halftime, North had a good third quarter to grab a 30-27 lead.
Woodbridge, however, wore down North with a 26-8 fourth period eliminating the Saxons 53-38.
“There was a lot of defense,” Serra player Elliot Langston said. “We just kept missing shots.”
Langston led North with 13 points, followed by Kobe Carr with 12. No other Saxon scored more than five points.
The Warriors’ James Schinder led all scorers with 21 points.
North, which finished in a three-way tie with El Segundo and Wiseburn-Da Vinci for the Pioneer League championship at 9-3 finished its season at 22-9. El Segundo, meanwhile, reached its first CIF-Southern Section final since 2002 and will be seeking its first championship since 1963 after routing Buckley from North Hollywood 74-41 in the Division VAA semifinals last Friday at El Segundo. The Eagles will face Castaic on Friday for the championship at a site and time to be determined.
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Cavaliers fall to St. Bonaventure
Serra High’s boys’ basketball team fell in a deep fourth quarter hole, then made a ferocious rally only to fall short of St. Bonaventure High from Ventura 67-64 in the CIF-Southern Section Division IIIAA semifinals last Friday at Serra.
The Cavaliers, who are 19-13 after finishing fourth in the highly competitive Del Rey League with a 4-6 mark, trailed by as many as 16 points early in the fourth quarter but cut their deficit all the way to three points, including the final score.
Serra has not made the Southern Section finals since 2016, when it won the Southern Section Division IVAA title with a 53-50 win over Sherman Oaks Notre Dame in the late head coach Dwan Hurt’s final season before his death on the day after Thanksgiving 2016.
The Seraphs played a very good defense as they contained the Cavaliers’ top scorer, sophomore Maximo Adams, to just 12 points; well below his season average of 19. Sophomore guard Kaleb Kearse led Serra with 19 points, followed closely by Devin Shell with 18.
In the quarterfinals on Feb. 14 at Arcadia High, Serra advanced to the semis with a 63-55 win over the Apaches.
The win came two days after Adams lost his father, Maximo Adams, Sr., to complications from a stroke on Feb. 12.
Adams, Jr. played as he led the Cavaliers with 23 points and 14 rebounds.
In fact, Arcadia also had a player, Darieo Hannah, Jr., lose his father Darieo, Sr., who was killed in a car accident on Feb. 9.
Serra led 28-20 at halftime and 46-37 early in the fourth quarter on a three-point basket by Kearse, who also had 23 points. In that period, Adams made seven of eight free throws which helped put the game away for the Cavaliers.
The Apaches were led by Monsour Smneh with 20 points.
Despite being eliminated in the semifinals, Serra will still play in the Southern California Regional playoffs which begin next Tuesday.
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Serra baseball begins season with dominance
Serra High’s baseball team started its season at 2-0 after routing Lakewood Mayfair and Los Angeles-Palms District Hamiton last week at home.
The Cavaliers began their season with a 10-1 rout of Mayfair last Thursday, then shut out Hamilton 7-0 on Saturday.
Against the Yankees on Saturday, winning pitcher Jaden Harris pitched a complete-game one-hitter with 10 strikeouts.
Weather permitting, Serra hosted Warren High from Downey in the first round of the El Segundo Tournament on Wednesday. The Cavaliers host Banning High from Wilmington today at 3 p.m.
Serra begins the Del Rey League against Pasadena La Salle at Arcadia Regional Park next Tuesday at the same time.
North Torrance is off to a 1-3 start. The Saxons started the season with a 5-2 loss to host Torrance Bishop Montgomery on Feb. 10. North, then, lost two games to Culver City 5-1 on Feb. 13 at Culver and 10-2 last Thursday at North.
Last Saturday, the Saxons won their first game at home against San Pedro Rolling Hills Prep 9-1.
North will begin the El Segundo Tournament at home against Culver City Saturday at 11 a.m. and host Palos Verdes next Tuesday at 3:15 p.m. The Saxons begin the Pioneer League at home against El Segundo on March 6.
Gardena played one game at home against Huntington Park Marquez and was shut out 7-0.
The Panthers host Fremont next Monday at 3 p.m. and King-Drew Medical Magnet next Thursday at the same time. Gardena begins the Marine League at home against San Pedro on March 18.
