Day 3 Games

Here we go with games on Day 3, if you haven’t read the Day 1/Day 2 analysis below feel free to check that out.

Game 1: Sylmar 73 vs. Campbell Hall 101

This may be the highest scoring game in Classic history. Austin McBroom (#5, pictured below) and KJ Smith both had huge days for the Vikings with 35 and 32 points, respectively. Both teams lived off fastbreak points but Sylmar turned the ball over too many times to stay in this one. Alex Moreno had another strong showing in the loss for the Spartans with 29 points and a handful of blocked shots.

Photo Courtesy of Sukoski Photography. All tournament photos are available for purchase in the Main Lobby.

Game 2: Cathedral 54  vs. SLO 60

Once again San Luis Obispo had a great team effort today. Michael Hansen totaled 16 points and Steven Sainsbury had 11 points of his own for the Tigers. In defeat, ball-handler Chris Spears (#20, pictured below) filled it up once again with 23 points for Cathedral.

Photo Courtesy of Sukoski Photography. All tournament photos are available for purchase in the Main Lobby.

Game 3: Marin Catholic 67 vs. Stockdale 61

Jordan Roggenbuck (#44, pictured below), 17 points, led four Wildcat scorers in double figures as Marin Catholic overcame a first half deficit to beat Stockdale. Jarrett Irvin was one of three Mustangs scorers in double figures with 17 points, but it wasn’t enough.

Photo Courtesy of Sukoski Photography. All tournament photos are available for purchase in the Main Lobby.

Game 4: Sylmar 52 vs. Mission Prep 78

Host school Mission Prep rebounded from last night’s heartbreaking loss to beat Sylmar. They took advantage of a Spartan squad that had to play the 9 am game today and as a result looked fatigued from the tip. Zack Allmon (#23, pictured below) led four Mission Prep scorers in double figures with a big 25 point game. Coming off a 29-point performance in the morning game, Sylmar forward Alex Moreno continued his torrid offensive pace with 26 points in the loss.

Photo Courtesy of Sukoski Photography. All tournament photos are available for purchase in the Main Lobby.

Game 5: Campolindo 47 vs. Granite Bay 64

Granite Bay appears to be the team to beat in the Elite Bracket especially after an impressive win over a solid Campolindo squad. Robert Duncan (#33, pictured below) light it up early and often as the Grizzlies jumped out to a 27-3 1st quarter lead. Duncan had 14 points in the 1st quarter and finished with a game-high 31. Jon Davis contributed with 16 points of his own for Granite Bay. Griffin Piatt was the only Campo scorer over 7 points as he finished with 12.

Photo Courtesy of Sukoski Photography. All tournament photos are available for purchase in the Main Lobby.

Game 6: Pasadena 52 vs. Price 49

Price center Norvel Pelle sat out this game with flu-like symptoms. Pasadena took advantage. The Bulldogs exploded out of the gates for a 37-16 halftime lead by playing some inspired basketball. They got contributions up and down the lineup as Blake Hamilton finished with a team-high 12 points. Kenny Green and Skylar Spencer (#0, pictured below) mounted a Knights comeback while scoring 22 of their combined 30 points in the second half. Price got the lead all the way down to 3 points in the final minute but 4 late free throws from Carl Robinson and John Hayward sealed the victory for Pasadena. I guess, tonight, the Price was wrong.

Photo Courtesy of Sukoski Photography. All tournament photos are available for purchase in the Main Lobby.

Game 7: Mission Hills 61 vs. Santa Clara 46

In a rematch of an earlier tournament game, the outcome was the same. Kibret Woldemichel (#0, pictured below) scored a team-high 12 points as Mission Hills once again defeated Santa Clara. Sophomore point guard Juan Valdovinos had 13 points in the loss for Santa Clara.

Game 8: Washington 51 vs. Taft 74

Taft once again showed its strength in this affair. C.J. Blackwell (#15, pictured below) tallied a game-high 22 points while Khiry Williams and Stephen Maxwell added 12 and 11 points, respectively. Washington pulled it within 3 points in the 2nd half before Taft went on a sharp 15-0 run to put the game out of reach for good. Chris Brown had 13 points for the Generals in a losing effort.

If anyone has any particular interest in today’s games or players just let me know and I can keep an eye out. Thanks.

Day 1 and Day 2 Analysis

Some ruminations about the 1st two days of the Classic:

Granite Bay didn’t come to this tournament just to play, they came to win. A relative unknown entering the Classic they have jumped out of the gate in both of their first two games and dominated. They play very smart basketball and they are relentless. They have looked like one of the top Elite Bracket teams thus far. Robert Duncan has impressed in both contests with his all-around game.

Taft has incredible depth. Wow. Their second unit is so strong and disciplined. It gives them a huge advantage in every game they play. Senior guard Spencer Dinwiddie has displayed a high basketball IQ and good feel for the game. He sticks out as the team leader.

Price’s Norvel Pelle is pretty incredible when he’s on. But he plays inconsistently. When he’s on his game, he is a strong rebounder, a good shooter, and uses his immense talent to dominate both ends of the court. But he isn’t on his game nearly as much as he could be. With him playing at a high level, Price’s 1st unit is one of the strongest in the state. When he is mentally out of the game, it is a different story. Guard Askia Booker is a physical point. He is a fierce penetrator but an even better on-ball defender. He has showed his worth early here.

Campbell Hall’s Austin McBroom, a 4-year player at the Classic, is a real competitor. He doesn’t get involved with the other team vocally. He just lets his play do the talking. He’s been one of the best ballhandlers for the last two years here and he has a varied scoring repertoire. Although he was one of the top scorers in the state as a junior, I could see his offensive output plateauing this year. Not because his offensive game has diminished, but because of the huge strides teammate Cole Huff has made in becoming a legitimate offensive threat. Huff’s emergence has helped McBroom become a more efficient scorer as well.

Pasadena’s roster is one of the most athletic in the field. We’ll see if they can put it together on the court in the upcoming games.

Stockdale’s Vinny Lidgett has filled up the stat sheet thus far. He can shoot it from deep and is a deceptively strong driver as well.

Sylmar’s Alex Moreno is a very fluid athlete. He uses his body to facilitate his offensive game as well as anyone thus far. He’s a very powerful player and a great shot-blocker.

Michaelyn Scott and Chris Brown of Washington form one of the quickest backcourt duos in the tournament. But I don’t think we’ve even seen their best yet. I’m excited to see them play in the 2nd round today.

Cathedral’s Chris Spears has an incredible handle. He’s an undersized player but possesses ideal quickness and a knack for beating his man off the dribble. He hasn’t showcased too much of a jumper, mostly because he penetrates all the time.

Both Mission Hills and Campolindo both play a very similar style of basketball. Both have solid contributions up and down the lineup. Fundamentally solid. Not shockingly, both are in the 2nd round of the Elite Bracket.

Santa Clara’s Richard Craig and Marin Catholic’s David Ahern are both strong scorers for their respective teams. They both knock down open jumpers and in high school that opens up everything.

As far as local teams go, Mission Prep and SLO both suffered defeats in the 1st round of bracket play. Under a new head coach, SLO is playing a rejuvenated brand of basketball. SLO High’s Mike Hansen and Steven Sainsbury have really battled in both games. Art Lane and Andy Rowley have both played well for MP which has two down-the-wire losses thus far.

Feel free to comment if you think anyone else has stood out thus far.

Day 2 Games

Bracket plays begins now.

Game 1: Campolindo 43 vs. Cathedral 41

Once again senior point guard Carl King piloted the Cougars with 10 points. This game was a back and forth battle the entire way but Campolindo held Cathedral scoreless over final 4 minutes to seal the victory. Chris Spears continues to impress with his ballhandling and finishing ability. He totaled 20 points for the Phantoms.

Game 2: Santa Clara 38 vs. Mission Hills 53

Kyler Kennedy and Max Miller had 14 and 11 points, respectively, for Mission Hills who played without senior guard Hunter Moore for this one. Bryce Kilmer had 12 points for the Santa Clara Saints in defeat.

Game 3: San Luis Obispo 41 vs. Granite Bay 59

Robert Duncan once again had a big game with 19 points to lead the Grizzlies. Jon Davis and Kyle Howarth contributed 12 points a piece for Granite Bay. Matt Hannula returned to pilot the SLO Tigers with 11 points in a losing effort.

Game 4: Pasadena 47 vs. Sylmar 36

Sophomore Brandon Jolley (#23, pictured below) had 13 points for Pasadena in an intense battle against a passionate Spartan squad. Sylmar led this game going into the half but was outscored 26-14 over the final two quarters. Alex Moreno led Sylmar on offense with 16 points today. Todd Lewis Jr. contributed with 11 points of his own for Pasadena.

Photo Courtesy of Sukoski Photography. All tournament photos are available for purchase in the Main Lobby.

Game 5: Price 72 Campbell Hall 62

This game was neck-and-neck most of the way. Campbell Hall had a two-point lead after one quarter but as the game progressed Price’s front court depth proved to be too much for the Vikings to handle. The highly touted Norvel Pelle had a team high 16 points before sitting out the final four minutes after receiving a technical foul. Colorado commit Askia Booker (#23, pictured below) had 15 points for Price in the victory. Cole Huff and Austin McBroom combined for 39 of the Vikings’ 62 points but they needed more in this one.

Photo Courtesy of Sukoski Photography. All tournament photos are available for purchase in the Main Lobby.

Game 6: Marin Catholic 44 vs. Washington 55

Marin Catholic and David Ahern, 16 points, jumped out to a 27-18 halftime lead over the Generals. But Washington owned the second half of this one. An all LA-City Selection last year, Michaelyn Scott (#12, pictured below) had 12 points and was one of four Washington scorers in double figures.

Photo Courtesy of Sukoski Photography. All tournament photos are available for purchase in the Main Lobby.

Game 7: Santa Clara 47 vs. Mission Prep 44

In another nail-biter for the hosts, the Royals couldn’t pull out victory after leading going into the fourth quarter. Richard Craig was a catalyst on offense for Santa Clara with 15 points. Art Lane (#2, pictured below) battled with 16 points of his own for Mission Prep but free-throw shooting doomed the Royals amid a controversial finish.

Photo Courtesy of Sukoski Photography. All tournament photos are available for purchase in the Main Lobby.

Game 8: Taft 83 vs. Stockdale 49

Stephen Maxwell exploded for 24 points to help Taft cruise to a blowout victory over Stockdale. Big man Kevin Johnson contributed with 16 points as he dominated the paint throughout. Vinny Lidgett fought hard for 20 points of his own in a losing effort.

STEPHEN MAXWELL WINS THE DUNK CONTEST!

In-depth analysis of the 1st two days of the tournament will be coming tomorrow on the off-day. Thanks.

Day 1 Games

Game 1: Washington 85 vs. Cathedral 46

Washington’s Senior guard duo of Nick Jones and Chris Brown was too much for Cathedral to handle. Washington exploded out of the gate with a 15-5 first quarter and never looked back. Jones and Brown had 13 and 15 points, respectively. Chris Spears was very impressive in defeat for the Phantoms with 21 points.

Game 2: Pasadena 39 vs. Granite Bay 54

Granite Bay capitalized on a sloppy game from the Bulldogs. Robert Duncan blew up with 25 points for the Grizzlies who took the lead early on and never looked back. Under constant pressure from Granite Bay’s stifling defense, nobody scored in double figures for Pasadena.

Game 3: Sylmar 57 vs. San Luis Obispo 72

Under new head coach Jim Thompson, the SLO Tigers look energized and determined against the Spartans. They pounced on Sylmar early and refused to relinquish their lead. Michael Hansen led the way with 25 points. Alex Moreno had 25 points in a losing effort.

Game 4: Campolindo 61 vs. Price 68

In the most exciting game of the day thus far, Norvel Pelle led the Knights to victory with 23 points. Junior Skylar Spencer contributed with 13 of his own. Campolindo fought back after being down 18 points in the third to bring the game within 4 points before Price pulled away again in the last minute. Carl King had 18 for Campo but it wasn’t enough in the end.

Game 5: Stockdale 62 vs. Campbell Hall 79

Cole Huff and Austin McBroom scored 24 and 22 points, respectively, as Campbell Hall progressively pulled away from Stockdale. Jarrett Irvin put up 19 points in defeat.

Game 6: Mission Hills 28 vs. Taft 64

Taft outscored the Grizzlies 34-8 after halftime to turn a competitive match into a blowout. C.J. Blackwell led a trio of double-digit scorers for the Toreadors with 14 points. Christian Ngiyulu led Mission Hills in the loss with 7 points.

Game 7: Marin Catholic 53 vs. Mission Prep 49

The host Royals were ahead late but Marin Catholic closed the game on a 14-4 run to win it. Andy Rowley had 13 for the Royals in defeat. David Ahern led the Wildcats with 14 points.

We’ll see you all tomorrow for the beginning of bracket play.

Thanks

-Ray