City Basketball Scene: Thrilling Action Across Divisions

Thursday night basketball brought fans some fantastic moments across the city. The girls’ teams lit up the courts with exciting matchups. Animo Bunche kicked things off with a solid win over Animo Pat Brown, 28-17. Meanwhile, Chavez dominated Monroe, clinching an impressive 33-4 victory. Collins Family advanced by default after CALS Early College forfeited their game. Kennedy made a statement with a decisive 65-34 win over Van Nuys, while Marquez easily triumphed over Elizabeth, 51-15.

Maywood Academy secured a hard-fought win, edging out Torres 33-26. New West Charter triumphed by just one point, defeating University Prep Value 28-27. Finally, South East closed out the evening with a convincing 59-31 win against Jordan.

City Boys Show Grit and Energy

The boys’ teams didn’t hold back either, delivering thrilling action. Aspire Ollin squeezed past Annenberg, winning 42-39 in a close contest. Marquez continued their winning streak, defeating Elizabeth 74-38. Middle College comfortably handled Stella, with a 45-26 scoreline. Monroe followed their girls’ lead, dominating Chavez 48-25. Poly made a statement, rolling over Grant 79-46, while Port of LA edged out Dymally 87-77 in a high-scoring spectacle. Sherman Oaks CES showcased their strength, thrashing VAAS 85-53.

Simon Tech proved their mettle by overcoming AHSA 39-26, while Sylmar grabbed a hard-earned 69-60 win over San Fernando. Van Nuys took a thrilling win against Kennedy, 59-57. Westchester rounded off the night with a dominant 94-46 victory over University.

Southern Section Playoffs: Excitement in Every Division

Girls’ Division 1: Surprises and Strong Showings

The Southern Section Girls’ Division 1 playoffs brought drama, upsets, and excellent performances. Top-seeded Ventura easily dispatched Thousand Oaks 63-40. However, the first round was full of surprises. #16 Crean Lutheran pulled off a stunning upset over #1 Orange Lutheran, 44-39. Marlborough, seeded #9, continued the upset trend, defeating El Dorado 50-39. Rancho Christian, seeded #8, powered past Mira Costa, 81-64.

La Salle, seeded #5, bested Flintridge Prep 48-33. Chaminade (12th seed) triumphed over Claremont 52-45, while Santa Margarita (13th seed) stunned Redondo Union 56-47. Harvard-Westlake, the #4 seed, defeated Rialto 71-45. Meanwhile, Moreno Valley, seeded #3, easily defeated Rancho Cucamonga 61-40. St. Monica emerged victorious in a thrilling 70-65 contest against #14 St. Anthony. San Clemente, seeded #11, dominated Valencia 80-64, and JSerra, seeded #6, easily beat Bonita 66-39. Riverside King pulled off an overtime win against #7 Buena, 60-52, while Esperanza edged out #10 Westlake, 56-53. Corona Centennial (15th seed) continued the upset trend, winning 66-43 over Villa Park. Brentwood, seeded #2, showcased their class with a comfortable 80-45 win over Heritage.

Girls’ Division 2AA: Close Games and Some Upsets

In Division 2AA, the competition was fierce. Top-seeded Buena Park scraped by Lakewood St. Joseph, 66-59, in a close one. West Torrance handled #16 Crescenta Valley 51-31. Campbell Hall (9th seed) squeezed past Glendora, 47-45, while Portola (8th seed) won a close match against Camarillo, 57-50. San Juan Hills (5th seed) defeated San Dimas 67-50, and Diamond Bar fought hard to overcome #12 St. Margaret’s 57-54.

Summit upset #13 Long Beach Poly, 34-28, while Oak Park cruised past #4 Oxnard, 58-36. Beckman, seeded #11, triumphed over #3 Crossroads, 52-41, while Palos Verdes (14th seed) got the better of Valley View, 51-44. Hart, seeded #11, managed a 59-52 victory over San Jacinto. South Torrance defeated #6 Shadow Hills 46-34, and Lynwood won 66-56 over #7 Los Osos. Lakewood also had a tight win, overcoming Corona Santiago 58-50, while Dos Pueblos (15th seed) edged out Saugus, 53-49. North Torrance, seeded #2, wrapped up the round with a 74-66 win over Paramount.

Girls’ Division 2A: Top Seeds Shine

In Division 2A, the top seeds showed why they earned those positions. Burbank Burroughs (1st seed) dominated Millikan 40-12. Village Christian (2nd seed) defeated #16 Dana Hills 44-35. Marina (3rd seed) easily handled #9 Placentia Valencia, 70-51. Pioneer won against #8 Oaks Christian 56-49, while Sonora, the #5 seed, beat Antelope Valley 59-47. Torrance had a narrow 46-45 victory over Los Alamitos, and Fountain Valley (4th seed) triumphed 48-46 against Bishop Alemany.

Chino (3rd seed) dominated United Christian Academy 84-44, while Corona del Mar secured a 38-31 win over #14 Yorba Linda. Brea Olinda (11th seed) had a 49-31 win over Fontana. Oak Hills defeated #6 Eastvale Roosevelt 56-46, while Notre Dame Academy squeezed past Canyon Country Canyon, 57-55. La Canada (15th seed) triumphed over Aliso Niguel, 49-29, and Rosary Academy (2nd seed) capped things off with a 62-41 victory against Pasadena.

Girls’ Division 3AA: A Mix of Dominance and Drama

Division 3AA was full of excitement, starting with #1 seeded Camarillo, who easily defeated #16 El Modena 70-37. #2 seeded Trabuco Hills continued the momentum with a 58-40 victory over San Juan Hills. Meanwhile, #3 seed Orange Lutheran had a hard-fought 56-50 win over Oak Hills.

The surprises kept coming with #11 seeded La Habra overcoming #6 seed Esperanza 48-44. The battle between #9 Mission Viejo and #8 Redondo Union was intense, with Mission Viejo emerging victorious 61-57. Another close matchup saw #12 seeded St. Margaret’s defeat #5 Buena, 54-51. Lastly, #13 Santa Margarita rounded out the division with a 47-44 win over #4 Edison.

Girls’ Division 3A: Competitive Action

In Division 3A, #1 seed La Canada managed a solid win against #16 Torrance, 69-39. #2 seed Beverly Hills had no problem dispatching #15 Valencia, 63-39. The real drama unfolded between #7 seed Golden Valley and #10 seed Palos Verdes, with Golden Valley prevailing 60-55.

#3 seed Long Beach Poly defeated #14 El Rancho 72-49, while #4 seed Mira Costa came through in a tight 53-51 contest against #13 Santa Monica. Other matches included a thrilling game between #11 seed West Torrance and #6 seed Canyon, with West Torrance advancing 55-53. #5 seed Downey dominated #12 Bonita 69-45, and #9 seed Mission Viejo clinched a strong 65-50 win against #8 Westlake.

With thrilling games in every division, the Southern Section playoffs have delivered a show full of surprises, upsets, and outstanding performances. From high-scoring affairs to nail-biting finishes, the tournament continues to bring excitement as teams battle for the championship. Who will come out on top? Stay tuned for more updates on this action-packed season!