A wild start to Southern Section Open Division tournament
March Madness came a week early on Friday night in the opening round of the new Southern Section Open Division tournament.
From No. 1-seeded Santa Ana Mater Dei requiring overtime to outlast No. 16 Montebello Cantwell-Sacred Heart, 66-59, to No. 3 Los Angeles Loyola opening a 23-point second-half lead, then barely holding off a frantic comeback by No. 14 Bellflower St. John Bosco, 70-67, it was a wild night for a tournament matching the best against the best in high school basketball.
“It’s a big boys tournament,” St. John Bosco Coach Derrick Taylor said. “This isn’t for the weak of heart.”
Loyola (25-2) received 20 points, 20 rebounds and five blocks from UCLA-bound 7-footer Thomas Welsh. The Cubs were cruising going into the fourth quarter, holding a 19-point lead. But then St. John Bosco (17-10) unleashed a full-court press against a team that still hasn’t adjusted to the loss of point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright, who’s left school.
Tyler Dorsey, who finished with 26 points, connected on consecutive three-pointers, pulling the Braves to within, 68-67, with 12 seconds left.
Welsh was fouled with 8.2 seconds left and made both free throws. St. John Bosco was unable to convert a final three-point attempt.
Key to the victory was Loyola’s steady, overall team contributions. Khalil Bedart-Ghani had 12 points, including a pair of dunks that energized Loyola’s vocal home crowd. Max Hazzard had 18 points. And Thomas Lapham made four three-pointers.
“We’re still getting used to not having Parker,” Bedart-Ghani said of the Cubs’ many turnovers in the fourth quarter. “I knew I had to pick it up.”
Loyola will play on the road against Redondo on Friday. Redondo defeated Compton, 65-56, with Leland Green scoring 21 points. Isaiah Bailey had 26 points for Compton.
In the biggest upset of the night, No. 10 Riverside North defeated Chatsworth Sierra Canyon, 65-56. Deshon Taylor scored 25 points and made 14 of 14 free throws.
Etiwanda defeated Cathedral, 55-45, with Jordan McLaughlin scoring 17 points. Lakewood Mayfair received 22 points from Dillon Reise and 19 from Kendall Small in a 72-64 win over West Hills Chaminade.
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