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Boys’ basketball: California Supreme reigns

Los Angeles Times staff writer Ben Bolch
By Ben Bolch
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Completing a stirring turnaround after losing its first two games of the Main Event under-17 platinum division, the California Supreme defeated Houston Hoops, 79-70, in the championship game.

Santa Ana Mater Dei High guard Gary Franklin Jr. scored 21 points to lead the Supreme. San Diego High star Jeremy Tyler came off the bench in both halves and scored 12 points. Coach Gary Franklin said Tyler came off the bench because of chemistry issues and because he didn’t want the 6-foot-9 Tyler and 6-8 Chris Cunningham of Diamond Bar Diamond Ranch High on the floor at the same time.

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Tyler was somewhat disappointing, though he showed flashes of his explosive athleticism on a couple of dunks. Not-so-tiny Keith ‘Tiny’ Gallon, the 6-9 forward from Houston Hoops who looks to be pushing 300 pounds, scored 24 points.

In the Adidas Super 64 tournament, the Compton Magic and Pump N’ Run Elite both trail their respective opponents by 10 points early in the second half.

--Ben Bolch

Varsity Times Insider
Ben Bolch

Ben Bolch has been a Los Angeles Times staff writer since 1999. He is serving his second stint as the UCLA beat writer, which seems fitting since he has covered almost every sports beat except hockey and horse racing. Bolch is also the author of the recently released book “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.” He previously covered UCLA basketball from 2010-11 before going on to cover the NBA and the Clippers for five years. He happily traded in gobs of hotel points and airline miles to return to cover UCLA basketball and football in the summer of 2016. Bolch was once selected by NBA TV’s “The Starters” as the “Worst of the Week” after questioning their celebrity journalism-style questions at an NBA All-Star game and considers it one of his finer moments.

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