Big Games : Pomona vs. Claremont

The Pomona Red Devils (17-3) have not received much of a challenge in building a 10-0 record in the Baseline League. Their closest call was a 54-50 win over Damien two weeks ago. That could change when Pomona hosts Claremont at 8 p.m. Friday. The Wolfpack, which scored lopsided wins over Alta Loma and Chaffey last week, is only 8-9 overall, but seven of those victories were in league play. Claremont, 7-3 in league, trails Pomona by three games. The Wolfpack is led by all-everything 6-8 center Dan McGwire, the team’s top scorer and rebounder. McGwire, an All-CIF quarterback in football, may be the only player in the league who can stand face-to-face with Pomona’s huge front line of 6-8 forward Ron Draper, 6-7 forward Lamont Carruthers and 6-9 center Marcellus Lee. Pomona, ranked No. 1 in the CIF Southern Section 3-A Division, is led by Draper, who averages about 20 points and 12 rebounds a game.

Bonita vs. Ganesha

The last time these teams met, Ganesha was sailing along smoothly in the Hacienda League. The Giants had won five games in a row and looked like the team to beat for the title. But Bonita won that Jan. 25 game, 55-46, and has rolled off eight straight wins and taken over first place. That makes it a must-win situation for Ganesha when the teams meet at 7 p.m. Friday at Bonita in La Verne. Bonita (17-4) was 9-1 in league play and Ganesha (15-6) was 8-2 going into Wednesday night games. The big difference for Bonita in its first game against Ganesha was 6-8 senior center Greg Trygstad, who scored 25 points and dominated underneath the basket. Trygstad is averaging 22 points and 13 rebounds. Ganesha has a talented center in 6-5 junior Kevin Cutler, but with Brian Banker (6-5) and Robert Morthel (6-4) alongside Trygstad, Bonita has a distinct size advantage.

Temple City vs. Blair

How important is 6-11 center Erik Rogers to the success of the Temple City basketball team? To answer that question, one merely has to look at the results of two games Rogers missed last week because of an ankle sprain. Temple City lost both, to Monrovia and South Pasadena, and fell out of first place in the balanced Rio Hondo League, which is led by South Pasadena (5-1). The Rams (13-7, 4-2) have a crucial game against rapidly improving Blair (9-10, 4-2) at 8 p.m. Friday in Temple City, and the outcome will undoubtedly hinge on the health of Rogers, who averages 21.6 points and 10 rebounds. Without Rogers, the Rams do not start a player taller than 6-3. That will hurt against a Blair squad that has a tall front line led by 6-5 junior Teddy Jones, who averages 13 points and 7 rebounds, and 6-5 senior Charles Pierce, who averages 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Bosco Tech vs. Crespi

It was a close call for heavily favored Crespi the last time these teams met. Crespi, ranked No. 7 in the CIF Big Five Division, came away with a 57-56 victory after leading by 13 points going into the final quarter. The rematch at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Crespi in Encino could be just as close. It’s a crucial game for Bosco Tech, which went into this week’s play with slim hope of making the playoffs. Crespi is 9-1 in the Del Rey League and Bosco Tech is 4-5. With seven underclassmen among its top eight players, this has been labeled a rebuilding year for Bosco Tech. Despite the accent on youth, the Techmen have played well behind senior center William Vasquez (6-4) and junior forward Mario Diaz (6-3), who scored 30 points in a 67-55 loss to Alemany last week. Bosco Tech has one of the smallest teams in the league but matches up well with Crespi, which does not start a player taller than 6-3. The Celts are led by the outside shooting of guards Brian Capp and Joey Campanella.