Top Valley Prep Cage Teams Challenge Southland’s Best in the L.A. Games

The San Gabriel Valley will be well represented in boys basketball when the 21st annual L.A. Games high school sports festival starts Saturday at sites throughout Los Angeles.

There are 21 teams from the valley in the 128-team tournament, which includes most of the top teams in Southern California.

Topping the list of valley teams is Glendora, which finished with a 28-1 record last year and reached the CIF 4-A quarterfinals. The Tartans, who meet Washington in their tournament opener at 10 a.m. at El Camino College, are led by All-CIF 6-7 forward Tracy Murray.

The heavily recruited Murray, listed as the best junior in the state by USA Today last season, averaged 31.5 points and 11 rebounds and led the CIF Southern Section in three-point baskets.

Other top teams from the valley in the boys tournament are Muir, Pasadena, Bosco Tech, Bishop Amat, Blair, Diamond Bar, Ganesha, Pomona and Alhambra.

In first-round games Saturday, Ganesha plays Los Angeles at 10 a.m. at Banning High, Diamond Bar takes on Westminster at 1 p.m. at Dorsey High, Muir plays L.A. University at 2 p.m. at Fremont, Bosco Tech faces Chadwick at 2 p.m. and Pasadena meets Long Beach Wilson at 3 p.m. at Hamilton, Alhambra meets Fairfax at noon and Bishop Amat takes on Yucaipa at 4 p.m. at L.A. Jordan, Blair faces Los Alamitos at 4 p.m. at Carson High and Pomona meets Culver City at 4 p.m. at Crenshaw.

Winners in the single-elimination tournament advance to second- and third-round play Sunday at the same sites. The final rounds are June 25 and 26 at El Camino.

Among the top-seeded teams are L.A. City powers Cleveland, Westchester and Manual Arts--the defending state Division I champion--and St. Bernard.

The valley will also have a strong contingent of teams in the 64-team girls basketball tournament, headed by perennial power Muir. The Mustangs, who face Upland at 11 a.m. Saturday at Manual Arts High, are led by highly regarded 6-3 center Lisa Salsman.

Other top teams from the valley in the tournament are Pasadena, St. Lucy’s, San Dimas and Pomona. In first-round games Saturday at Manual Arts, Pomona plays Crenshaw at 1 p.m. and Pasadena faces Artesia at 4 p.m. San Dimas opens against Inglewood at 11 a.m. at Washington High and St. Lucy’s against La Mirada at 2 p.m. at Locke.

San Gabriel, which returns a strong passer in quarterback Dan Bachman from a team that reached the CIF playoffs last season, could be the valley’s top hope in the 48-team L.A. Games seven-man passing tournament. The Matadors, who have a first-round bye, will meet the winner of Saturday’s Duarte-Lincoln match-up in the second round at 10:45 a.m. Sunday at West Torrance High.

Other top teams from the valley are San Marino, which faces Village Christian, and Monrovia, which meets Verdugo Hills, in first-round games at 10 a.m. Saturday at West Torrance.

Valley powers Gladstone and Glendora will compete in the 32-team L.A. Games baseball tournament. Both reached the CIF playoffs last season and Gladstone advanced to the 2-A quarterfinals.

In opening games at El Camino on Saturday, Gladstone faces Santa Monica at 9 a.m. and Glendora meets Sierra Vista at 3 p.m.

Defending state Division II champion San Gabriel heads the valley teams that will compete in pool play in girls volleyball Saturday. San Gabriel, Arcadia, Temple City and Monrovia are among 20 teams that will play at North Torrance, and Alhambra, San Dimas and St. Lucy’s are among 20 team that will play at Redondo High.

Defending 3-A champion Arcadia is the only valley team competing in boys volleyball pool play Sunday at Redondo.

Perennial Pacific League power Muir will be one of the top valley teams in the 32-team water polo tournament at South Pasadena High. The Mustangs face San Bernardino in their opener at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. South Pasadena plays host to Alhambra at 8 a.m. and Pasadena meets Riverside Poly at 3:50 p.m.

The Cal State Los Angeles men’s basketball team, which struggled to a 2-23 record last season, has signed five players to national letters of intent for next season.

Heading the list is 6-3 guard Bruce Turner, an All-South Coast Conference performer at Harbor College in Wilmington last season. Turner averaged 13 points and 6 assists and is considered a strong defensive player.

“He is one of those few players who can play excellent defense and offense,” Harbor Coach Jim White said.

The other recruits are 6-1 guards David Porter and Kevin Walker from Cerritos College, 6-4 forward Bernard Young from Compton College and 6-4 forward Kevin Lasley from L.A. Jordan High.

Lasley, whose high school team won the L.A. City 3-A championship last season, is the second player from Jordan to sign with the Golden Eagles. Cal State earlier signed forward George Leday.

Three other players who previously signed with the Golden Eagles are guard Develle Walker and forward Andre Bouvey from Manual Arts High, which won the state Division I title last year, and forward Chris Brooks from Dorsey High.

Mt. San Antonio College has placed three players on the All-Southern California team selected by the California Community College Baseball Coaches Assn.

Leading the way is freshman catcher Glen Raasch, who was named to the first team after batting .429. Raasch is a second-team selection on the all-state squad.

Sophomore outfielder Doug Twitty and freshman utility player Junior Pro are second-team All-Southern California selections.

Players from China, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines and the United States will be among the participants in the Pacific Rim International Table Tennis Championships at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at Alhambra High School’s gymnasium.

Admission to the tournament, which includes many of the top players in the world, is $5.