SOUTHERN SECTION BOYS’ BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : DIVISION II-A ROUNDUP

Kennedy 54, Troy 47--Kennedy’s Jeff Cummins scored 13 of his game-high 19 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Fighting Irish at Troy High.

Cummins hit two of two field goal attempts and seven of seven free throws in the fourth quarter to help break a 33-33 deadlock at the end of the third quarter. Kennedy (21-6) won its 16th consecutive game and will face Pomona, a 76-63 winner over La Mirada, in the quarterfinals Friday night.

“They’re a good team,” Troy Coach T.J. Hardeman said. “They made us turn the ball over 17 times, and we’re normally not a bad turnover team. Their big front line eventually wore us down.”

Troy (15-11) led, 31-22, early in the third quarter, but Kennedy’s trapping defense threw the Warriors out of sync. Troy only shot 25% from the field in the second half. Kennedy pulled ahead, 38-33, with 7:27 left on Cummins’ steal and three-point play on the layin and foul.

Cummins, who also led Kennedy rebounders with 10, gave the Fighting Irish a 43-35 lead with a pair of free throws with 6:12 remaining, but the Warriors closed to 43-41 on Scott Nielson’s jump shot from the corner with 4:16 remaining. Jermaine Galloway’s two free throws and Cummins’ basket raised the Kennedy lead to 48-41 with 2:49 left.

Galloway scored two points in the first half and had 11 before fouling out with 3:24 left. Randy Abbott led Troy with 13 points.