Glendora, Artesia in Showdown

Southland basketball fans will get a rare opportunity to see two local high school All-Americans in one game tonight when top-seeded Lakewood Artesia plays Glendora at Cerritos Gahr in a Division I semifinal of the Southern California regional of the state tournament.

Senior forward Jason Kapono, who has yet to commit to a college, leads Artesia (31-2), the two-time defending Southern Section Division I-AA champion. Kapono, 6 feet 8, scored 12 of his team-leading 21 points in fourth quarter of the Pioneers’ 72-64 quarterfinal victory over City Section runner-up Fairfax on Tuesday night.

Senior guard Casey Jacobsen, who will play at Stanford next year, leads Glendora (31-2), the 1998 Southern Section Division I-A champion which lost to Santa Ana Mater Dei in this season’s final.

The 6-6 Jacobsen scored 25 points in Glendora’s 61-58 regional quarterfinal victory over Clovis West on Tuesday night.

Both players will participate in the McDonald’s All-American game that will be played March 24 in Ames, Iowa.

Tonight’s game is a rematch of last year’s regional semifinal won by Artesia, 67-54.

Jacobsen scored 36 points, had 11 rebounds and gave Glendora a 46-45 lead with a dunk off a lob pass with 7:47 left.

Artesia, however, went on a 12-0 run over the next 4:15 to take a 57-46 lead with 3:32 left. Kapono finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Glendora Coach Mike LeDuc said the Tartans must contend not only with Kapono, but with Artesia frontcourt players Jack Martinez and Amaury Fernandez.

“We have to play perfect and we have to be able to rebound with them and not let them dominate the boards,” LeDuc said. “We can’t let their great player go off and have a super night.

“We need a big game from Casey, but we need to have a big game from everyone who plays.”

The winner of tonight’s game will play the winner of the semifinal between Manual Arts and Santa Ana Mater Dei, which is being played tonight at Loyola Marymount.

Another marquee boys’ semifinal pits Inglewood against Compton Dominguez in Division II.

Dominguez, the Southern Section II-AA champion, is led by senior guards Keith Kincade and Marcus Moore and 7-1 sophomore center Tyson Chandler.

Inglewood, the Southern Section II-A runner-up, is led by senior guard Sandy Fletcher.

Other boys’ semifinals involving Southland teams: Lakewood Mayfair at Fresno Edison in Division II; Chaminade at Fresno Washington Union (III); San Diego University vs. San Dimas at Glendora (III); Santa Monica Crossroads at San Diego Horizon (IV); Gardena Serra at Verbum Dei (IV); Price at Oxnard Santa Clara (V).