Sanders Seeking Four on the Floor

Darius Sanders had already been a part of three Southern California Regional champion teams, so the prospect of a fourth trip to Sacramento wasn’t what was pushing the Compton Centennial High forward Saturday at Long Beach Arena.

The Compton Dominguez transfer was driven by the fact that it was his senior year and he had finally become the go-to guy instead of just another complementary player alongside Tyson Chandler. Centennial was Sanders’ team, and he made sure everybody knew it down the stretch of the second-seeded Apaches’ 56-47 victory over top-seeded Torrance Bishop Montgomery in the Division III final.

Sanders scored eight of his 15 points in the third quarter and put Centennial ahead to stay with a dunk midway through the fourth as the Apaches advanced to the state title game for the first time. Centennial (31-1) will play San Francisco Riordan (30-4), a 67-61 winner over San Francisco Sacred Heart Cathedral in the Northern California Regional final, at 2:45 p.m. Saturday at Arco Arena in Sacramento.

The Apaches snapped a five-game losing streak against Bishop Montgomery (26-7) in the playoffs over the last three years and ended the Knights’ bid for a third consecutive state title. Bishop Montgomery defeated Centennial, 57-55, in the Southern Section championship game two weeks ago.

Sanders, the Oregon-bound player who could be part of a record fourth state champion if Centennial wins next week, called Saturday’s regional title the most important of his career. “I’m the focal point of this team,” he said. “It’s my responsibility to lead.”

Sanders’ dunk with 4:30 left gave Centennial, which had trailed by as many as 10 points in the second quarter, a 41-40 edge. A Saul Lankster dunk on a fast break and two Arron Afflalo free throws expanded the advantage to 45-40 before Bishop Montgomery’s Gavin Lee converted a three-point play to make it a two-point game.

Centennial’s Sterling Byrd responded with a three-point play after catching an entry pass under the basket to give the Apaches a 48-43 lead. The Knights never threatened again as the Apaches converted eight of 11 free throws in the last 58 seconds.

Afflalo, a sophomore guard who watched his potentially game-tying layup roll out of the rim late in Centennial’s loss to Bishop Montgomery in the Division III-A section final, scored a game-high 18.

Brandon Peace scored 14 points and Fred Washington had 12 for the Knights, who made 35.4% of their shots from the field and were outrebounded, 32-18.

Ben Bolch

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Los Angeles Price 73, Reedley Immanuel 61--The top-seeded Knights, with four players averaging double figures in scoring this season, hit their mark in the Division V regional final at Long Beach City College.

Frank Peace and Darren Morrison each scored 17 points and Derrick Williams and Kalief Washington had 10 apiece, each converting five of nine shots from the field.

Price (30-6) can join Compton Dominguez as the only team to win three consecutive state titles with a victory Saturday against San Francisco University in Sacramento. Immanuel (28-5), the Central Section champion, stayed with Price until the third quarter, when the Knights took a 47-39 lead.

Dan Arritt