Edison boys’ basketball rally falls short against Roosevelt in CIF quarterfinals
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The Eastvale Roosevelt High boys’ basketball team features two starters, Carson Butler and Christian Benjamin, who each stand 6-foot-8.
Host Edison tried to take away the Mustangs’ size inside during Tuesday night’s CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoff quarterfinal game.
But it was a bit of pick your poison. Roosevelt was hot from the outside in the first half, making eight three-pointers.
The barrage helped the visitors earn a 74-65 win, ending the Chargers’ season.
“They’re so athletic, you have to give up something,” Edison coach Josh Beaty said. “We were hoping they’d miss some in the first half, but they didn’t … We kept them out of the paint, we did a good job of limiting them to outside shots, but they made eight threes. That just killed us.”
Senior guard Jackson Haggins made a trio of triples in the first half for Roosevelt (19-13). Sophomore Cameron Anderson and freshman Travis Walton Jr. made a pair each.
Anderson ended up leading a balanced Roosevelt attack with 16 points.
Edison (21-10) was led by senior guard Derick Johnson, who poured in 40 points while trying to will his team to a victory. Beaty said that Johnson, a Cal State Dominguez Hills commit, finished the season averaging 34 points per contest and also set the Chargers’ single-season points record.
Johnson had scored 27 points in the second half alone in Friday’s CIF second-round win over Valencia.
“He’s been like that all year,” Beaty said. “It doesn’t matter how good the team is, it doesn’t matter what they do defensively. He always finds a way to get 30 or 40 points and just carry us. Not just the scoring, but the rebounding, the steals. He’s carried us all year.”
Roosevelt led 33-22 at halftime and built its lead to 21 points, at 45-24, on a three-pointer by Sloane Harris midway through the third quarter. The Chargers responded, finishing the quarter on a 16-6 run that included a four-point play by junior guard Jackson Oei and a triple by freshman guard Major Smith.
“I’m proud that we never gave up,” Johnson said. “We didn’t want our season to end. Sadly, it did today, but we just kept on fighting until the end.”
He added that he credited his teammates for their role, during a season where Johnson accounted for slightly more than half of Edison’s total scoring.
“They let me do what I can do, let me help the team as much as possible,” he said.
Edison closed within eight points on three separate occasions in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t get closer.
Beaty, in his second year as head coach, said he too was proud of the effort. The Chargers finished third in the Sunset League.
“I don’t think at the beginning of the year, a lot of people would have anticipated that we would have won 21 games and won two playoff games,” he said. “It’s just a testament to the kids. They kept getting better and better. Some of our players, like [senior forward] Teddy Goslow, he just kept getting better and better.
“We’re a lot better now than we were two months ago.”
Roosevelt hosts top-seeded Bishop Amat in a Division 2 semifinal game on Saturday night.
Sierra Canyon 95, Corona del Mar 65: The Sea Kings lost on the road and were eliminated from the CIF Southern Section Open Division playoffs on Tuesday night, finishing third in their three-team pool.
Junior guard Maxwell Scott led CdM (27-3) with 22 points. Scott became the Sea Kings’ career points leader with 1,770 points. He surpassed John Vallely, who scored 1,752 points from 1962-66.
No. 8 CdM will play at No. 5 St. John Bosco on Friday night, with the winner advancing to the CIF State tournament.
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CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs
Quarterfinal
Roosevelt 74, Edison 65
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Roosevelt 14 - 19 - 18 - 23 — 74
Edison 11 - 11 - 18 - 25 — 65
R — Anderson 16, Harris 15, Haggins 14, Benjamin 10, Walton Jr. 10, Butler 9.
3-pt. goals — Haggins 3, Walton Jr. 3, Anderson 2, Butler 2, Harris 1.
Fouled out — Irons.
Technicals — None.
E — Johnson 40, Smith 9, Oei 9, MacDonald 3, Goslow 2, Parks-Lee 2.
3-pt. goals — Johnson 5, Smith 3, Oei 2, MacDonald 1.
Fouled out — None.
Technicals — None.
