Boys’ basketball: Birmingham rallies from 15-point deficit to defeat Oak Park

The Classic at Damien began with an early top game on Monday. Birmingham came back from a 15-point halftime deficit to defeat Oak Park, 81-78.

The day didn’t start well for the Patriots. Their bus was supposed to pick them up at 7:45 a.m. It didn’t come until 9 a.m. so they barely had time to warm up for a scheduled 10 a.m. start.

Devante Doutrive and Deschon Winston each scored 23 points for the Patriots and Devonaire Doutrive added 19 points. Birmingham will face Santa Ana Mater Dei on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. Mater Dei defeated Lynwood, 54-41. Justice Sueing had 16 points.

It will be an intriguing matchup, because Birmingham already owns a win over Mater Dei’s top rival in the Trinity League, Santa Margarita. Riley Battin scored 33 points for Oak Park.

Long Beach Poly defeated Rancho Christian, 71-55, and will face Damien at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. Damien defeated Moreau Catholic, 85-64. Eastvale Roosevelt received 34 points from Cal-bound Jemarl Baker, who made nine threes, in an 87-63 win over Santa Monica. Roosevelt will play at 5:30 p.m. against St. John Bosco. The Braves defeated Crespi, 73-41. JJ Watson had 18 points.

Corona Centennial knocked off Alemany, 70-50. Isom Butler scored 20 points. Centennial will meet Etiwanda for a third time this season in the quarterfinals at 8:30 p.m.. Etiwanda defeated Las Vegas Centennial, 66-62. Krystian Wilson scored 19 points. So the Eagles will be playing a team named Centennial for the fourth time this season.

La Canada defeated Rialto, 72-49. Justin Kouyoumdjian had 19 points. Los Altos (9-0) stayed unbeaten with a 69-57 win over Long Beach Jordan. Los Altos will play Rancho Cucamonga, a 63-56 winner over St. Bernard.

In other games, Harvard-Westlake defeated La Quinta, 99-42. Cassius Stanley scored 26 points and Ali Iken had 19.

In the San Pedro tournament, Peninsula defeated L.A. Roosevelt, 62-34. Blake Godbold had 14 points.

Esperanza defeated Menlo, 65-52, in an opening game of the Orange Holiday Classic. Kezie Okpala had 22 points and Brendan Harrick 18.

LiAngelo Ball scored 65 points to help Chino Hills improve to 12-0 with a 131-100 win over Nevada Foothill in the Holiday Invitational at Rancho Mirage.

Rancho Mirage received 28 points and 12 assists from Charles Neal in a 95-91 win over Houst Westbury Christian.

Christian Finney scored 28 points in Central City’s 63-50 win over St. George B.C. in the San Gabriel tournament.

Oaks Christian defeated Paramount, 61-50, with Jordan Berens scoring 19 points.

In the Ventura tournament, Mason Johnson scored 27 points in Oxnard’s 72-22 win over Santa Paula.

St. Paul defeated San Marino, 53-41. Chuma Azinge scored 17 points for San Marino.

St. Francis defeated Montebello, 74-46. Joey Walsh had 14 points.

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