Basketball notes: CIF State SoCal regional tournament set for local teams
No funky formats. No pool play. No double-elimination. It’s win or go home.
The CIF State SoCal regional playoff pairings were released Sunday afternoon for boys and girls basketball. All divisions except for the Open Division are made up of 16 teams. There are a total of six divisions (Open through Division V).
The action begins Tuesday night and finishes March 13-14 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, where the CIF State championships are held. That’s when the Northern and Southern California winners from each division face off.
SIERRA CANYON NO. 1 IN BOYS AND GIRLS
It’s no surprise. The Sierra Canyon boys and girls basketball teams were each granted the No. 1 seed in their respective Open Division regional brackets. Both won the CIF Southern Section Open Division championships on Saturday night.
In the boys bracket, Sierra Canyon and No. 2 Harvard-Westlake will receive first-round byes into the semifinals. The winner of Redondo Union and Santa Margarita will travel to Chatsworth on Saturday night. The winner of Santa Maria St. Joseph and Notre Dame will travel to Studio City in the other semifinal.
In the girls bracket, the CIF State office decided to take just four teams into the Open Division regional playoffs. Sierra Canyon will take on Sage Hill and No. 2 Ontario Christian will face Etiwanda in the semifinals Saturday night.
Sierra Canyon will be hosting a doubleheader.
CRESPI GETS DI HOME GAME
Crespi will host Bishop Amat, CIF Southern Section Division 2 champions, in the opening round of the Division I playoffs Tuesday night. The Celts are the only local team in the Division I field.
Valencia and Oak Park earned a berth to the Division I girls’ bracket. The Vikings, who lost in the Division 1 sectional final, will be on the road at Corona Centennial Tuesday night. Oak Park, an Open Division participant, will be at La Jolla Country Day.
OTHER LOCAL MATCHUPS IN CIF STATE TOURNAMENT
Boys Division II: Cleveland at Murrieta Mesa
Boys Division III: Rancho Bernardo at Shalhevet; Gardena Serra at Birmingham Charter; El Camino Real at Trabuco Hills; Pilibos at Fairfax
Boys Division IV: Chatsworth at Army-Navy; Rialto at Granada Hills Charter
Boys Division V: Verdugo Hills at Colton; Canoga Park at Sylmar
Girls Division II: Mission Oak at Birmingham Charter; San Diego Lincoln at Saugus; La Costa Canyon at Crescenta Valley;
Girls Division III: Burroughs at Murrieta Valley; Redwood at Granada Hills Charter; Canyon at Oxnard; Shafter at La Canada
Girls Division IV: El Camino Real at Savanna; Hillcrest at Cleveland; San Jacinto at Kennedy; Warren at Oakwood;
Girls Division V: San Pasqual at North Hollywood