MaxPreps HC Day 2: Dominguez Denies Franklin

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - It was fast and furious. It was long versus short. It was California against Washington and No. 17 versus No. 22 nationally.  

It was up and down, mano a mano, in-your-face and end-to-end action at your high school boys basketball best.

The only thing missing from Dominguez' 83-74 National Division MaxPreps Holiday Classic quarterfinal victory over Franklin Thursday night at Torrey Pines High was 14 precious minutes without the jaw-dropping exploits of Peyton Siva.

The 6-foot junior guard from Franklin (Seattle, Wash.) was saddled with foul trouble and though his mighty and fearless shrimp squad went toe-to-toe with long, mean and equally fearless Dominguez (Compton), the Quakers couldn't overcome his absence or a dominating 29-point performance from another nationally-ranked junior guard, Jordan Hamilton.

With his team down 12 in the second quarter and Siva on the bench, Hamilton sent down a shocking backhand dunk from the left side that ignited him and the 22nd-ranked Dons to their ninth win and 10 outings and a 7 p.m. semifinal match-up with defending California Division IV state champion Campbell Hall (North Hollywood).

The other semifinal game in the tournament's top division pits Compton and Simi Valley at 8:35 p.m. The four-division tournament, in its 18th year, features 54 teams from 11 states. 

Hamilton, a sleek and skilled 6-foot-7 two guard ranked the seventh best junior in the country by CSTV, scored 13 of his team's final 15 points of the half including a 3-point baseline bomb to close Dominguez within 37-36 at halftime.

And 8-0 run late in the third, again with Siva on the bench and again ignited by Hamilton, put the Dons up for good though it took an 11-2 run in the final 2:35 of the game keyed by three buckets by 6-8 junior Aaron Moore (13 points) that finally put away the Quakers (7-1), the 2003 and 2006 Washington state champions and 2007 runner-ups.

Siva, an electrifying, high-flying 6-foot point guard ranked the 25th best junior nationally, had big numbers - 22 points, seven assists and five rebounds - but in small minutes. Afterward, he made no excuses for the loss even though two of his four fouls seemed of the ticky-tack variety.

"They (Dominguez) just out-beasted us," Siva said. "They got on us at times and we didn't have an answer. Give them credit."

Though thoroughly entertained, everyone leaving the last of the four-division, 56-team tournament game Thursday night had to wonder what if Siva had played all 32 minutes. He sat out the last 9:30 of the first half after picking up his third foul and all but six seconds of the final 3:53 of the third following his fourth foul.

"Whew," said an exhausted Dominguez coach Russell Otis. "That kid (Siva) was awesome. He made you earn it. He spread you out `cause he can bomb it but then he could get to the rim every time. He took over that game. He's a big-time player.

"I don't know what happens if he's not in foul trouble. I'm glad I don't have to think about it."

Make no mistake. Otis, who helped Dominguez to six state titles since 1996, doesn't impress easily. Quickness, toughness and defense have been staples of the program for more than a decade and helped them win the loaded Amare Stoudamire Classic in Florida last week.

The Dons had few answers for the short but stout Quakers, who had only two players taller than 6-2 among its regular eight-to-10 man rotation.

Otis rotated lightning rod guards of his own to guard Siva, including 6-foot senior Bryce Cartwright who played a stellar fourth quarter and finished with 13 points.

"I think eventually we wore them down," Otis said. "We had a lot of guys contribute, especially late. But Jordan really took over the game."

Dunks are largely over-rated and hyped in this era, but there was no denying Hamilton's highlight-reel backhand slam seemed to turn the game around.

The Quakers, led by 17 by Chris Holmes and a pair of nifty drives and buckets from 6-4 freshman Lavell White, actually extended their three-point lead when Siva left to 33-21 with 4:37 left in the half following a baseline jumper from Jesse Hopson and a driving lay-up by Sterling Carter.

Hamilton then took a dribble drive down the left side, cupped the ball in his right hand and ripped it home.

"I just kind of improvised," Hamilton said. "I wasn't planning to do it. It just kind of happened."

To that point, Hamilton was kind of quiet with just six points. Otis, in fact, sat his star player for talking back at the coach.

"I get frustrated sometimes out there and I need to keep my cool," Hamilton said. "I had time to think about it on the bench. Once I got going I felt I couldn't be stopped."

Said Siva of Hamilton: "He's scary good. He just took over."

After the teams traded baskets, Hamilton scored on a spin move, a putback, a driving lay-up and two free throws. Suddenly the Dons were within a bucket, 35-33.

Two free throws by Keiwaun McMorris gave Franklin a four-point cushion, before Hamilton finished off the flurry with a fadeaway 3-pointer to give Dominguez all the momentum heading into the second half.

"Those last four minutes of the half killed us," Franklin coach Jason Kerr said. "Our offensive execution and defense was terrible."

Asked about Siva's foul troubles and the affect it had on the game and Kerr said: "We showed what we could do without Peyton out there. The guys picked it up and we extended the lead. Bottom line is we didn't get it done and (Dominguez) did.

"What concerns me most is not so much that we lost the lead but we didn't come back. We had to find a winning solution and we didn't."

Siva, who hasn't fouled out this year, said he was proud of his team's effort while on the bench though it was tough to watch.

"It was really hard," he said. "It seemed like it lasted forever."

Dominguez eventually took advantage of its height advantage in the paint. Hamilton scored only the first bucket of the fourth quarter before his teammates, particularly Cartwright and Moore, took over.

Cartwright hit a pair of driving layups and scored on a breakaway dunk. Moore had a putback, three-point play and slam dunk after a nice feed from Hamilton during a 11-2 run in the final 2:35.

"No shame in losing to those guys," Siva said. "They're legit."

CAMPBELL HALL (NORTH HOLLYWOOD) 85, LONG BEACH JORDAN 67: Senior Jrue Holiday, the country's No. 6 recruit according to CSTV, had just 10 points in a first-round win on Wednesday.

The 6-4 guard came back with a mammoth 33-point, 22-rebound, four-block effort in Thursday's quarterfinal win.

"Everyone asked `What happened to Jrue on Wednesday? What's wrong?' " Campbell Hall coach Terry Kelly said. "Nothing was wrong with Jrue. He did everything we needed him to do on Wednesday. He did everything else but score. Tonight we needed him to rebound and he had 14 in the first half. Jrue always does what's needed. He's a winner."

The Vikings (10-3), who have played one of the toughest schedules in the state, were efficient but not stellar in victory. Kelly wasn't thrilled with the defensive effort or fouling, though the latter part of that was out of Campbell Hall's hands.

"We have a lot of new kids in new spots this year and we're definitely getting there," Kelly said. "Our schedule is toughening us up. I thought we showed good patience in the second half. It wasn't vintage Campbell Hall basketball but we'll move on."

They'll have to play near their `A' game against Dominguez.

The Vikings got some stellar play from 6-7 junior Keegan Hornbuckle, who had a slam dunk off a nice feed from Holiday followed by a 3-pointer in the third quarter. Dallas Rutherford, a 6-3 senior, scored on a fastbreak hoop, two free throws and a jumper during a 16-4 run in the third quarter to give the Vikings a 65-33 lead.

Freshman point guard Austin McBroom also hit a pair of long-range jumpers during the run.

"We've never shied away from competition so (Friday) should be a big challenge," Kelly said. "We love to play the best."

Keith Davis, a 6-4 senior, led Jordan (7-5) with 21 points.

COMPTON 100, GAHR (CERRITOS) 88: They don't get more entertaining than this as Compton, led by a career-high 47 points from USC-bound DeMar DeRozan, squandered a 19-point halftime lead and actually trailed 80-77 in the fourth quarter before rallying to victory.

"It's a game of runs and we had the last one," said the 6-7 Derozan, coming off a 38-point effort. "Gahr has a lot of heart and they never stopped coming."

It looked like the much smaller Gladiators were squashed by halftime, trailing 58-39. The Tarbabes scored at will and with DeRozan, 6-4 sophomore Cliff Sims (19 points) and 6-10 senior Edgar Garibay (18 points) controlling the paint, Gahr looked cooked.

But led by 30 points from 6-5 senior Cameron Nettles and a fearless set of guards, Karly Roby (5-7), Long Beach State-bound Casper Ware (5-10) and Erwin Ware (5-7), the Gladiators fought back, scoring 17 of the first 21 points in the second half to close to 60-56. Ware finished with 22 points and Chester Woolen added 14 for Gahr (9-3).

Nettles had a driving lay-up, then slam dunk to close the rally.

"We talked at halftime and were a little embarrassed," Nettles said. "We just got tougher and went after it."

But Compton seemed like it took control back, going on an 11-2 run extending the lead back to 71-58. Kyrie Armstrong started the spurt with a 3-pointer and DeRozan finished it with an ally-oop dunk after a nice feed from Armstrong.

But once more Gahr fought back, rattling off 22 of the next 28 points to take a 80-77 lead. A 3-pointer by Woolen gave Gahr its first lead, 76-75.

"We got down but we just didn't panic," Garibay said. "We knew if we just did what we were supposed to we'd get back into it."

Getting in was largely getting the ball to DeRozan who hit a driving layup that started an 11-0 run. Garibay hit a layup and baseline jumper, DeRozan made a 3-point play and Sims connected on a turnaround jumper and coast-to-coast and layup, giving Compton a 90-80 lead.

"We just had to buckle down," Sims said. "Those guys made us work."

Gahr closed to within six twice, but Compton pulled away, finished off with an absolutely high-flying breakaway dunk by DeRozan. It was a fitting ending to a wild game.

"That was fun game," said DeRozan, who made 17 of 28 shots and 11 of 17 free throws to surpass his previous high of 45. "We'll definitely be in good shape for tomorrow."

SIMI VALLEY 76, CAMPOLINDO (MORAGA) 56: The surprise team of the National Division may not be a surprise any longer.

The Pioneers improved to 12-0 utilizing their press and 3-point shooters while scoring 51 points in the middle quarters. Lorne Jackson, the senior 6-2 point guard who scored 34 in an opening-day win over Torrey Pines, was held to just 14 but he distributed the ball beautifully to shooters Brad Lewis and Michael Meza, who scored 25 and 27 points, respectively.

Simi Valley now plays Compton in a semifinal game on Friday.

"We're ready," Jackson said. "We've been building up to this point and working real hard and the time has come."

So what will be the key in beating Compton.

"Stopping DeRozan," Jackson said. "It won't be easy. He's an amazing player."

Simi Valley presses and Compton had trouble against Gahr's pressure so the Pioneers figure to step it up two-fold. If Compton does get it down into halfcourt sets, Jackson will likely be matched against DeRozan.

How do you stop him?

"Try to deny his touches," Jackson said. "And try to get him tired. We can't stop him but we can try to hold him down."

Campolindo, which got 19 points from 6-8 post Jack Trotter and 14 from Graham Smith, couldn't slow down Simi Valley, which led 68-42 entering the fourth quarter.

Meza finished with four 3-pointers and Lewis and Jackson had two each.

"They force the action and do what they do very well," Campolindo coach Chris Whirlow said. "They could very well win this tournament. They're that good and well coached."

Consolation Bracket

TORREY PINES 70, ARROYO VALLEY (SAN BERNARDINO) 66: Santa Clara-bound guard James Rahon was at it again, ripping off eight 3-pointers and scoring a game-high 37 points leading the Falcons (9-2) to the overtime victory. Rahon had 38 in a 82-76 loss to Simi Valley on Wednesday. Joseph Richard had 23 points for Arroyo Valley, James Sanders added 20 and Jermaine Anderson 14.

DESERT VISTA (PHOENIX, ARI.) 71, SANTA RITA (TUCSON, ARI.) 38: Michael Proctor, a 6-8 senior forward, scored 23 points, Josh Lowery had 17 points and Marcus Lever 16 as Desert Vista went on a 43-14 run in the second half to win going away. Santa Rita (11-2), coming off a disheartening 62-60 loss to Compton, seemed to lose steam the second half. The Eagles were led by Darnell Shumpert with 15 points and Terrell Stoglin with 13.

PASADENA 77, SHELDON (ELK GROVE) 61: Pasadena broke open the game with a 26-11 run in the second quarter to take a 44-22 halftime lead while cruising to victory. Keion Bell, a dynamic 6-3 guard, scored 31 points for the winners while Joseph Henson, Marcus Harvey and Travis Flye combined for 31 points. Darius Nelson, a 6-6 freshman, led Sheldon with 24 points while Marcus Jackson added 14. Another freshman Ramon Eaton (6-8) added 10 for Sheldon.

NEWARK MEMORIAL 55, COUNTRY DAY (Metairie, La.) 46: E.J. Farris had 17 points, Evan Wiley 12 and Chris Jones nine as Newark Memorial outscored Country Day 16-10 in the fourth quarter to take the consolation game. Eddie Ludwig, a 6-8 junior, exploded for 25 points for Country Day.

AMERICAN DIVISION

At La Costa Canyon HS

Winners Bracket

MAYFAIR (LAKEWOOD) 80, SYLMAR 70: A 25-11 run in the second quarter put the Monsoons in control and a 21-13 spurt in the fourth sealed it as Charles Odum, a 6-2 guard, scored 25 points and Jeremy Pope and Chris Springer combined for 31 points. Darren Rosborough led all scores with 27 points and Gary Ricks added 18 for Sylmar.

MISSION HILLS (SAN MARCOS) 62, BISHOP'S (LA JOLLA) 50: Taylor Darby, a 6-8 forward, scored 30 points and Adam Bemanian and Jensen Moore combined for 22 as Mission Hills rolled to the quarterfinal victory. Malik Love had 18 and David Stotelmyre added 15 for Bishop's.

LA COSTA CANYON 55, LA MIRADA 44: Shawn Hempsey had 21 points and Tony Cali 12 as host La Costa Canyon raced to a 14-5 lead and held that lead throughout. Derrick Williams had 18 points for La Mirada.

EISENHOWER (RIALTO) 61, CLEAR BROOK (Friendswood, Texas) 54: Andrew Bock scored 17 points and Naz Richardson added 14 as Eisenhower took control with a 21-point second quarter to beat Clear Brook, which got a game-high 22 points from Anthony Miles.

Consolation Bracket

CLEAR BROOK 63, FREMONT (LOS ANGELES) 60: In a nip-and-tuck game throughout, Cleark Brook outscored Fremont 17-12 in the fourth quarter and got 25 points from Anthony Miles, a 6-1 guard, to pull out the victory. Fremont hung in throughout thanks to 24 points by Laron Armstead and 19 from Savion Udeh and a 12-of-13 performance from the free throw line. Udeh made five of his seven baskets from beyond the 3-point line.

LEUZINGER (LAWNDALE) 76, BAKERSFIELD 66: Jerry Evans had 21 points, Norton Devonte 16 and Ryan Williams 14 as Leuzinger pulled this one out with a 30-point fourth quarter. Bakersfield got a game-high 26 points by Dijon Henry and 18 from Alfonson Jackson.

MISSION PREP (SAN LUIS OBISPO) 59, BISHOP O'DOWD (OAKLAND) 54: Mitch Woolpert scored 22 points and Mission Prep went on a 23-13 run in the second quarter to take controle. Justin Brue had 14 and Jordan Turner 13 for Bishop O'Dowd.  

OTHER SCORE

Ribet Academy 62, Reseda 53

GOVERNOR'S DIVISION

At Rancho Bernardo HS
Winners bracket

ST. JOHN BOSCO (BELLFLOWER) 66, LODI 55: Down 43-41 heading into the fourth quarter, St. John Bosco went on a 25-12 run in the fourth quarter to pull away. Keith Price had 19 points, including three 3-pointers, for the winners while teammates Krismoir Rosales and Gilbert Parga combined for 26. John Clemons and Jonathan Herold added 15 apiece for Lodi.

LACES (LOS ANGELES) 46, CARLSBAD 43: In a tough defensive battle, Michael Butler and Sean Butler scored 10 points apiece leading Laces to the quarterfinal victory. Michael Tanael made all eight of his free throws and scored a game-high 16 points for Carlsbad.

ORANGE LUTHERAN (ORANGE) 44, LEXINGTON (SOUTH CAROLINA) 43: A 16-7 third quarter was key for Orange Lutheran who got nine points apiece from James Douglas and Matt Ledbetter. Josh Van Wyk and Kevin Sayles scored 10 points apiece for Lexington.

LANGLEY (MCLEAN, VIRGINIA) 81, RANCHO BERNARDO (SAN DIEGO) 67: Ryan Davenport had 24 points and Thomas Kody added 18 as Langley won the quarterfinal game over Rancho Bernardo, which got 18 from Tyler Hadecek and 17 from Wynton Bernard. Langley outscored the host team 46-36 in the second half.

Consolation Bracket

ST. JOSEPH (SANTA MARIA) 77, CORONADO (HENDERSON, NEV.) 69: St. Joseph's used a balanced scoring attack, led by 18 points from Sam Schur to pull out the hard-fought victory. Teammates Ryan Small, Jeff Blake and Vince Brunello combined for 36 points. Cory Ford, a 6-4 senior guard, led all scorers with 23 points for Coronado.

MONTE VISTA (SPRING VALLEY) 66, RANCHO BUENA VISTA (VISTA) 63: Thomas Nesbitt had 19 points, Ty Miller 14 and Terell Mabry 11 to lead Monte Vista to the overtime victory. Trent Watkins hit five of six free throws in overtime and made a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter. Thomas Nesbitt had 19 points and Ty Miller 14 for Rancho Buena Vista.  

JAMES LOGAN (UNION CITY) 63, PACIFIC HILLS (WEST HOLLYWOOD) 61: Isaiah Moore had 22 points and Zach Smith and Dwight Abad contributed 10 each as James Logan broke loose for 44 second-half points to score the come-from-behind victory. Alex Osborne led Pacific Hills with 19 points, 10 coming in the first quarter, while Lorenzo Corley chipped in 18.  

PONDEROSA (SHINGLE SPRINGS) 41, HANDSWORTH (NORTH VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA) 20: Steve Lackey had 15 points and Rhett Beal 11 as Ponderosa (10-1) allowed just five points in four consecutive quarters.

MAYOR'S DIVISION

At Francis Parker HS

SERRA (SAN DIEGO) 57, TEMESCAL CANYON 55: Chris Coleman, a 6-5 senior, scored 31 points including 9 of 10 free throws as Serra went on an 18-9 run in the fourth quarter to pull out the come-from-behind victory. Randy Powelson had 19 and Joel Zinda 12 for Temescal Canyon, which seemed to take control with a 21-10 run in the second quarter.

LA JOLLA 57, GRANITE HILLS 54: Jerrell Agnew had 17 points as La Jolla made 18 of 25 free throws to hold off Granite Hills, which went on a 17-10 run in the fourth quarter but fell short.

FRANCIS PARKER (SAN DIEGO) 65, FRONTIER (BUFFALO HAMBURG, N.Y.) 40: Alex Gipsman had 27 points and the host team used runs of 17-8 and 21-11 in the first and third quarters to win going away.

OTHER SCORE

Rancho Buena Vista 53, St. Joseph 47

FRIDAY'S SCHEDULE

National Division at Torrey Pines
Arroyo Valley vs. Santa Rita, 9:30 a.m.
Sheldon vs. Metairie Country Day, 11:05 a.m.
Torrey Pines vs. Desert Vista, 12:40
Pasadena vs. Newark Memorial, 2:15
Campolindo vs. Gahr, 3:50
Franklin, Wash. vs. Long Beach Jordan, 5:25
Semifinal: Dominguez vs. Campbell Hall, 7
Semifinal: Simi Valley vs. Compton, 8:35

American Division at La Costa Canyon
Bakersfield vs. Clear Brook, Texas, 9:30 a.m.
Bishop O'Dowd vs. Reseda, 11:05 a.m.
Leuzinger vs. Fremont, 12:40
Mission Prep vs. Ribet, 2:15
Sylmar vs. La Mirada, 3:50
Clear Brook, Texas vs. Bishop's, 5:25
Semifinal: Eisenhower winner vs. Mission Hills, 7
Semifinal: La Costa Canyon vs. Mayfair, 8:35

Governor's Division at Rancho Bernardo
Pacific Hills vs. Canada Handsworth, 11:05 a.m.
Coronado, Nev. vs. Monte Vista, 12:40
James Logan vs. Ponderosa, 2:15
Lodi vs. Carlsbad, 3:50
Lexington, S.C. vs. Rancho Bernardo, 5:25
Semifinal: St. John Bosco vs. Laces, 7
Semifinal: Orange Lutheran vs. Langley, Va., 8:35

Mayor's Division at Francis Parker
Temescal Canyon vs. St. Joseph, 2:15
Apple Valley Granite Hills vs. Frontier, N.Y., 3:50
Semifinal: Serra vs. Rancho Buena Vista, 5:25
Semifinal: La Jolla vs. Francis Parker, 7