The Trailblazers (26-7) advance to face
Lincoln (Stockton) on Friday in the Division I state championship
game at the home of the Sacramento Kings, the Golden 1 Center.
Tuesday against Redondo Union, Sierra Canyon got a game-high 25 points from senior guard
Gavin Hightower. The Iona commit grabbed an offensive rebound and converted a three-point play with 44
seconds remaining for the go-ahead and ultimately game-winning basket.
Gavin Hightower knocked down 15 free throws in 25-point outburst Tuesday night in Division I state semifinals. (FILE PHOTO: Louis Lopez)
Four-star junior
Maximo Adams chipped in 22 points in the win while senior wing
Bryce Cofield finished with 14 points.
In
a wild game that saw eight lead changes in the fourth quarter alone, Sierra Canyon fell behind 7-1 early but battled back for a gritty win.
Sierra Canyon shot 25 of
32 from the free throw line to power the victory while Redondo
Union was only able to get to the line 15 times on the night.
Central Michigan signee
Hudson Mayes pumped in a team-high 19 points in the loss for Redondo Union (28-6).
After
COVID-19 wiped out a trip to the Open Division state final during
Bronny James' freshman year in 2019-20, the Trailblazers will finally
have a chance to play for the state title with a James on the roster
five seasons later.
Arizona signee
Bryce James
has provided a spark off the bench for Sierra Canyon throughout the
season, including producing 16 points in a 60-46 win over
nationally-ranked Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) at the Spalding Hoophall
Classic back in January.
