Boys Basketball Playoff Notebook: Area Teams Prep for Quarterfinals

This time a week ago, the La Salle boys basketball team did not look like a team capable of making a run to the CIF-Southern Section Division 4A semifinals.

The Lancers went 3-5 in the Del Rey League, and two of those wins came after Serra forfeited its season because of an ineligible player. They suffered blowout losses to Bishop Montgomery and Bishop Amat, and they lost by 20 points in their regular season finale.

The Lancers were the definition of a team limping into the postseason.

But La Salle coach Steve Goldstein thought his team’s tough league slate would pay off once the playoffs began, and after two double-digit wins, that’s exactly what’s happened.

Fourteenth-seeded La Salle dominated Cabrillo (Lompoc) of the Los Padres League in a 55-15 win in Round 1 and then scored a 61-44 upset of No. 3 Paraclete in Round 2.

Tuesday night La Salle hosts Liberty League Champion Buckley at 7 p.m. in the Div. 4A quarterfinals.

“I’m not shocked, but I’m a little surprised that we’re as playing as well as we are,” Goldstein said. “We figured league would prepare us if and when we got to the playoffs.”

Goldstein said that his team’s effort on the defensive end has been the key in the Lancers’ turnaround. La Salle has given up an average of 29.5 points a game in its two playoff wins, and limited Paraclete’s inside scoring depite the presence of a 7-foot-1 center and a 6-foot-7 power forward.

“We had been playing really good defense all year, and we had our best defensive efforts in the playoffs both games,” Goldstein said. “We did a good job of going right at Paraclete and not worrying about their size.”

Another thing that helped the Lancers take control of their second round game was their ability to knock down jumpers in the early going. Ian Schuler got hot early and finished with 17 points, while Kishon Sanders added 16.

“I think (Paraclete) came in pretty confident, like you should be at this time of year, but I don’t think they were ready for our pressure,” Goldstein said. “I think they were kind of stunned to be down quickly and that took them out of their game.”

Goldstein said that his squad’s “confidence is at an all-time high” following the two playoff wins, and now the Lancers face a familiar foe in the quarterfinals. La Salle beat Buckley last season during a non-conference tournament.

Goldstein said that defense would once again be the key to any success his team has against Buckley.

“I’m hoping to keep the score under 50,” he said.

Mustangs Getting Impact from Sophomore Duo

At the start of the season, Muir senior standout Deshawn Hayes got all the headlines, but ever since Hayes was dismissed from the team near the end of the season, it’s been the sophomores who have been stealing the spotlight.

In No. 3 Muir’s 55-54 win over Western Christian in the second round of the Div. 5A playoffs, the Mustangs were led by sophomores Taturs Mayberry (18 points and 14 rebounds) and Jelani Mitchell (16 rebounds and five boards).

“Huge,” Muir coach Dr. Gamal Smalley said of the duo’s performance Friday. “They’re peaking at just the right time.” 

“They’re much more aggressive,” he added. “Most of those guys are very active around the basket, they don’t just rely on outside jumpers.”

But it’s not just the sophomore’s play on the court that’s grown over the course of the season, both Mayberry and Mitchell have added a couple of inches to their frames.

Smalley said Mayberry has gone from 6-foot-2 at the start of the season to 6-foot-4, and he also boasts a 6-foot-8 wingspan. Mitchell is now listed at 6-foot-3.

“Never seen kids grow like this during the season,” Smalley said.

Muir hosts Don Bosco Tech in the quarterfinals Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Notes: 

While the third-seeded La Cañada boys basketball team has won its two playoff games by an average of nine points, the Spartans are succeeding in spite of some woeful outside shooting. The Spartans are a combined 11-for-49 from 3-point range in the playoffs. Dario CiVon is 3 of 18 and Mike McGlashan is 3 of 15. La Cañada hosts No. 6 Bishop Montgomery in the Div. 3AA quarterfinals Tuesday at 7 p.m. … No. 1 Flintridge Prep has cruised through the first two rounds of the Div. 5AA playoffs. The Rebels crushed St. Paul 77-41 in the first round and then topped Whitney 75-46 in Friday’s second round. Flintridge Prep hosts No. 9 Blair (Rio Hondo League) on Tuesday night.