HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL: CIF-SS CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES

OPEN DIVISION Roosevelt (30-2) vs. Harvard-westlake (29-3), 8 p.m. Friday at California Baptist University, Riverside IE Varsity info:

Roosevelt captured a CIF State championship in 2017, but this is the program’s first appearance in a Southern Section title game. The Mustangs are the No. 2team in the Calhisports. com state rankings and the No. 14team in the Maxpreps. com national ranking., Roosevelt has rattled off 13consecutive victories, with two of those wins avenging previous losses to Centennial and Jserra. The Mustangs are led by junior guard Brayden Burries, who is averaging around 25points per game. Colorado State-bound senior guard Darnez Slater brings a veteran presence to the floor, and junior guard Issac Williamson is one of the top defenders in the state. Junior point guard Myles Walker suffered a wrist injury that sidelined him for five games, but he is back running the offense. Harvard-westlake is the CIF State’s Open Division defending champion, and the Wolverines are the state’s No. 1team and the nation’s No. 6 team in the aforementioned rankings. Harvard-westlake is 11-2in past section championship games but came up short in its only other trip to the Open Division finals (losing to Centennial in 2022). The Wolverines suffered back-to-back league losses in January but have bounced back with nine straight victories. Harvard-westlake is led by Mcdonald’s All-american senior point guard Trent Perry, who has signed with USC. Senior guard Robert Hinton and junior forward Nikolas Khemenia are two other standouts to watch for the Wolverines. Prediction: Roosevelt 66, Harvard-westlake 64 DIVISION 4A Temecula Valley (18-14) vs. Northview (24-9), 4 p.m. Saturday at Toyota Arena, Ontario

IE Varsity info: Temecula Valley and Northview have used contrasting styles of play to reach the Division 4A championship game. Temecula Valley is averaging 92.3 points per game in the postseason. Northview, on the other hand, is allowing a mere 45.3points per game in the section playoffs. Temecula

Valley has faced a handful of defensive-minded teams this season, including Etiwanda, Riverside Poly and Rancho Verde. Golden Bears coach James Profit said the ability to dictate tempo has helped the program reach the section finals for just the second time (Division 1A runner-up in 2016). Temecula Valley went a combined 4-52over the previous two seasons, but an injection of youthful talent helped the Golden Bears return to their winning ways and finish tied for second place in the Southwestern League standings. Jeremiah “JJ” Profit and Fabian Ruiz have impressed as freshman guards, and sophomore Liam Hodgkinson is a versatile forward who can score from anywhere on the court. Junior guard Taj Jackson is the team’s veteran floor general. Northview had to win a play-in game versus Covina to secure the Valle Vista League’s final automatic playoff berth. This marks the program’s first appearance in a section championship game. The Vikings are led by seniors Sam Orsi and Caleb Mckendrick.

Prediction: Temecula Valley 66, Northview 58 DIVISION 5A

Big Bear (24-5) vs. Firebaugh (17-11), 2p.m. Saturday at Colony HS, Ontario IE Varsity info: Big Bear has advanced to the section finals for the first time in nearly a half century. The program made back-to-back appearances in the Division 1-A championship in 1975 and 1976and finished as the runner-up both times. The Bears have won 15 consecutive games, including a 76-73victory over No. 2-seeded Notre Dame in the semifinals. Big Bear is led by junior forward Aiden Brewer, who is averaging 16.3points and 9.3rebounds per game. Brewer is a standout running back on the football team and also claimed a Division 4 section title in the 110-meter hurdles during last season’s track and field season. Junior Ryder Dolan is averaging 12.7 points and 9.6rebounds per game, and senior Levi Rufner scored 23points in the win over Notre Dame. Firebaugh knocked off top-seeded Ontario 79-50in the semifinals to reach the section finals for the first time.

Firebaugh 62,