Centennial too strong for Sierra Canyon in Open duel
CORONA >> Centennial boys basketball coach Josh Giles was looking for the right moment to put starting point guard Mike Price back into the game.
The Huskies were rolling with Robert “B.J.” Taylor on the floor, however, so Giles decided not to make any changes to his lineup down the stretch.
And Taylor rewarded his coach’s faith in him by sinking a momentum-changing 3-pointer to give the Huskies the lead with 2:28 left on the clock. Taylor’s fourthquarter effort at both ends helped the Huskies edge Sierra Canyon 68-63 in a CIF Southern Section Open Division pool-play game Friday evening.
“B.J. has had two knee surgeries since he’s been here and has had to overcome a lot,” Giles said. “He’s a great kid who always puts in a tremendous effort when he gets the opportunity to play. For him to step up in a big game like this one tonight, I was extremely excited to see him come through.
“And I have to give a lot of credit to Mike. He was a great teammate who understood the situation and said we should stick with what we had out there.”
Centennial (26-3) held a double-digit lead at halftime, but Sierra Canyon’s Ashton Hardaway scored 10 points in the third quarter to help the Trailblazers get back in the game. Sierra Canyon (20-8) took a brief lead and only trailed 45-44 heading to the final quarter despite Hardaway and Bronny James both picking up their fourth fouls in the third period.
Hardaway sank a 28-footer to tie the score at 53 and drained another shot from behind the arc to give Sierra Canyon a 56-55 lead with 2:47 to play.
On the ensuing possession, Aaron McBride drove to the basket and was double-teamed. McBride kicked the ball to Taylor, who nailed a 3 in the corner.
“I was just looking to help my team win,” said Taylor, a senior guard. “When I saw my defender help, I knew I had to be ready to take a shot.”
Centennial, the two-time defending champion of the Open Division, led 62-58 with about a minute to play, but James sank a 3-pointer in the corner to bring Sierra Canyon back within a point. James nearly tied the game with 17 seconds left, but his 3-pointer was just off target.
Jared McCain sank four free throws and Taylor added two more from the stripe in the closing seconds to seal the nail-biting victory for the Huskies.
“We’re trying to do something nobody else has done,” Giles said, referring to his team’s quest to become the first team to win three straight Open Division titles. “We know the road is not going to be easy . ... Credit to Sierra Canyon. They played great and really made us work hard for this one.”
Taylor was not the only unsung hero for Centennial on Friday evening, as Eric Freeny recorded a doubledouble with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
“I think Freeny is the best player in the state that many people haven’t heard of,” Giles said of the junior guard. “He has had monster games for us in some big games. He always draws a tough defensive assignment and he plays bigger than he is. Eric always works his butt off.”
Sierra Canyon got off to a strong start, as James banked in a 3-pointer and then scored on a layup to help the Trailblazers grab a 14-6 lead.
Freeny drained a 3-pointer to kickstart Centennial’s offense, and the Huskies outscored Sierra Canyon 30-10 the remainder of the first half.
“We tightened things up on defense, and that helped get things going on offense,” Freeny said. “We just had to relax and start playing our game.”
McCain finished with a game-high 22 points and also had eight rebounds, while McBride added 16 points and seven rebounds for the Huskies. Centennial will host Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (21-9) on Tuesday night. Notre Dame knocked off Bishop Montgomery 71-63 in its poolplay opener.
Hardaway scored 18 of his team-high 21 points in the second half to lead the way for Sierra Canyon. James finished the night with 16 points, and Jimmy Oladokun had eight points and a game-high 10 rebounds for the Trailblazers. Sierra Canyon travels to Bishop Montgomery on Tuesday.