In a surprise, Notre Dame is dropped to Division 1
The Mission League will be well-represented in the CIF Southern Section boys basketball playoffs, as all eight teams made the postseason.
But there was a big shock Sunday as Notre Dame was omitted from the Open Division.
Instead, Notre Dame was named the top seed in the Division 1 bracket and will start its CIF-SS playoff journey on the road against Crean Lutheran. Notre Dame defeated Crean Lutheran 63-51 in the State Preview Classic on Jan. 20.
The Knights had an undefeated record going until they lost their last three games of the regular season. The first loss was to Sierra Canyon in a game in which they held a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter, followed by a loss to Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas, but they were without their starting backcourt of Mercy Miller and Lino Mark.
Notre Dame lost to Harvard-Westlake, a team it had beaten two weeks prior, on Wednesday in the semifinals of the Mission League Tournament.
The Wolverines came away victorious against Crespi in the tournament championship game on Friday and earned the No. 1 seed in the Open Division.
Harvard-Westlake won the State Open championship last year but missed out on winning the Southern Section Open Division title.
“Our goal at the start of the season was to win all three. Last year we won two out of three, we didn't win CIF, so this year that's what we're aiming for,” Harvard-Westlake senior Christian Horry said after Friday's win. “Monday we get back to work, start practicing and focusing on CIF.”
Sierra Canyon joins Harvard-Westlake in the Open Division. The Trailblazers are the only boys basketball team that has made the CIF-SS Open Division playoffs every year since its inception.
Sierra Canyon and Harvard-Westlake are grouped in Pool A and will play each other along with last year's Open Division champions Centennial and runner-up St. John Bosco.
The Trailblazers beat Harvard-Westlake and Notre Dame in the regular season but fell to Crespi in an upset in the Mission League Tournament semifinals.
West Ranch, an Open Division team last year, joins Notre Dame in the top half of the Division 1 bracket and will take on Edison at home in the first round Wednesday. West Ranch and Edison had one common opponent this season, Heritage Christian, which beat both teams.
Village Christian and St. Francis are also in the Division 1 bracket. Village Christian, the No. 3 finisher in the Olympic League, will play Etiwanda, last year's Division 1 champ, on the road.
St. Francis, representing the Mission League, will head to Orange County to play Pacifica Christian, the San Joaquin League champion.
Division 2AA is arguably the most loaded division in the playoffs, with multiple local teams capable of going the distance.
Crespi earned the No. 1 seed and will host Maranatha, a team it beat 7344 in December. Sophomore Joe Sterling had 29 points in the victory.
Thousand Oaks, the Marmonte League cochamp, could see Crespi in the quarterfinals but will have to go through King first.
“Beyond excited more than anything just to get an extra opportunity to be on our court with my guys,” Thousand Oaks coach Logan Baltau said. “This is such a great group of kids who have worked so hard and love each other and playing with each other.”
“Winning our first Marmonte League title in a decade was a blessing of its own. We could call it a great season there. Now we have to just honor each extra game with a genuine gratefulness to play and see where it takes us.”
Heritage Christian, the undefeated Olympic League champions, earned a bye in the first round of the Division 2AA playoffs and will take on the winner between Shalhevet and Calabasas. Calabasas lost to Shalhevet 53-44 when the teams met in the middle of December.
Coastal Canyon League champion Oak Park will host Diamond Bar and Loyola will face La Serna on the road.
Foothill League champion Saugus gets a home game in the first round against Valley Christian and will play the winner between second-place Gold Coast League finisher Campbell Hall and Simi Valley.
The CIF Southern Section released the girls basketball playoff brackets Sunday. Sierra Canyon was placed in the Open Division, while many other schools from the Daily News coverage area will be competing for a championship in their respective divisions. The Open Division playoffs will be conducted in a tournament style, with the eight selected teams separated into two pools. The final will be held Feb. 23 at California Baptist University. All other divisions begin play Thursday. All game times are slated for 7 p.m.
No. 8 Orangewood Academy at No. 1 Sierra Canyon
No. 5 Sage Hill at
No. 4 Mater Dei
No. 5 Sage Hill at
No. 1 Sierra Canyon
No. 8 Orangewood Academy at No. 4 Mater Dei
No. 4 Mater Dei at
No. 1 Sierra Canyon
No. 8 Orangewood Academy at No. 5 Sage Hill
Pool B
Saturday's games
No. 7 Centennial at
No. 2 Etiwanda
No. 6Bishop Montgomery at No. 3Ontario Christian Wednesday, Feb. 14
No. 6Bishop Montgomery at No. 2 Etiwanda
No. 7 Centennial at
No. 3Ontario Christian
No. 3Ontario Christian at No. 2 Etiwanda
No. 7 Centennial at
No. 6Bishop Montgomery
Oxnard (Channel No. 3) at Village Christian (Olympic No. 1)
Chaminade (Mission No. 2) at Long Beach Poly (Moore No. 1)
Canyon (Foothill No. 2) at Orange Lutheran (Trinity No. 2) Harvard-Westlake (Mission No. 3) at Hart (Foothill No. 1)
Los Osos (Baseline No. 2) at Westlake (Marmonte No. 1) Calabasas (Marmonte No. 2) at Flintridge Prep (Prep No. 1)
Campbell Hall (Gold Coast No. 3) at Louisville (Angelus No. 1)
Notre Dame (Mission atlarge) at Trinity Classical Academy (Heritage No. 1) Paloma Valley (Ivy No. 2) at Burroughs (Pacific No. 2)
Oak Park (Coastal Canyon No. 1) BYE
Valencia (Foothill No. 4) at La Cañada (Rio Hondo No. 2) Glendale (Pacific No. 3T) at Summit (Sunkist No. 2) Saugus (Foothill No. 3) at Irvine (Pacific Hills No. 2)
Simi Valley (Coastal Canyon No. 3) at Gabrielino (Mission Valley No. 1)
Heritage Christian (Olympic No. 3) at St. Monica Prep (Camino Real No. 1T)
Newbury Park (Marmonte No. 3) at Edgewood (Miramonte No. 2)
West Ranch (Foothill No. 5) at Patriot (River Valley No. 2)
— Haley Sawyer