Chino Hills 105, Sierra Canyon 83
By Dave Rogahn
LiAngelo Ball scored 29 points, freshman Lamelo Ball scored 26 and McDonald’s All-American selection Lonzo Ball posted a triple-double with 22 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists as #1-in-the-nation Chino Hills raced past Sierra Canyon in the championship game of the CIF-SS Open Division before a massive crowd at Honda Center.
It was perhaps the most-anticipated CIF title game in decades with unbeaten Chino Hills (31-0) taking on a Sierra Canyon squad that was unbeaten in Southern California this season.
The NBA-sized Honda Center was about three-fourths full for the game (attendance for the day was 18,278, and at least half the seats in the upper level, seldom used for HS events, were occupied).
The game was also televised regionally, as the Huskies and the brothers Ball went after, incredibly, the first section championship in school history against the defending state Division V champion Trailblazers.
It had the build-up of a heavyweight championship boxing match.
But in terms of the game itself, it did resemble a heavyweight fight, specifically the one in which Mike Tyson knocked out Michael Spinks in 1988 in which the champion knocked out the challenger in 91 seconds.
Chino Hills actually needed 118 seconds to take control, jumping out to a quick 9-0 lead. That led to a timeout by Sierra Canyon (29-4), a luxury Spinks did not have available to him in 1988.
But when play resumed the Ball show continued, as the lead ballooned to 20-4 by the halfway point of the first quarter after a steal and 3-pointer by Lonzo.
After that, the outcome was basically decided but the show continued. Chino Hills led by at least 16 points the rest of the way and was never threatened.
Elizjah Scott threw down a mighty dunk, the 5-10 Lamelo Ball made three 3-pointers and Lonzo posted the triple double, something he does quite regularly.
And the Huskies topped the 100-point mark for the 16th time this season and the 4th time in 4 playoff games this spring.
LiAngelo finished with a game-high 29 points, including 3 three-pointers, plus 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals. Lamelo had 26 points, including 3 threes, plus 3 assists and 4 steals.
Lonzo had 22 points, game-highs of 18 rebounds and 11 assists, and also 4 blocked shots and 3 steals as the UCLA-bound brothers combined for 77 points themselves.
Scott had 12 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists despite battling foul trouble much of the game.
Freshman Onyeka Okongwu had 12 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and a game-high 5 blocked shots.
For Sierra Canyon – an outstanding team, though reduced to the role of the Washington Generals on this night – Remy Martin had team-highs of 26 points and 9 assists plus 7 rebounds and 3 steals.
University of Nevada-bound Devearl Ramsey had 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 6 steals.
Adam Seiko had 14 points and 5 rebounds, and Cody Riley had 13 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocked shots after a scoreless first quarter.
Both teams advance to the state playoff Open Division, where Chino Hills is expected to be the top seed. Sierra Canyon just might get another shot at the Huskies at some point in the next two weeks.
Box Score
CIF-SS Open Division Championship
Honda Center, Anaheim
Saturday, March 6, 2016 – 6:30 pm
Sierra Canyon Trailblazers 83:
1-Remy Martin, PG – 10/18 fg, 5/6 ft, 7 reb, 9 ast, 3 stl, 1 pf, 26 pts
2-Cody Riley, C – 6/14 fg, 1/5 ft, 7 reb, 1 ast, 3 blk, 3 pf, 13 pts
3-Terrance McBride, SF – 3/7 fg, 2/2 ft, 2 reb, 1 stl, 2 pf, 9 pts
4-Devearl Ramsey, SG – 7/22 fg, 1/2 ft, 5 reb, 4 ast, 6 stl, 4 pf, 15 pts
5-Adam Seiko, PF – 6/12 fg, 5 reb, 1 stl, 4 pf, 14 pts
13-Michael Feinberg, F – 2/6 fg, 7 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 5 pf, 4 pts
33-Joe Wallace, G – 1/2 fg, 1 pf, 2 pts
11-Kohl Hollinquest, G – 1 reb, 1 ast, 0 pts
team rebounds: 7
Totals: 35/81 fg (.432), 9/15 ft (.600), 41 reb, 16 ast, 3 blk, 13 stl, 20 pf, 83 pts
3-pt fg (4): Seiko 2, Martin, McBride
Fouled Out: Feinberg 3:38 left
Turnovers (20): Riley 6, Martin 5, Ramsey 3, McBride 2, Seiko 2, Feinberg 2
Chino Hills Huskies 105:
0-Elizjah Scott, SF – 5/7 fg, 2/4 ft, 8 reb, 8 ast, 1 stl, 4 pf, 12 pts
1-Lamelo Ball, SG – 11/17 fg, 1/2 ft, 2 reb, 3 ast, 4 stl, 26 pts
2-Lonzo Ball, PG – 8/13 fg, 5/6 ft, 18 reb, 11 ast, 4 blk, 3 stl, 3 pf, 22 pts
3-LiAngelo Ball, PF – 11/27 fg, 4/12 ft, 6 reb, 2 ast, 4 stl, 2 pf, 29 pts
21-Onyeka Okongwu, C – 6/12 fg, 0/1 ft, 11 reb, 2 ast, 5 blk, 2 stl, 5 pf, 12 pts
20-Cameron Shelton, G – 1/4 fg, 2 reb, 1 pf, 2 pts
5-Andre Ball, F – 1 reb, 1 pf, 0 pts
13-Nicholas Manor Hall, G – 1/1 fg, 1 reb, 2 pts
22-Grant Trueman, F – 0/2 fg, 0 pts
24-Adam Vazquez, F – 0 pts
team rebounds: 7
Totals: 43/83 fg (.518), 12/24 ft (.500), 56 reb, 26 ast, 9 blk, 14 stl, 16 pf, 105 pts
3-pt fg (7): Lamelo Ball 3, LiAngelo Ball 3, Lonzo Ball
Fouled Out: Okongwu 1:48 left
Turnovers (19): Lamelo Ball 5, Lonzo Ball 4, LiAngelo Ball 3, Scott 2, Okongwu 2, Shelton 2, Ball
Score by Quarters:
Sierra Canyon---08-18-25-32 = 83
Chino Hills-----26-23-21-35 = 105
Updated Records: Chino Hills 31-0, Sierra Canyon 29-4
Chino Hills jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the first 1:58, led 22-4 midway through the 1st quarter and by at least 16 the rest of the way.
