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BELLFLOWER >> The Damien boys hoops squad is already being mentioned arsenic a CIF Southern Section Open Division candidate. But if the squad continues to play similar this, the Spartans could rapidly spell from campaigner to favorite, oregon astatine slightest 1 of them.
Damien faced its biggest situation of this young play against St. John Bosco, different Open Division candidate, and passed with a large 67-47 triumph to seizure the Bosco Winter Classic title connected Saturday night.
“I’m truly pleased with however we played this week,” said Damien manager Mike LeDuc, who earned vocation triumph No. 998. “It was a bully week for us.”
Damien (12-0) romped done the tourney with 4 wins by astatine slightest 16 points. Damien took attraction of Gahr 65-33 successful the archetypal round, Long Beach Poly 76-46 successful the quarterfinals, Fairmont Prep 68-52 successful the semifinals and past a 20-point triumph implicit the Braves (8-2).
LeDuc had talked astir wanting his squad to get amended and said it did against a pugnacious St. John Bosco squad.
“Today we had to woody with things we ne'er had to woody with before,” LeDuc said. “(St. John Bosco) plays specified large defence and they’re truthful physical. We had to woody with that without having immoderate preparation. And I deliberation that was truly good. You benignant of dread going into that but aft you person a bully crippled it was truly bully for us.”
🚨🚨 Final 🚨🚨
🏀 Tournament 🏀
📍@StJohnBoscoHS
🆚 St John Bosco
Final
Damien. 67
SJB. 47
High scorer @rj_smith5 22 pts tourney MVP
All tourney
Jimmy Oladokun @kalebsmithh03 @SpiveyWord @latsondheimer @FrankieBur @SGVNSports @210PrepSports pic.twitter.com/UpkQDdjc8t
— Damien Basketball (@DamienBasketba1) December 12, 2021
Damien was led by tourney MVP R.J. Smith, who had 22 points, and all-tournament selections Spivey Word, who scored 19 points, and Jimmy Oladokun, who contributed 17 points and 8 rebounds.
Smith, a senior, said it felt large to triumph the MVP grant and credited his teammates for the honor.
“I enactment each the spot successful my guys,” Smith said of this teammates. “We play arsenic a squad and I couldn’t bash this without them.”
“(Smith) is simply a notch above,” LeDuc said. “He’s peculiar successful each way. Having had him present for 4 years, helium gets it. He gets each portion of the game. He’s truthful respected by his teammates. I person a person retired determination connected the level each clip he’s connected the court.”
Damien trailed the Braves 13-12 astatine the extremity of the archetypal 4th earlier a second-quarter surge. Damien went connected a 9-2 tally to drawback a 21-17 lead. The Spartans pushed that pb up to seven, 29-22, erstwhile Oladokun deed 2 layups and a escaped throw. Damien past took a 32-22 pb erstwhile Smith deed a 3.
Damien led 32-24 astatine halftime earlier Smith and Word took implicit successful the 3rd quarter. They scored 13 of the team’s 18 points successful the 4th to propulsion an eight-point pb up to 14 astatine 50-36. Smith opened the 4th by burying a 3. Word aboriginal scored 9 consecutive points for Damien. He deed back-to-back 3s and a one-handed floating jumper that enactment Damien up 44-32.
“(Word) improves each day,” LeDuc said. “He was truly bully past twelvemonth too. He’s a dynamic defender. He’s explosive offensively. He’s a tremendous competitor.”
Word, Smith and Oladokun slammed the doorway unopen successful the 4th fourth connected immoderate imaginable St. John Bosco comeback. Word deed a 3 to enactment Damien up 53-39. Smith nailed a 3 from the baseline astir 30 seconds aboriginal midway done the play to propulsion Damien’s pb to 58-41. Oladokun past deed a step-back 3 a abbreviated clip aboriginal to enactment Damien up 61-41.
The crippled was carnal and Damien had a fewer players get into foul trouble. Damien starters Bradley Xie and Kaleb Smith picked up 2 fouls successful the archetypal quarter. Oladokun and Elijah Brown picked up their 4th fouls aboriginal successful the 4th quarter.
Foul occupation though, arguably, wounded St. John Bosco more. The team’s starring scorer this season, Christian Estrada, picked up 3 fouls successful the archetypal fractional and past fouled retired aboriginal successful 3rd 4th with lone 2 points.
Freshman Kade Bonam, who led the Braves with 19 points, besides picked up 3 fouls successful the archetypal fractional and played the full 4th fourth with 4 fouls.
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