Holiday Classic basketball tournament: Live scores, updates, highlights from Day 4 (12/30/2023)
SAN DIEGO — Welcome to Day 4 of the Holiday Classic at Torrey Pines, presented by SBLive Sports.
Saturday is the fourth and final day of the five-division, 76-team boys basketball tournament that celebrates its 33rd year. More than 20 current NBA players have played in The Holiday Classic, led by K]ay Thompson, Russell Westbrook, DeMar DeRozan and Jrue Holiday.
Day 3 featured two spirited semifinal games that advanced one local team to the finals — Carlsbad — while another, St. Augustine was taken down by a talented, battle-tested, two-time defending Texas UIL 4A champion Faith Family Academy of Dallas. Carlsbad, coming off a spirited 71-67 semifinal win over Mitty, and FFA play at 8:05 at Torrey Pines High School. Individually, Prescott's Uriah Tenette and Angel Ochoa, of St. Joseph Academy, led all scorers with 37 points apiece.
Other championship games will be covering at Torrey Pines today feature the American Division title tilt between Canyon View of Arizona and Crespi, coached by former NBA standout Derek Fisher, at 4:55 p.m. See complete schedule:
Scroll down for the latest live updates, recaps, matchups and game times.
NATIONAL DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Carlsbad 78, Faith Family Academy 69
This was more than just a tournament championship for Carlsbad's boys basketball team.
Saturday's night's 78-69 win over a highly favored Faith Family Academy of Dallas, the two-time defending state 4A champion, was a dream.
Fittingly, the Lancers gave a pretty dreamy performance to win the National (top) Division of the Holiday Classic. It was only the second time in the 33-year history of the event the Lancers won the big-boy class, joining the 2021 team.
Carlsbad hit the Eagles from the get-go, racing to an 11-0 lead, withstood a couple Texas-sized runs, but closed things out with a 15-9 run to win going away.
It was a gritty, tenacious, skilled, well-planned and executed win for the boys from the beach region.
Tournament MVP Jake Hall had 27 points, all-tournament choice Tony Duckett added 19, Jael Martin provided 11 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks and Euan Davis had 10 points.
"A lot of these players have been coming to the Holiday Classic since they were kids, not just hoping to play in it, but to play here at Torrey Pines, in the top division against the best of the best," Carlsbad coach Clark Fuller said. "Truly for them this was a dream come true."
Hall, the high-scoring 6-foot-4 wing, backed that sentiments and played like it. He and the Lancers played with passion, but also loads of poise against a team that had FFA coach Brandon Thomas thought had "found its footing," after a pair of impressive tournament wins — 60-42 over California's No. 3-ranked team JSerra Catholic and 75-55 over a red-hot St. Augustine team.
"Yeah, we knew we could get it done," Hall said. "We just bought into the coaches game plan and it came out the way we wanted it to."
Martin, a 6-9 senior who had to battle the length and skill of 6-10 Colorado-bound Doryan Onwuchekwa and 6-8 Davion Adkins at once, gave the Lancers much more than just his productive numbers.
He provided instant energy from the get-go, blocking and changing several shots and throwing down a couple of dunks. That set the tone and let the Eagles know the paint was going to be big challenge.
They missed several chippies throughout the game, including three to start the fourth quarter.
"We knew they were going to come out and underestimate us," Martin said. "It was a testament to all the hard work we put in so we had to make sure we hit first. It ended up doing us justice.
"I always come out and try to compete, but I knew today was gonna be especially important for me to come and there and show what I could do against top talent."
Hall the key was "buying into the game plan — boxing out, rebounding, pushing the ball, shooting the ball. All of the above."
It helped that two of FFA's top players fouled out, especially Isaac Williams, who led the Eagles with 21 points. He fouled out with 1:45 remaining on a 50-50 charging call. The game was still in the balance.
Without Williams and Tasheim Garry, a 6-1 guard, who had six points, the Eagles had to rely largly on Onwuchekwa, who finished with 20 points. Lamont Hartfield and Jazz Henderson added 11 points apiece.
"We had a point to prove after losing in this gym (to Montgomery (on Holiday Classic Tip-Off night)," Martin said. "We've been trying to prove ourselves and reclaim that spot as the No. 1 team in San Diego.
"This helps to put Carlsbad on the map, and telling those teams up North that we can compete with them."
Game-time notes
* Hall with two free throws, followed by 3-pointer from Onwuchekwa, makes it 75-69.
* Williams fouls out on tough charging call, 1:45 left. That's big blow for FFA.
* Jael Martin drills a 3-pointer and Carlsbad looking good. Great game, end-to-end.
* Faith Family Academy misses three straight uncontested layups to start the fourth quarter and Hall goes to bucket for another deuce. Could this be Carlsbad's night?
* This game turning into instant Classic classic. A 3-pointer by FFA's Doryan Onwuchekwa and ensuing stare-down reaction cuts Carlsbad's lead to one after three, 55-54.
* Hall heating up with three late buckets in third. He has 19 points entering the fourth.
* Carlsbad's lethal scoring wing Jake Hall promised the Lancers wouldn't change "what we do," and they didn't during a highly competitive half they controlled most of.
* Hall drilled three of his team's seven 3-pointers and had 11 points as did highly athletic guard Tony Duckett. It was the interior defense of 6-9 Jael Martin that really gave Carlsbad energy while it vaulted to leads of 11-0 and 31-21.
* The two-time defending Texas UIL 4A champion battled back behind 11 points each from Isaac Williams and Jazz Henderson.
NATIONAL DIVISION 3RD-PLACE GAME
St. Augustine 57, Mitty 55 (final)
Isaiah Hasten, known for doing the dirty work, got rewarded with the ultimate — a game-winning bucket just before the buzzer.
The 6-5 senior, an All-CIF wide receiver and defensive back, grabbed a loose ball under the basket and banked home the game winner with 0.7 seconds left in a wild and crazy finish for the Saints, who looked dead after three quarters.
Having scored just 13 points in the middle two quarters, Riverside-bound Lolo Rudolph scored nine of his 11, and Jaden Bailes tallied 13 of his game-high 24 in the fourth when St. Augustine outscored Mitty 24-14.
Hasten, the team's tallest player, finished with four points. But he had the two that counted most.
"The shot went up, the ball was on the ground and I just grabbed and shot it as soon as I could," Hasten said. "I know what my role is and I just want to do whatever it takes to win. I'm glad I helped today."
After one of six 3-pointers by Bailes, and a tough spinning bucket Rudolph, the Saints seemed to have the game sewn up 55-48 with a minute to play. But Gavin Ripp (12 points) had a 3-point play, Tyler Jones made a free throw and Nathan d'Abreu Noronha (22 points) drilled a 3-pointer with less than 10 seconds to tie the game at 55.
That set up the final sequence. Taking the ball out under its own basket, Bailes got the ball on the left baseline. As time wind down, he forced up a highly contested jumper that came up short, not drawing iron.
Hasten ripped the ball out between four players and banked it home while being fouled. He missed the free throw but it didn't matter. Mitty had no time to get a shot off.
"I've never made a game-winning shot," Hasten said. "It feels great."
Game notes: Mitty outscored the Saints 31-13 in the middle quarters to take control. A 3-point play by Bailes right before the 3Q buzzer gave St. Augustine momentum heading to fourth.
* Trailing 20-10 after one, Mitty scored 10 quick points to tie the game. Like they did on Thursday, the Monarchs responded with lockdown defense, allowing just one field goal in the second.
Ian de la Rosa, coming off a 31-point effort on Friday, led St. Augustine with 11 and Bailes added eight. Ripp had seven for Mitty in the first half and Jones and Noronha added six apiece.
American Division championship
Canyon View (Waddell, Ariz.) 75, Crespi 67
Denali McNeal exploded for 29 points and Adam Hubbard added 24 as the Jaguars (14-2) won a crazy game of surges for the championship of the American Division.
Crespi, coached by former NBA guard Derek Fisher, got 19 points by Joseph Sterling and 18 from Peyton White but had its nine-game win streak snapped. The Celts dropped to 17-2.
Canyon View watched a 12-point first-quarter lead cut to two by halftime, only to squander a 15-point third-quarter lead completely as Crespi took a 62-61 lead with 3:32 left following a dunk by White and baseline jumper from Sterling to finish off a 16-0 run.
Jaguars coach Randy Lavender, who led Centennial of Peoria to a state title, didn't particular panic. His team finished with a 14-5 surge of its own.
"We've been like that all season," Lavender said. "We're a 3-point shooting team and when we make them we're unbeatable. Then we go two or three minutes and nothing. It's a re-occurring theme with us."
Denali McNeal was unstoppable much of Canyon View's 75-67 win over Crespi at Torrey Pines High School.
Photo: Justin Fine
Quincy Kirk (12 points) answered the streak with two free throws and Hubbard drilled a 3-pointer, one of nine by the Jaguars. White answered with a bucket, but McNeal, a 6-3 guard with unlimited range, and Hubbard followed with buckets and this one was essentially done. A 3-pointr by Carter Barnes closed the gap to 71-67 with 22 seconds left, but Hubbard closed with two free throws and an uncontested layup.
"We're a deep team, we got a lot of depth so when we got down I wasn't that concerned," Lavender said.
Asked how satisfying it was to beat a former NBA player and WNBA coach.
"He can draw up whatever he can but his guys still have to execute," Lavender said with a big smile. "We've been doing this a while."
This is as animated as Derek Fisher gets on the sidelines, but Canyon View's unrelenting style definitely got the Celts fired up.
Photo: Justin Fine
In early going, the relatively unknown squad from Waddell (Ariz.) was taking it to the Celts with a lead as big as 12 in the first half. But behind eight points from White and a quick 7-0 run, Crespi climbed to within five.
McNeal had 15 points late in the first half for Canyon View. Joseph Sterling and Peyton White had 10 each for Crespi.
McNeal hit everything in third quarter to put Canyon View up 56-41. But Celts caught fire, taking a 62-61 lead with 3:32 to go on soft jumper by Sterling.
Canyon View, a fourth-year school, went 3-11, 18-9, and 21-8 in three previous season. The Jaguars can put up some points. They beat Lake Havasu 129-32 and La Jolla Country Day 107-45 in back-to-back wins Dec. 16 and 19.
All-Tournament selection Joe Sterling had a team-high 19 points.
Photo by Justin Fine, SBLive Sports
They pulled out much closer games in American Division play, knocking off Monterey Trail (75-71) and Bellarmine-San Jose (68-62). Crespi entered on a nine-game win streak after starting with an eight-game streak. Its only loss was 53-51 to Pasadena on Dec. 2.
When asked before the game how coaching at the high school level is, Fisher said: "It's going all right. The main thing is to help put smiles on the faces of these young men. Thus far they seem happy, which makes me happy."
Consolation championship
Santa Margarita 56, Torrey Pines 50
The home team, outmanned and dwarfed, absolutely took state-ranked Santa Margarita to the hilt. The Falcons, remarkably, led 29-23 at halftime, before waking the Eagles, whose stifling pressure forced numerous turnovers turned into breakaway buckets.
But Torrey Pines continues to fight back. The Eagles, thoroughly engaged, couldn't quite shake the Falcons until the very end.
Two free throws each by all-tournament selection Cameron McNamee (20 points) and DeMarco Johnson in the final 10 seconds finally put the Falcons away. Johnson, Dallas Washington and Brayden Kyman combined for 26 for the Eagles (12-4).
All-tournament selection Matin Madadkar had 13 points, Kylan Kail 11 and Tevaris Green and Zach Jackson added nine apiece.
More on this game later
Fifth place
JSerra 67, Montgomery 53 (Final)
Drew Bowman, not Sabastian Rancik or Aiden Fowler, led the Lions with 19 points, Rancik added 15 and Fowler 12 lifting JSerra (15-1) to the fifth-place title.
Montgomery (13-2) hung tough behind 16 points from Xair Mendez and 15 by JJ Sanchez, but the Lions pulled away. Bowman and all-tourney selection Fowler have combined for 40 of the 48 early in the fourth quarter keyed by back-to-back 3-pointers from Bowman and Fowler giving the Lions a 59-46 lead.
JSerra, which came in unbeaten and ranked third in the state, won three games at the tournament, beating Torrey Pines (72-45), St. Francis Prep (75-57) and losing to Faith Family Academy (60-42).
St. Edward (Ohio) 82, Bishop O'Dowd 74
The plane flight back to Ohio will be much more pleasing after Angelo Kulacz led five players in double figures with 18 points, while Max McClellan, Brian Sullivan and Joey Scarpatti added 14 in the high-scoring consolation game victory. Rickey Bussey added 11 for the winners.
Leo Chapman had 25 points including four of O'Dowd's 11 3-pointers. Teammates Tobias Aisien and Josh Green combined for 23 points.
Waxahachie 78, St. Francis Episcopal 59
After an absolutely wild first quarter than featured 60 points, Waxahachie played much better defense, allowing just 34 points the rest of the way in a consolation National Division game.
Parker Jefferson went wild with 30 points, including three 3-pointers as Waxahachie improved to 10-8. Trae Nunn added 16 and Isayah Pankey 11 for the winners. O'Marion Harvey had 15 and Nigel Walls 10 for SFE (12-10).
St. Mary's (Phoenix) 77, St. Francis Prep (New York) 74
What a way to start the day as the Arizona power took down the 9th-ranked team from New York City with contributors all around.
Cameron Williams led four players in double figures for St. Mary's (7-5) with 20 points, followed by Grand Canyon University signee Styles Phipps with 19, Kenny White 16 and Caspian Jones 12.
Vere Anthony, a terrific point guard, had 18 points, Nigel Moore with 14, Oesoemana Sacko 12 and Troy Fason 10 for SFP, which dropped to 5-4.
No lead was greater than four in the fourth quarter, which featured five ties, the last at 74-74 after Williams answered an Anthony bucket with an old-fashion three-point play, giving St. Mary's a 75-74 lead with 42 seconds left.
Phipps then made two more free throws with 14 seconds left for the final margin.
Here's complete schedule from Torrey Pines High School:
National Division consolation games
- St. Francis Prep (New York) vs. St. Mary’s (Arizona), 9 a.m.
- St. Francis Episcopal (TX) vs. Waxahachie (TX), 10:35 a.m.
- St. Edward (OH) vs. Bishop O’Dowd, 12:10 p.m.
National Division 5th place game
- JSerra vs. Montgomery, 1:45 p.m.
National Division Consolation Championship
- Torrey Pines vs. Santa Margarita, 3:20 p.m.
American Championship
- Canyon View (Arizona) vs. Crespi, 4:55 p.m.
National Division 3rd place game
- St. Augustine vs. Archbishop Mitty, 6:30 p.m.
National Division Championship game
- Faith Family Academy (TX) vs. Carlsbad, 8:05 p.m.
