Cleveland boys basketball has ingredients to make first LA City Section Open Division playoffs
CHATSWORTH, CALIFORNIA - The Cleveland boys basketball team has the ingredients to be an LA City Section Open Division contender.
The Cavaliers, led by second-year coach Dagem Asfaw, have the pieces in heady point guard Kamari King, shooter Cayden Kelly, do-it-all wing Roman Finney, new transfer Souljah Niles, and standout freshman TJ Wansa.
All scored in double figures to help Cleveland defeated Chatsworth 83-77 on the road Monday night, moving the Cavs to 4-1 in the West Valley League which is good enough for second place behind Birmingham Charter.
Wansa scored 21 points, Cayden had 15, Niles had 14, King notched 13 and Finney added 12. Cleveland (12-7) made 12 3-pointers in the victory, including Kelly's go-ahead trey to break a 76-76 tie with under a minute to play.
Chatsworth star sophomore Alijah Arenas tallied 33 points, all in the last three quarters. Freshman Tekeio Phillips had 24 points for the Chancellors, who also could be in the Open Division, but need to finish within the top three of the West Valley League.
Chatsworth (11-12) is currently in third place at 3-2 after Monday's loss with five league games left.
Cleveland and Chatsworth have never earned a berth to the Open Division playoffs before, and with the current state of City Section basketball, potential newcomers could make noise in the 8-team field.
Both teams have challenged themselves by playing CIF Southern Section teams this season. Cleveland has played Oak Park, Calabasas, Alemany and Pasadena. Chatsworth has faced an even more challenging slate, taking on Crespi (twice), Loyola and Notre Dame from the Mission League, along with Westlake and Saugus.
There's nothing in the City Section Open Division playoffs they won't have seen before.
CITY LANDSCAPE
The three top teams in the City Section are Birmingham (12-10), King/Drew (12-8) and Grant (15-6) amid a season filled with teams not nearly as strong as years past.
The usual power programs are no longer that.
Westchester and Fairfax (3-19) are down, and Taft - the defending Open champions - is unrecognizable, after coach Derrick Taylor was dismissed and the top player for the Toreadors transferred.
Despite Westchester's 14-6 record, it lost to a Palisades team last week (48-44) that's experiencing a season that started with a mass exodus of players and the removal of a longtime coach.
MORE SCORES, JAN. 22
Birmingham 55, Granada Hills 44: Alex Dupre helped keep the Patriots unbeaten in West Valley League play with 16 points. Dylan Vo led Granada Hills with 12.
Westlake 66, Agoura 37: Dante Deshautelle had 20 points and Austin Maziasz scored 15.
Oaks Christian 88, Newbury Park 57: Stevie Amar and Stevie Prudholme each had 13 points in the win. Alex Depatie also had 13 for the Panthers.
LACES 61, Fairfax 48: Ian Hunter led LACES with 29 points (nine 3s).
Rancho Cucamonga 68, Los Osos 46: Aaron Glass once again ... leads the way with 19 points, five rebounds and four assists.
El Camino Real 65, Taft 40: Shawn Tunson had 25 points with eight 3-pointers for ECR.
Pasadena Blair 107, SOCES 78: Timmy Anderson tallied 51 points, 13 assist and four steals.
