University City beats Rancho Buena Vista for San Diego Section Division 2 basketball title
SAN MARCOS, CALIFORNIA - 13 years after University City won their first CIF boys basketball championship, the Centurions have added a second title to their collection.
University City jumped out to 16-7 lead after the opening quarter and led throughout on their way to a 72-57 victory.
"It's awesome, we worked really hard to get here," University City coach Alex Golland said. "I'm just super happy for my players, we've put a lot on them and they were amazing tonight."
The Centurions withstood a second quarter run from the Longhorns that briefly cut the lead to one. Two late buckets from University City gave them a 29-25 halftime lead.
An and-1 layup from Rancho Buena Vista star sophomore CJ Aldrich cut the lead to four in the closing seconds of the third quarter before University City point guard Ash Aka banked in a half court shot at the third quarter buzzer. The shot pushed the lead back to seven and swung the momentum back on the side of University City for the final eight minutes.
The Centurions had a response for every fourth quarter basket by the Longhorns, eventually pushing the lead to double digits.
Aka, a senior, finished with a season-high 23 points, grabbing six rebounds along the way. He knocked down four of his seven three point attempts.
Junior Dylan Griffin led the Centurions with 24 points and eight rebounds while senior forward Ben Gavani had 16 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. The duo used their size advantage throughout, disrupting many of Rancho Buena Vista's shots inside the painted area.
"(Griffin and Gavani) are the heart and soul, them and Ash Aka," Golland said of his trio that combined to score 63 of the Centurions' 72 points.
"Their size and athleticism are the game changers for us... We're lucky to have them and it's probably a big reason why we're here right now," Golland added.
Both teams have punched their ticket to the CIF State basketball playoffs with brackets set to be released on Sunday afternoon.
MISSION BAY CAPTURES DIVISION 1 TITLE
50 miles south of San Marcos, Mission Bay took on Scripps Ranch in the championship game of the Division 1 bracket at Otay Ranch High School.
The Buccaneers, runners-up in the 2023 championship game, won all four quarters on their way to a 57-43 victory over eight-seeded Scripps Ranch. The Falcons got past Francis Parker in their opening round game before going on the road and taking down top-seed Santa Fe Christian and four-seed El Camino over the past week.
The victory for Mission Bay marked the Buccaneers first title since they captured the Open Division title in 2018. Mission Bay and Scripps Ranch, along with Division 1 semifinalists San Marcos and El Camino, will see their seasons continue in next week's CIF State championship playoffs.
