Athenian boys wins first California championship, beats Verdugo Hills: Live update recap
SACRAMENTO — Who, who are the Owls of Athenian.
They are state champions.
Evan Lucas had 20 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists leading North Coast Section representative from Danville to a 67-49 CIF Division 5 boys championship win over Verdugo Hills.
Surya Devasenapathy added 15 points and five rebounds and Teni Salako added 13 rebounds and eight points for the Owls (28-8), making their first state appearance.
Jabez Agustin had 15 points, Alexander Martinez 12 and George Abdulnour 11 for Verdugo Hills (27-9), also making their first state title-game appearance.
PREGAME:
The 2024 California (CIF) boys and girls high school basketball state championships have arrived. All 12 state championship games will be played at Golden 1 Center, the home of the Sacramento Kings.
The CIF State championship games continue Friday at noon with the Division V boys basketball matchup between Verdugo Hills and Athenian.
You can follow live updates of Verdugo Hills vs. Athenian on SBLive, including real-time score updates, game highlights and much more. You can also watch the game live on the NFHS Network.
(Refresh for the latest updates)
4TH QUARTER UPDATES
Athenian 67, Verdugo Hills 49: Final
Athenian 65, Verdugo Hills 49: Both teams emptying the bench.
3RD QUARTER UPDATES
Athenian 52, Verdugo Hills 37 (end of 3): Lucas is up to 20 points, Athenian eight minutes away from first state title.
Athenian 38, Verdugo Hills 29 (4:41): Layups from Jabez Agustin and Georges Abdulnour leads a 9-2 run for VH to forces a timeout by Athenian.
2ND QUARTER UPDATES
Athenian 36, Verdugo Hills 20 (halftime): Lucas has 15 points as the Owls finish half on a 9-0 run to take 16-point lead into the third quarter. Athenian's 14 of 27 shooting (51 percent) compared to 8-for-31 for VH is the difference through 16 minutes.
Athenian 26, Verdugo Hills 17 (4:26): A quick 5-0 run forces Athenian to call timeout and Lucas responds with a pair of 3-pointers and a fastbreak bucket. He's already up to 14 points.
1ST QUARTER UPDATES:
Athenian 18, Verdugo Hills 12: End of first quarter.
Athenian 12, Verdugo Hills 8: Evan Lucas scores three quick buckets for the Owls who take quick lead. Both teams making shots, looking sharp.
HOW TO WATCH CIF STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
Can't make it to a game but still want to watch your favorite team play live? You can watch the CIF State high school basketball championship games live on the NFHS Network:
To get live updates on your phone — as well as follow your favorite teams and top games — you can download the SBLive Sports app:
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SBLive Sports is an official digital content partner of the CIF and a member of the Sports Illustrated Media Network.
