Basketball: Six teams advance in SoCal Regionals

Threernboys’ and three girls’ basketball teams from local Catholic schools won theirrnfirst-round games March 7 in the Southern California Regional Playoffs, part ofrnthe CIF State Basketball Tournament.

Crespi,rnBishop Amat and St. Anthony advanced to round 2 in the boys’ playoffs, whilernSerra, Alemany and Bishop Montgomery did likewise on the girls’ side. St. JohnrnBosco also gained entry to the boys’ second round with a first-round bye, whilernSanta Margarita’s first-round boys’ game was delayed until March 8.

ThernOpen Division brackets in boys’ and girls’ basketball commences play March 9.rnThe boys’ tournament games feature No. 1 Mater Dei vs. No. 8 Fairfax, and No. 3rnBishop Montgomery vs. No. 6 Mission Bay. The girls’ Open Division finds No. 7rnMater Dei vs. No. 2 Clovis West.

Allrnregional semifinals are March 13, regional finals March 17, and state finalsrnMarch 23 and 24.

Girls’rnRegionals

Threernof the four Catholic teams in Division 1 advanced to the second round on Marchrn10 with first-round victories, highlighted by Alemany’s come-from-behind 53-47rnwin over West Torrance. The 10th-seeded Warriors, trailing by four entering thernfourth quarter, outscored West Torrance 16-6 to pull away and earn the right tornmeet second-seeded Serra of Gardena, a 72-41 conqueror of Eagle Rock.

Top-seededrnBishop Montgomery outlasted El Camino Real 63-56, and will face eighth-seededrnGranada Hills Charter, which beat Chaminade 49-38.

InrnDivision IV first-round action, Immanuel beat Providence/Burbank 75-36. InrnDivision  V, Gardena beat St. Pius X-St.rnMatthias 46-33, and Porterville defeated Santa Clara 59-50.

Boys’rnRegionals

Inrnfirst-round Division I action, third-seeded Crespi beat Bakersfield 72-53, andrnwill play sixth-seeded Chino Hills in round 2. Top-seeded St. John Bosco (1)rnmeets ninth-seeded Long Beach Poly, and the Santa Margarita-Rancho Verde winnerrnplays fourth-seeded Rancho Christian.

InrnDivision III, fifth-seeded St. Anthony downed Buena 76-53, and 10th-seededrnBishop Amat outscored Twenty-Nine Palms 82-75. St. Anthony plays fourth-seededrnKnight, and Bishop Amat takes on second-seeded University in round 2.

InrnDivision IV, King-Drew beat St. Bonaventure 60-50, and in Division V it wasrnDuarte 81, St. Monica Academy 32.