rn Mission League up for grabs
With league play half over, two teams have found themselves tied at the top: Alemany (Mission Hills) and Crespi (Encino). Both teams boast 5-1 records. However, Loyola (Los Angeles) is not far behind, with a 4-2 record.
Alemany opened league play with a five-point loss to Crespi in a closely contested game. They have bounced back well, going on a six game winning streak, winning by at least 11 points in every matchup.
Crespi has the tiebreaker over Alemany, with a 56-51 win in early January. However, most of their games have been close, including a two-point victory over Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks), a 1-5 team. Junior De’Anthony Melton leads the Celts’ charge, averaging 14 points per game and 9 rebounds. Melton leads Crespi in nearly every statistical category.
Chaminade (West Hills) owns their lone victory over Crespi to an overtime thriller. Clutch free throws by Senior Michael Oguine won the game with 2.7 seconds left in OT. Oguine has played well this year, averaging 22 points and eight rebounds. Chaminade and Crespi have their rematch on Feb. 4. Chaminade looks to improve on their 3-3 record, and get their way into the playoffs in their upcoming game against Loyola (Jan. 28).
Crespi and Alemany face off Jan. 28 in a battle for first place. This game could prove to be the decision maker in the battle for the Mission League.
rnDel Rey’s got a lot left to play
In a league with Bishop Montgomery, Cathedral, and Cantwell-Sacred Heart, no team can afford to have their guard down. These three teams are all in solid position to make a run for the title, with a lot of time left to play.
Bishop Montgomery (Torrance) is 3-0 in league, with two convincing wins over Cathedral and Cantwell-Sacred Heart. They are led by the stellar player Stephen Thompson Jr., whom they have turned to time and time again when in tight spots. He scored 20 points against Cathedral, with 12 of those points coming in the fourth quarter.
Cathedral is 16-3 overall, and in the past week, has played four of the best teams in the Los Angeles area. They were edged out by Fairfax, 59-54, in a highly competitive game. Less than a week later, they had to take on Bishop Montgomery, in another close loss. Within the matter of three days, they rebounded from those two losses with impressive wins over Price (18-3), Long Beach Poly (16-3) and Cantwell-Sacred Heart (11-8).
Cathedral has been impressed with the play of juniors Milan Acquaah, who averages 18.6 points, seven rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game, and Kobe Paras, who averages nearly 17 points per game.
Cantwell-Sacred Heart lost to both Cathedral and Bishop Montgomery, but rematches are coming up in February. Cathedral will be taking on Bishop Montgomery on Feb. 4 in what is expected to be an excellent game.
