TEMECULA – Rancho Christian’s gymnasium was almost standing room only Friday, Feb. 18, thanks to an overwhelming showing from AGBU fans that made the drive out from Canoga Park. For almost the first two quarters of play, in the CIF Southern Section Division 2A boys’ basketball semifinals, it almost seemed like the drive home was going to be a happy one for the AGBU fans. While the Eagles jumped out to a quick 8-0 lead, the unimaginable happened. AGBU went on a 17-4 run, taking some of the wind out of the Eagles’ sails.
That’s when Rancho Christian head coach, Ray Barefield, changed things up. The Eagles restored order after changing to a full court press mid-way through the second quarter, and never looked back. Kevin Patton Jr. dropped 27 points on AGBU, with Rodney Brows Jr. adding 18 pts for the Eagles helping their squad advance to the Division 2A finals against La Mirada with a 69-50 victory over AGBU (Canoga Park).
The La Mirada Matadores boys’ varsity basketball team is 25-8 overall and defeated Orange County’s Pacifica Christian 55-37 to advance to finals from their side of the bracket. In this next matchup, Rancho Christian, the No. 1 team from the Ivy League, will face the No. 1 team from the Gateway League. The Matadores top scorer is Julien Gomez who averages 26 points per game and 5 rebounds.
The finals will take place Saturday, Feb. 25, at a site still TBD. For more information on remaining games, or to view past results, visit www.cifss.org.
JP Raineri can be reached by email at sports@reedermedia.com.
