NEWS AND NOTES FROM PRESS ROW-Valley Christian boys basketball comes up short against Dominguez

November 27, 2024

By Loren Kopff • @LorenKopff on X

BELLFLOWER-The Valley Christian High boys basketball team had every opportunity to get blown out by Dominguez High in the St. John Bosco Braves Varsity Tip-Off Classic last Saturday but didn’t. The Defenders also had every opportunity to knock off the Dons but didn’t.

V.C. trailed by seven points twice in the first quarter, rallied to take a lead early in the second quarter, trailed by nine points in the third and were tied with less than two minutes remaining in the contest. A free throw from Jordan Richardson with 39.7 seconds left turned out to be the game winner in a 61-60 Dominguez win, dropping the Defenders to their third straight loss to begin the season.

After Dominguez scored the first seven points of the game and had a 9-2 lead with 4:45 left in the first quarter, the Defenders went on a 14-7 run to tie the game late in the stanza. Sophomore Carson Smith would open the second quarter scoring with a three-pointer and a basket in the first 70 seconds to put the Defenders in front for the first time. There would be four more ties and one more lead change before halftime with neither team leading by more than four points. By halftime, the Dons would hold a 31-29 advantage, which would balloon to a 50-41 lead late in the third quarter.

A steal and basket from senior Bryce Shepherd began the fourth quarter and started a 13-3 run which put the maroon and gold up by five points with 3:41 left to play. But the Defenders missed their last eight shots of the game.

“We just came out with a little more energy, especially in that fourth quarter,” said V.C. head coach Dijon Thompson.

Kingston Smith gave Dominguez the lead with 2:39 left but Shepherd tied the game with his free throw. It would be the fourth missed free throw for V.C. in the game, all coming in the last 3:41. Junior Nathan Maurer led the Defenders with 15 points and four steals while senior Vladimir Prokopiv scored 13 points and Shepherd added 10 points and six rebounds. This was the first meeting with Dominguez in at least 27 seasons as V.C. will travel to Mesrobian High on Friday and Sage Hill High on Tuesday.

“It’s a good opportunity to play against an historical high school basketball team and lose by one point,” said Thompson. “In the last few games, I think we’ve beaten ourselves. So, it’s just coming together as a team and executing.”

In other boys basketball action, Artesia High (2-0) is hosting its tournament this week while Cerritos High has lost its first three games by an average of 35 points. But those losses have come to Cypress High, Mayfair High and Sierra Canyon High. The Dons will host Western High on Friday and face La Serna High on Tuesday at the Intuit Dome.

Norwalk High is off to a strong start, winning their first three games as it will face Brea Olinda High on Monday in the first round of the Garden Grove Tournament while Whitney High (4-2) is in the Rancho Alamitos Tournament this week before hosting Savanna High on Tuesday, Valencia High on Wednesday and Orange High on Thursday.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Cerritos has won its first two games, including a 64-36 win over Irvine High this past Tuesday in pool play action of the Corona Del Mar Tip-Off Classic, which goes through Saturday.

After losing its first two games, Gahr High has even its record after four games as the Gladiators will travel to Westminster High on Monday and Bell Gardens High on Thursday while La Mirada High went 1-3 in its first tournament the program has hosted. The Matadores will go to Costa Mesa High on Wednesday.

Norwalk will face Cantwell Sacred Heart of Mary High on Monday and Rowland High on Tuesday in the yearly Glenn-Norwalk Varsity Classic. All games will be at Glenn, which will not be one of the 12 teams in the tournament.

V.C. went 1-3 in the Oxford Academy Tournament and will host its tournament next week while Whitney (2-1) will host Pacifica Christian High of Orange County on Wednesday before facing Golden Valley High out of Merced on Thursday in the first game of its tournament.