Wyatt Gardiner had a monster game of 33 points and 12 rebounds, and the Dos Pueblos defense held a potent Pasadena Poly squad to nine points in the fourth quarter en route to a 67-56 win in the championship game of the Jim Bashore Holiday Cage Classic at Carpinteria High on Monday.
Gardiner recorded a double-double in all three tournament wins for the Chargers and was named the MVP. Caleb Damron and Coulter Jay each chipped in 13 points.
The game was tight for three quaters. DP led 18-17 after the first quarter and the teams were tied at 26 at halftime. The shots started falling in the third, with the Chargers outscoring Poly 24-21 to take a 50-47 lead.
DP’s defense then took charge in the fourth quarter.
“We really stepped up defensively and took (Pasadena Poly) out of what they were trying to do and held them to nine points,” said DP coach Joe Zamora of the fourth quarter. “I was happy with the way that we took control and dictated the shots that we wanted to get.”
San Marcos 62, Mission Prep 54
Koji Hefner fed Sergio Landeros for a layup to break a 49-49 tie and start 7-0 fourth-quarter run that sparked the San Marcos boys basketball team to a 62-54 victory over host Mission Prep in the Gold Division semifinals of the Mission Prep Christmas Classic in San Luis Obispo on Monday.
The Royals will play Maranatha for the championship on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
San Marcos used its tenacious defense to force turnovers and capitalized on them. The Royals held Mission Press to one basket over four minutes in the fourth quarter and built a 60-51 lead with 1:13 to go.
A Brody Green steal led to an Aidan Conlan three-pointer and Conlan finished a fast break for a 56-49 advantage.
Mission Prep ended its drought on a floater by Colton Mott. Another turnover forced by Green led to a foul on a Conlan drive. He made one of two free throws to make it 57-51.
Mission Prep missed inside and Green scored on a pull-up in the key for an eight-point advantage with 1:42 left. Hefner stole an inbounds pass, got fouled and made a free throw for a 60-51 lead with 1:13 left.
Cole Taylor made a three for Mission Prep and San Marcos finished the scoring with a free throw by Green.