From Staff Reports: For the second year in a row, Pasadena will get a shot in the CIF State playoffs to avenge a CIF-SS title game defeat. Last week, Chino Hills looked impressive (72-56) over PHS at APU in the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game. The Bulldogs, though, will get that chance on Tuesday night […]
From Staff Reports:
For the second year in a row, Pasadena will get a shot in the CIF State playoffs to avenge a CIF-SS title game defeat.
Last week, Chino Hills looked impressive (72-56) over PHS at APU in the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game.
The Bulldogs, though, will get that chance on Tuesday night for redemption, but before they could even think about the Huskies, they needed a second-round victory over visiting Taft.
And they did just that.
PHS defeated Taft, 75-62, Saturday night at Marshall in the CIF State Division 1 playoffs.
The Bulldogs got 68 combined points from seniors Bryce Hamilton, Tavian Percy and Darius Brown II.
Hamilton led the way with 27 points (13-23), 11 rebounds, 5 blocks and 5 steals.
Percy remained hot and finished with 21 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists on 10-of-17 shooting from the field.
Darius Brown II looked (statistically) like the DBII we’ve all become accustomed to seeing.
He finished with 18 points (7 of 13 shooting), a school-record 20 assists, 6 rebounds and 4 steals.
Darius Mason added 4 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocked shots and Omari Moore chipped in 3 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocked shots.
Laz Morris contributed 2 points, 5 rebounds and 4 blocked shots for the Pacific League champs.
PHS shot 52 percent from the field (34 of 66), and went 3 for 3 from the free-throw line.
Their only struggle offensively seemed to be a 4-of-17 effort in 3-point attempts.
Pasadena will get a second shot at Chino Hills (23-11) when they meet Tuesday night.
The Huskies will host the Bulldogs at 7 after defeating Crespi, 80-76, on Saturday night.
Last season, Harvard-Westlake earned a CIF-SS Division 1A title because they defeated PHS by 10 points.
Ten days or so later, though, the Bulldogs ended the Wolverines season with a victory on Harvard-Westlake’s own court in the CIF State semifinals.
Can PHS devise a scheme to keep Onyeka Okongwu, who scored 38 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in check?
If anyone can do it, it’s longtime PHS coach Tony Brooks.
Box Score:
Taft: 17-15-9-21-(62)
PHS: 20-18-15-22-(75)
Records:
Taft (27-10); Pasadena (25-7)
