LA HABRA – La Habra’s boys basketball team won a CIF championship, went undefeated in the Freeway League and won 21 games in a row largely because the Highlanders avoided extended scoring lapses.
That changed Thursday. La Habra hit a lengthy rough patch in a 62-55 loss to King/Drew of Los Angeles in a CIF Southern California Regional Division II playoff game at La Habra High.
The Highlanders had a 46-43 lead with 3:33 to go in the fourth quarter. King/Drew then went on a 10-0 run to take the lead and the momentum that the Golden Eagles would not relinquish.
Thus ended a season of high achievements for the team.
The Highlanders went 30-4 overall and won the CIF Southern Section Division 3AA championship, the first CIF championship and first CIF championship game appearance in the sport for the school that opened in 1954.
Their win over Cathedral Catholic of San Diego on Tuesday was the school’s first regional win for the boys basketball team.
The Highlanders had no seniors in their starting lineup Thursday.
King/Drew (21-11) won the CIF Los Angeles City Section Open Division championship last week. The Golden Eagles will play at Centennial of Bakersfield (26-7) in the regional semifinals Saturday.
Junior guard Grayson Sinek again was the Highlanders’ leading scorer Thursday. He scored 28 points. He made six 3-pointers and added a few slashing drives.
Highlanders junior guard Jaedon Anderson scored 12 points on four 3-pointers and had eight rebounds. Sophomore point guard Acen Jimenez scored 10 points.
King/Drew also is a team led by non-seniors. Junior guard Donald Thompson scored in a variety of ways as he compiled 25 points and made four 3-pointers.
Thompson scored 20 points Tuesday when King/Drew beat Marina in the regional first round.
“He’s the real deal,” King/Drew coach Lloyd Webster said of Thompson. “He’s an underclassman. He needs some (college) offers.”
Golden Eagles sophomore guard Jayshawn Kibble scored 20 points and made four 3s. Kibbler scored nine points in the fourth quarter.
La Habra took a 42-37 lead into the fourth quarter. The Golden Eagles caught up at 46-46 on a Thompson free throw with 2:34 remaining.
Kibble made a 14-foot jump shot to put King/Drew on top 48-46 and followed with a three-point play for a 51-46 lead.
A Highlanders turnover led to a Josahn Webster fastbreak layup to make it 53-46 with 1:22 left. Jimenez scored for La Habra to end the King/Drew run.
Then came a series of free throws for King/Drew. The Golden Eagles were 9 of 11 at the line in the final 57 seconds of the contest.
La Habra made only 5 of its 17 fourth-quarter shots, was 2 of 11 on 3-point tries in the quarter and made three turnovers that King/Drew converted into points.
KingDrew did not make a turnover in the fourth quarter. The Golden Eagles were 6 of 10 on all shots and 3 of 4 on 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.
La Habra coach Aaron Riekenberg lamented the Highlanders’ fourth-quarter struggles.
“We have a great group of kids that find a way to get over those rough sports,” Riekenberg said. “It’s a difficult game at this time of year.
“And credit those (King/Drew) guards. They just made one great play after another.”
School enthusiasm for CIF SoCal Regional basketball usually is not as high as it is during the pursuit of a CIF-SS championship. But La Habra’s gym was packed and loud Thursday.
“I’m so proud of being part of this community,” Riekenberg said. “I’m so proud to coach these boys that almost as a whole group I’ve got coming back. They way they showed out for this community and made history, not just going to the finals but winning in the finals.
“It’s been an amazing year and we didn’t want it to end.”
