Mayfair’s William Morehand, his teammates and the crowd watch his 3-pointer go in in the 4th qtr in Lakewood, CA on Friday, February 21, 2014. 2nd half. Mayfair vs Chaminade in the opening round of the CIF-SS Open Division boys basketball tournament. Mayfair won 72-64.
(Photo by Scott Varley)
Mayfair vs. Torrey Pines
So after getting routed by Mater Dei in the quarterfinals of the Open Division, Mayfair found themselves getting bumped down to the Division I bracket. No problem. They are the highest seeded area team (No. 4), a testament to how highly the CIF committees thinks of the Monsoons.
This team plays with a chip on its shoulder and I think getting handled by the Monarchs at home has just made that chip bigger. The team has had time to think about that loss and fix what went wrong. I guarantee you that the team is chomping at the bit to get at Torrey Pines.
And I’m sure senior Dillon Reise is determined to have a much better outing after fouling out in the third quarter with just 11 points. Mayfair might come out slow, shaking off some rust of a long layover, but I think with the dynamic Kendall Small and a motivated Monsoons team, the Falcons are in for a long game.
Prediction: Mayfair 65 Torrey Pines 52
La Mirada at Fresno
This is easily the toughest matchup to pick in the first round. La Mirada has to go on the road (nearly four hours away) and Fresno won a CIF Championship. This will also be the first time the Matadores had ever made the State bracket. Will their nerves get the best of them?
It goes without saying that the Matadores also need to shut down Fresno’s star Daryl Edwards and his 23 points per game. And La Mirada needs BOTH Kendall Lauderdale and sophomore Vittorio Reynoso-Avila to have another big game. I don’t know if they can leave Fresno if one is completely shut down.
Prediction: La Mirada 67 Fresno 62
Lynwood vs. Palisades
The Lady Knights are in the same boat at Mayfair. They went 1-2 in the Open Division and got bumped down to the Division I bracket. Like the Mayfair, I’m sure Lynwood is anxious to get on the court again and get the bad taste of the loss out of their mouths. Something tells me they are going to come out with some fire in the first round.
Head coach Ellis Barfield has told me time and time again this season, he’s still waiting for the girls to peak and find that chemistry. Will they get it going for another State championship run? I don’t know, but I’m willing to bet they handle business against Palisades.
Prediction: Lynwood 59 Palisades 43
