Pasadena 63, Keppel 48 — Chris Bridges scored 17 points, Tyler Barber got off to a hot start in the third quarter to finish with 14 second-half points and Brandon Jolley had a solid first-half contribution scoring 15 points to lead Pasadena to next week’s Division 2A championship game against top-seed Eisenhower at the Honda Center.
La Verne Lutheran 60, Pasadena Poly 42 — The second-seeded Trojans hope to get their rematch next weekend with a championship game against Windward. The tournament’s top seed played visiting Calvary Chapel of Santa Ana on Friday. The Wildcats from L.A. defeated the Trojans in last year’s 5A title game, 72-62. Lutheran won the 5AA title in 2008. If the Trojans face the Wildcats, at least one opposing coach will be in their corner: Poly’s Brad Hall. “They’re good,” he said. “I don’t know if we had played a perfect game if that would have been good enough. There’s a reason they went overtime with (Pasadena). There’s a reason they beat Eisenhower. There’s a reason they beat all these teams. They’re really good.”
Sierra Canyon 64, Renaissance Academy 57: Michael Cohen had 19 of his 31 points in the first half and Daniel Cohen added 11 points to help the No. 4 Trailblazers (22-7) hold off a late Renaissance Academy rally, securing their first trip to a division final in the program’s five-year history. The Wildcats, who are still seeking their first title, fell behind by 12 points in the first quarter, before cutting the deficit to 55-52 on a 3-pointer by Gilles Tacita with 1:41 remaining. But Jesse Howell answered with a layup for Sierra Canyon and the Cohens combined to hit four free throws down the stretch to seal the victory and a matchup with No. 2 Besant Hill oj Ojai in the final.
Kilpatrick 60, AGBU 43 Hagop Bonikian and Allen Kazangian each scored 12 points, but it wasn’t enough as AGBU’s dream season came to a stop Friday night in the semifinals of the Division 6A playoffs. AGBU (17-5) made its first playoff appearance a memorable one. The International League champion became the third Armenian school ever to make the semifinals, following Mesrobian in 2003 and Pilibos in 2007. “It’s been an exciting run,” AGBU coach Vic Karapetian said. “We’re proud of the students. To do what we’ve done in a two-year span and this being our second year in sports is something we’re definitely proud of.” AGBU trailed only 38-24 at the half, but Kilpatrick’s (12-10) length and size proved to be the difference.
