HS HOOPS: Campbell Hall eliminates Rosamond in SoCal Regional
Campbell Hall High of North Hollywood basketball was the hottest ticket in town Tuesday, as about 800 spectators crowded the tiny gymnasium to see star Jrue Holiday and the Vikings against visiting Rosamond in the first round of the Southern California Div. IV Regionals.
If you weren’t there early, you didn’t get in, as about 150 were left standing outside – but they could still hear the hooting and hollering as Holiday put on a show in an 85-22 victory.
The 6-foot-4, UCLA-bound senior scored 26 points with 12 rebounds, six assists, four blocks and three steals, becoming only the second player in area history to surpass 2,600 career points. In four seasons, Holiday has 2,605 points, trailing only Mitchell Butler, who scored 2,682 points for Oakwood of North Hollywood from 1986 to 1989.
With as many as three games remaining if defending state champion Campbell Hall returns to the final in Sacramento, Holiday, who is averaging 26 points per game this season, needs 78 to surpass Butler.
Campbell Hall (28-5) plays host to either Garces of Bakersfield or Army Navy of Carlsbad in the Southern California Reginal semifinal at 8 p.m. Thursday at Harvard-Westlake High in Studio City.
“It’s an honor, but maybe after the season I’ll think about how many points and all that,” Holiday said. “Right now, I’m trying to help us get back to Sacramento.”
oliday’s defining moment might have come on defense. Rosamond’s 6-foot-4 Christian Holden went up for a flying slam dunk over Holiday in the third quarter, but Holiday outjumped him and blocked the dunk, then scored himself on a fast break layup a few seconds later. That made the score 65-14.
“That’s never happened to me before,” Holden said. “But it was a good feeling because I know I went up against a Division I player – maybe an NBA player. So I wasn’t even tripping.”
The Vikings limited Rosamond to 16 percent shooting (8 of 50), forcing 18 turnovers while shooting 59 percent themselves.
gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com