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Sophomore Jerico Richardson came through with the biggest shot of his career thus far when he made a driving layup with 6.7 seconds remaining to lead Alemany of Mission Hills to a 64-63 victory against Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks in a crucial Mission League game.

Richardson took the ball out of bounds underneath the basket, received the ball back, blew past three defenders and scored with his right hand helping the Warriors (11-15, 7-6) remain in third place behind Harvard-Westlake of North Hollywood and Loyola of Los Angeles and come closer to wrapping up an automatic playoff spot with one game left on Wednesday.

"Coach (Tray Meeks) told me to not waste any time, try and score or score and draw a foul," Richardson said. "I was going to pass it to (Andrew) English but I saw his guy fall back so I took it up myself."

Richardson's basket ended an exciting game that saw Notre Dame battle back from a 15-point deficit in the first half and a seven point deficit in the fourth quarter.

Jordan Fuller and Max Guercy scored 16 and 13 points while Richardson and English both had nine.

Freshman Jahmel Taylor scored 17 points to lead the Knights (14-12, 6-7) and Jeremy Sulker-Hall had 11.

Taylor had a chance to win it at the buzzer but a long range 3-point attempt was partially blocked.

Taylor scored 14 points in the second half and finally gave the Knights their first lead of the game with 3:06 remaining on two free throws.

Notre Dame did it's part battling back and making all eight of it's free throws in the fourth quarter but came up short thanks to Richardson.

The final 3:06 featured two ties and five lead changes as neither team could create distance.

After a slow start to the season against good competition, Alemany is the hottest team in Div. IV-A.

The Warriors have won four games in a row and are looking for more.

"We have a goal to win our last five games before playoffs and we need to win one more," Richardson said. "We are starting to bond and trust one another."

The Taft of Woodland Hills boys basketball team knew it would have it's hands full Saturday at the Mater Dei of Santa Ana Nike Extravaganza playing USA Today No. 5 St. Patrick of Elizabeth, New Jersey in the featured game of the two-day event.

The Toreadors battled and battled, came back from two different nine point deficits in the first half but ultimately came up short in a 91-64 loss.

Taft was mainly undone by two players, Duke-bound Kyrie Irving and 6'8 junior forward Michael Gilchrist.

Irving had 24 points and nine assists, including 14 points in the first quarter and nine in a row after a 14-14.

Gilchrist was unstoppable down low scoring 22 points and had 13 rebounds, including 11 points in the third quarter.

"We faced a team that did all the little things right," Taft's Bryce Jones said. "We started out hot but just couldn't keep up."

The third quarter was when the game got out of hand and people started heading for the parking lot.

Taft closed to with in 42-38 early in the period but St. Patrick went on a 25-8 run highlighted by a 3-pointer from Irving, a three point play by Irving and three baskets and five of six free throws from Gilchrist.

"Those two guys were just real good," Jones said. "They capitalized on our mistakes and we didn't get any stops."

The USC-bound Jones scored 19 points to lead Taft but scoring came few and far between for the Toreadors in the second half.

Texas-bound junior forward De'Andre Daniels was hampered by foul trouble and only scored nine points with four rebounds

After Daniels picked up his fourth foul midway through the third quarter, Gilchrist had his way, Jarrel Lane scored on a layup and Derrick Gordon had two easy baskets.

"De'Andre getting his fourth foul was the turning point," Taft coach Derrick Taylor said. "The whole game though felt like we were trying to prevent from drowning. We were always playing catch-up."

Taft stayed close behind five 3-point baskets in the first half but St. Patrick made five of it's own through three quarters and then made five more in the fourth quarter during garbage time.

"They were just another level of good," Taylor said. "We play these type of games to try to get to the next level."

The Oak Park boys basketball had one thing on its mind going into a crucial Tri-Valley League game with undefeated league leader Oaks Christian of Westlake Village on Friday.

Revenge.

The Eagles got what they wanted in a 64-48 victory that gives them a share of first place with one game remaining on Wednesday.
Oak Park was steaming after a 66-60 overtime loss at Oaks Christian on Jan. 20.

Austin Ramljak scored 25 points, including four 3-pointers and made seven of eight free throws in the fourth quarter to lead Oak Park.

"Obviously it was a huge game for us, we just concentrated on what we had to do and we had been practicing for this game every day since we lost to them."

Ramljak scored eight points in the first quarter, including a buzzer beating 3-pointer to give Oak Park momentum.

He came back to score eight more in the third quarter on two more 3-pointers and a lay-up and finished the game by calmly hitting his free throws as the Lions (16-8, 8-1) tried to come back.

"I was just catching passes from my teammates in rhythm after we broke the press," Ramljak said.

The Eagles (17-8, 8-1) took a nine-point lead at the end of the third quarter when Tanner Byers made an off-balance turnaround jumper at the buzzer for a 41-32 advantage that seemed like it would be enough.

However, Oaks Christian scored three quick baskets by Dillon van der Wal, Blair Holliday and Spencer Kier to get right back in the game.

Oak Park would not let the Lions get closer thanks to a 3-point play from freshman Ron Lee, Jr., another basket from Lee, Jr., two free throws from Ramljak and a basket from Cameron Stevens.

Oak Park led 52-40 with 4:00 to play and proceeded to make 13 of 16 free throws in the final quarter.

Every time Oaks Christian would make a run, Oak Park would turn the Lions back.

"Our coaches told us to be patient and get good shots," Ramljak said. "We also came up with some key stops on defense and didn't turn the ball over like we did last time against them."

Lee, Jr. finished with 15 points and displayed poise and savvy rarely seen from a freshman playing point guard.

"He has really matured a lot," Ramljak said. "He wasn't flustered at all, the key was very few turnovers."

Holliday had 18 points to lead Oaks Christian. Kier and sophomore Chass Bryan added nine and seven respectively.

Dan Ross scored all six of his points during the second quarter when Oaks Christian battled back from an 18-10 deficit to go into halftime only trailing 25-24.

Oaks Christian was hurt by the fact 6'8 big men van der wal and Stephen Saksa combined for only two points not taking advantage of a big size disparity against the undersized Eagles.

VALENCIA - There's no place like home for the Valencia High Vikings.

The team has struggled on the road this basketball season, including two consecutive Foothill League losses last month, but the boys are perfect in their gym after defeating Golden Valley 65-59 tonight for their fifth home win without a loss before a near-capacity crowd of about 1,500.

Dating back to the 2006-2007 season, Valencia has won its last seven home games and 21 of 24.

Valencia proved a much different team than the one that lost at Golden Valley by seven points on Jan. 19, as Lonnie Jackson scored 25 points after totaling just 12 in the first meeting.

Jackson, a 6-foot-3 junior, was 9 of 18 from the floor, including three 3-pointers, and he added five steals and three assists.

"Last time, I thought I let my team down, so I've spent the past two weeks getting ready for this one," Jackson said. "I came through tonight, and my teammates came through, too. It feels great, but we haven't done anything yet. There are two more games, and we have to get ready for Canyon on Tuesday.

Heading into the final week of the regular season, Valencia (19-4, 6-2), Golden Valley (20-5, 6-2) and Canyon (16-7, 5-2xxxxx) all have a good shot to win the league title.

Valencia's win Friday might be its biggest victory so far, and the Vikings have to be a favorite because the final two games are in their own gym.

"We came out ready and were a lot more poised tonight," Valencia's Stevie Sansone said. "We played hard, and Lonnie was awesome. The crowd kept trying to get into his head, but he was so focused. He stepped up big-time tonight."

The victory snapped defending league champion Golden Valley's winning streak at seven games, as the Grizzlies were limited to 22 points in the second half.

Golden Valley's top player, Trevor Wiseman, was so upset that he refused comment.
Wiseman, a 6-foot-8 senior, scored 20 points, but it was not his best game. He was 7 of 16 from the floor with three assists and three turnovers, and he was held scoreless over the final six minutes, as a large contingent of Valencia students constantly razzed him.

With just over a minute remaining and Golden Valley trailing by three points, Wiseman was called for a traveling violation. Valencia's Aaron Spargo then missed the front end of a one-and-one, but Jackson hustled to grab the offensive rebound, and Jake Kelfer followed a few moments later with a 3-pointer to put the contest out of reach.

Tanner Tredick added 10 points for Valencia, Sansone scored eight, and Kelfer and Brandon Bennett both chipped in seven.

Taylor Statham scored 11 points for Golden Valley, and Robert Looper added 10.

-- Gerry Gittelson

BOX SCORE:

Valencia 65, Golden Valley 59

Golden Valley 17-20-11-11-59
Valencia 12-25-14-14-65
V: Lonnie Jackson 25 and five steals, Stevie Sansone 8, Brandon Bennett 7, Davis 4, Kelfer 7, Tredick 10, Spargo 2, Sommer 2.
GV: Trevor Wiseman 20; Price 6, Jeff Darko), Statham 11, Looper 10, Hale 5, Darko 4, Serrano 2, Chaisson 1.

R: V 19-4, 6-2; GV 20-5, 6-2

If there was any doubt about whom the San Fernando Valley's most dominant boys' basketball player is, look no further than Erik Swoope.

For the second consecutive game, Swoope scored a career high when his teammates from Harvard-Westlake of Studio City needed him most.

The 6-foot-5 senior scored 40 points with 13 rebounds Wednesday to carry the Wolverines to their 17th consecutive victory, an 87-77 Mission League win at Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks that saw Harvard-Westlake come from five points down in the second half.

Swoope's performance came on the heels of a 37-point outing Friday at arch rival Loyola of Los Angeles.

"Erik is unbelievable. He's just a monster down low," said point guard Michael Attanasio, who totaled a career-best 11 assists. "My job is easy. All I have to do is find him, and Erik does the rest."

Harvard-Westlake (19-4, 11-0) has a two-game lead with three to play.

This one was not easy. Bound and determined to forge an upset, Notre Dame (13-11, 5-6) played its heart out, but in the end Harvard-Westlake's talent wore down the Knights.

"We just tried to play as hard as we could and to make a run," Notre Dame's Jeremy Sulker-Hall said. "We gave them a run for their money tonight. I'm proud of the way we played as a team."

Harvard-Westlake led 36-30 on freshman Jahmel Taylor's jumper late in the second quarter, then Harvard-Westlake went on a 20-6 run to lead 50-42.

But it wasn't over. Notre Dame came through with one more rally and pulled ahead 71-68 on Sulker-Hall's inside basket with just over six minutes remaining before Harvard-Westlake's Nate Bulluck's reverse layup sparked a 15-0 run in which Swoope scored six points on four free throws and an inside basket.

"It was an up-and-down game, and we just couldn't get our flow going," Swoope said. "Notre Dame was getting excited, but we kept our poise."

Harvard-Westlake is trying to finish undefeated in league for the first time in 10 years, and coach Greg Hilliard was not pleased with being down by five points at the half.

"Our coach is usually laidback but not tonight," Attanasio said. "Before the game, he gave a whole speech about how we can make history by being undefeated in league, and at halftime he was telling us we can't just talk about it, we've got to do it."

Bulluck scored 21 points and Damiene Cain added 16 points and 10 rebounds for Harvard-Westlake, and Austin Kelly chipped in 10. Attanasio scored one point, as Harvard-Westlake did not receive a single point from its bench.

Sulker-Hall led Notre Dame with 16 points, Taylor added 13 and Jimmy Tatro scored 10.

"That was our best team effort all year," Notre Dame coach Bill Bedgood said. "Our bench stepped up huge, too. That was the difference in the first half - we got a little surge from our bench. At the end, we just ran out of gas. The kids are spent. They left it all on the floor tonight."

-- Gerry Gittelson

BOX SCORE:

HW 17-16-33-22-88
ND 18-20-25-14-77

HW: Attanasio 1, Kelly 10, Cain 16, Swoope 40, Bulluck 21.
ND: Bell 6, Taylor 13, Tatro 10, Herbert 8, Karchemsky 9, Madison 8, Johnson 2, Edwards 5, Sulker-Hall 16.

R: HW 19-4, 11-0; ND 13-11, 5-6

We could have a huge upset on our hands if host Notre Dame can manage to hold onto a five-point halftime lead over powerful Harvard-Westlake tonight in a Mission League contest that just everyone expects Harvard-Westlake to win.

Notre Dame is shooting really well and doing a good job rebounding against the taller Wolverines.

Harvard-Westlake's star player, 6-foot-5 Erik Swoope, has 13 points but has a couple easy shots and has a committed a couple of turnovers. Swoope is coming off a career best 37 points at Loyola.

Harvard-Westlake (18-4, 10-0) has won 16 in a row, 12 by 10 points or more. Notre Dame is 13-10, 5-5 and features a start lineup that includes two freshmen and two sophomores.

Los Angeles City Section boys basketball coaches top 10 polls

: LABCA
: COACHES POLL
: 2/1/10

:
: DIVISION I

: 1.Westchester
: 2.Taft
: 3.Crenshaw
: 4.Washington
: 5.Palisades
: 6.Fremont
: 7.Fairfax
: 8.Birmingham
: 9.Cleveland
: 10.Dorsey

: DIVISION II

: 1.Narbonne
: 2.Chatsworth
: 3.University
: 4.Granada Hills
: 5.San Pedro
: 6.Gardena
: 7.Reseda
: 8.Grant
: 9.South East
: 10.Kennedy

: DIVISION III

: 1.Santee
: 2.Huntington Park
: 3.Hamilton
: 4.Locke
: 5.El Camino
: 6.Verdugo Hills
: 7.Franklin
: 8.West Adams
: 9.North Hollywood
: 10.Roosevelt

: Small Schools

: 1.View Park
: 2.LACES
: 3.Animo South LA
: 4.SOCES
: 5.Gertz -Ressler
: 6.Harbor Teacher Prep
: 7.Middle College
: 8.Valley Alt.
: 9.Douglas
: 10.Dantzler

Namon Wright, a 6'6 eighth grader and Devin Burleson, a 6'0 guard, who are both top middle school prospects in Southern California will be attending Ribet Academy in Los Angeles starting Monday according to guardian Doug Burnside.

Burnside did not say that Ribet Academy will be the school the boys will be attending for high school, still leaving the possibility of Mater Dei, Price, Oaks Christian and several others in the mix.

The Grant of Van Nuys boys basketball team i snot going to win the City championship this year but the Lancers have a good shot to win the East Valley League.

One of the main reasons is the play of senior Jared Garner.

Garner is averaging 17.8 points per game through games of Jan. 22 and has scored 20 points or more nine times.

Garner had a career high 36 points against Birmingham of Lake Balboa on Jan. 8th.

In that game, Garner made 11 of 15 shots from the field and knocked down 13 of 16 free throws.

Garner started his career at Taft but transferred out and has flourished in his last year before hopefully continuing his career in college.

Garner is also contributing in the rebounding, assists and steals department.

He has had three games of 10 or more rebounds and three other games with nine, eight and seven.

His all-around play with some help from fellow senior Corey Payne could just be enough for the league championship.

Oaks Chr. improved to 15-7, 7-0 in the Tri-Valley League with an impressive 91-70 victory against Santa Clara.

Dan Ross and Spencer Kier lead five players in double figures with 15 points each for Oaks Chr.

6'8 junior forward Dillon van der Wal scored 14 points, junior Blair Holliday had 12 and sophomore Chass Bryan added 11 in the balanced offensive attack.

Oaks Chr. is ranked No. 1 in Div. IV-A and will likely be playing for the league championship next Friday when it travels to Oak Park.