Boys Basketball Playoffs: Damien advances to take on top seed Sierra Canyon, Rowland in quarters for first time in 21 years

Damien advancese to take on top-seed Sierra Canyon: Damien’s Cameron Shelton was an unsung role player on Chino Hills’ undefeated state championship team a year ago.
The change of scenery to Damien, however, unleashed unlimited potential and it was on full display in Damien’s 78-69 victory over Corona Centennial in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball playoffs.
Damien (26-3) advances to the quarterfinals for the second straight year. On Tuesday, the Spartans will face top seed Sierra Canyon (26-1), which had to sweat out a 99-93 victory over Heritage Christian to advance.
Shelton scored inside, outside and got to the foul line to post a game-high 29 points. Elijah McCullough added 18 points, Ezekiel Alley had 12 and Justin Hemsley finished with 11 to give the Spartans four players in double figures.
But clearly, it was Shelton’s night.“He’s an incredible competitor,” Damien coach Mike LeDuc said of Shelton. “We’ve got a lot of competitors on this team but Shelton, he just loves to compete. He doesn’t back down from any challenge. He’s such a pleasure to have.”
Third-seed Los Altos falls: Peninsula didn’t lead Los Altos for very long on Friday night, but they did enough down the stretch to have the lead when it mattered most.
The Panthers battled from behind to force overtime and then pulled away from the third-seeded Conquerors for an 89-81 victory in the second round of the CIF-SS boys basketball division 1A playoffs.
Los Altos led by as many as six points in the fourth quarter, aided by 11 three-point baskets made through three quarters, but the hot shooting wasn’t there late, making only one in the fourth quarter and overtime.Peninsula looked like anything but a team heading to the quarterfinals when they lost their final two games of the regular season, each by double-figures.

San Dimas comes up short: Temescal Canyon broke open a tight game at the start of the fourth quarter then held on to knock off San Dimas 66-59 in a CIF-Southern Section Division 3A second-round boys basketball game.
It was the ninth consecutive win for the Titans (19-8) who will be on the road to play Hesperia or Palos Verdes Tuesday night.Until the Titans went on their fourth-quarter run there were three ties and 18 lead changes in the game.
The Titans went on a 15-5 run to start the fourth quarter, breaking a 39-39 tie at the end of the third quarter.
Jerred Jennen hit a pair of 3-pointers in the run and point guard Brandon Sapp got to the basket twice while Brandon Clemons controlled the offensive glass.

CIF-Southern Section Playoffs Results
Boys Basketball
All games start at 7 p.m.
Friday’s first round
Open Division

Damien 78, Corona Centennial 69
Chino Hills 105, JSerra 74
Second Round
Division 1A

Peninsula 89, Los Altos 81, OT
Division 3A
Temescal Canyon 77, San Dimas 69
Division 4AA
Rowland 67, Bolsa Grande 46
Hillcrest 66, Pomona 41
Division 5AA
Holy Martyrs 67, Nogales 47
Mountain View 91, Edgewood 54

Tuesday’s quarterfinals
Open Division

Damien vs. Sierra Canyon at Simi Valley HS, 7 p.m.
Division 4AA
Rowland at Segerstrom, 7 p.m.
Division 5AA
Mountain View vs. Saturday’s Marshall-Valley Torah winner.

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