La Mirada’s 72-55 loss to Artesia Wednesday night did little to damage the Matadores claim to being the area’s best boys basketball team this season.

It simply was a matter of too much of everything, height, speed, scoring potential, etc., etc. etc. for the hard-working Matadores to handle.
The Pioneer’s 6-foot-10 sophomore, Renardo Sidney is a load, and much of the time, defending against him fell on the shoulders of senior Keith McGill.
McGill, listed at 6-4, appeared to give away at least 30 pounds in addition to the six inches in height, but did a credible job under very difficult conditions.
La Mirada guard Taylor Siemens also was impressive with his ability to penetrate and challenge taller defenders en route to a team-high 19 points.
It is difficult to envision another area team that coujld have fared better against the Pioneers. The difference between Artesia and La Mirada isn’t much greater than the gap between the Matadores and the rest of the locals.
With one week remaining in the regular season, 1) which is the area’s best player, and 2) which player has proven to be the most valuable to his team’s success?