CIF-SS Boys Basketball Playoffs: La Mirada gets scare before putting away Norco; St. Paul, Whittier, Sonora also win

La Mirada High's Vittorio Reynoso-Avila (#4), center, drives for the hoop vs Norco High at the La Mirada, Calif. campus gym Feb. 17, 2016. (Photo by Leo Jarzomb/Whittier Daily News)

La Mirada High’s Vittorio Reynoso-Avila (#4), center, drives for the hoop vs Norco High at the La Mirada, Calif. campus gym Feb. 17, 2016. (Photo by Leo Jarzomb/Whittier Daily News)


CIF-SS BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS
DIVISION 2A
LA MIRADA 66, NORCO 56


LA MIRADA — La Mirada High School boys basketball coach Bryce Jones said this week that Vittorio Reynoso-Avila was the X-factor for the CIF Southern Section playoffs.The senior was more than that Friday. He was the difference.Reynoso-Avila, who returned to the lineup last week after an injury kept him out most of the season, scored 23 points and had 10 rebounds to lead the host Matadores to a 66-56 victory over Norco in a Division 2A first-round game.
Anthony Newman had 17 points and Ian Carter 12 for La Mirada, which improved to 22-7 and will travel to a Agoura, a 61-45 winner over Elsinore, in Friday’s second round.
Isaiah Cannon had 15 points for Norco, which finished 11-17.
The key stretch for La Mirada came early in the fourth quarter. The Matadores, who made 9 of 12 shots during the final eight minutes, opened the period with a 15-6 surge to go up 61-52 with 2:19 remaining.
Reynoso, who was 10 of 14 from the field, completed a fastbreak with a layup for a 52-51 edge at 5:21 before he had a putback at 4:52 for a 54-51 advantage.
Carter followed with a layup at 4:01 before Newman hit his third 3-pointer of the game to push it to 59-52 at 3:07. Carter completed the run with a layup for the 61-52 lead with 2:19 left.
La Mirada coach Bryce Jones: “Vitto’s the reason we won the game. Without Vitto, we lose by 15. Thank God he was ready to play. He got us some easy ones and did a good job of attacking the rim.
“(It’s a) disappointing effort to (start) a playoff game and be down 11-2 with zero intensity. We’re lucky.”
La Mirada’s Vittorio Reynoso-Avila: “Our coach always makes us go through late-game scenarios where we have to finish and handle the pressure. That really helped us (tonight).”
— Stephen Ramirez
DIVISION 2AA
West Ranch 56, La Serna 46

WHITTIER — One of the best seasons in five years for the La Serna High School boys basketball team came to a sudden end, but not without a fight to the finish in a CIF-Southern Section Division 2AA first-round playoff game Wednesday night.
The host Lancers (18-10) dug themselves a big hole early in the first half, but made a valiant comeback late in the game only to fall to the division’s seventh-ranked team, West Ranch, 56-46.
West Ranch will host Claremont, an 89-61 winner over Ontario, in the second round Friday.
Leading the way for the Lancers was forward Cedric Sobers with a game-high 20 points. Sobers, a sophomore, was the only Lancer in double figures. Senior guard Jessie Garcia had nine points and junior guard Walter Franco added eight.
La Serna coach Marino Angulo: “It was an uphill battle the whole time. The defense stepped up in the second half for us. I really can’t express how proud I am of our seniors. They’ve been through the tough times, but it was a (heck) of a year.”
La Serna’s Cedric Sobers: We came out nervous. We have a lot of good underclassmen and the future looks good for us.”
— John Sherrard
OTHER SCORES
DIVISION 1AA

Sonora 53, Los Osos 47
DIVISION 1A
Foothill 77, Montebello 31
DIVISION 2AA
Mira Costa 77, Santa Fe 51
DIVISION 2A
Whittier 71, Temescal Canyon 56
DIVISION 3A
Yorba Linda 84, Pioneer 50
DIVISION 4A
St. Paul 68, Notre Dame/Riverside 47
Crean Lutheran 73, Whittier Christian 67
FIRDAY’S SCHEDULE
All games are scheduled for 7 p.m.
FIRST ROUND
OPEN DIVISION

Cantwell Sacred Heart of Mary at Mater Dei
SECOND ROUND
DIVISION 1AA

Sonora at Valencia
DIVISION 2AA
La Mirada at Agoura
Mayfair at Whittier
DIVISION 4A
St. Paul at Viewpoint

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