UCLA Escapes Akron 57-53 in First Round of March Madness

March 17, 2022

03172022_Bruins_vs_Zips_092347 — The UCLA Bruins take on the Akron Zips in the first round of the NCAA March Madness tournament in Portland, Or on March 17,2022. (Photo by Evan Luecke / fi360 News)

Portland, OR – The No. 4-seed UCLA Bruins (26-7) fought tooth and nail in a 57-53 comeback victory and closed with a 15-4 run to escape the No. 13-seed Akron Zips (24-10) on Thursday night at the Moda Center in Round 64 of the NCAA March Madness Tournament.

“Great win for us,” said UCLA head coach Mick Cronin. “We finally got some shots to go down, we made some adjustments, gutted it out. Keys in the second half for us were Jaime had six assists. We only turned it over twice in the second half, which allowed us to get enough shots to where we finally started making some. Also, offensive rebounding in the second half.”

The UCLA Bruins take on the Akron Zips in the first round of the NCAA March Madness tournament in Portland, Or on March 17,2022. (Photo by Evan Luecke / fi360 News)

With the Bruins struggling offensively, Tyger Campbell took matters into his own hands in crunch time to score eight straight points and knocked down two soul crushing threes with three minutes remaining.

He first hit a wide-open corner three with not a Zip in sight. He then turned right around and drained a logo three to give the Bruins a four-point lead 55-51 with a minute and sixteen seconds left on the clock.

“My teammates just kept finding me, and I just was wanting to make a play,” said Campbell. “I knew down the stretch, Coach made some adjustments, and I just wanted to execute on them, and the shots went in.”

Just like that, an Akron layup brung the Zips to within two 55-53.

It came down to the wire as the Zips had the ball with 25.2 seconds to go.

Akron’s Ali Ali drove hard to the basket, but the ball came nowhere near close to the rim.

On the other end, Johnny Juzang hit two clutch free throws to mail in UCLA’s ticket to the second round.

Jules Bernard shared how UCLA’s past tournament experiences helped in this comeback win.

“We’re a resilient team, and we have a great camaraderie, and we know we’ve been in positions like that before, and we knew the caliber of team we were playing.”

Campbell led all Bruins with 16 points and five assists.

Juzang averaged 22 PPG in last year’s tournament, but only scored 9 points for the game.

Akron’s Xavier Castaneda led all scorers with 18 points and six rebounds.

The Bruins advanced from the First Four to the Final Four one year ago and lost to Gonzaga in the national semifinals.

For the fifth time in school history, the Akron Zips played in March Madness after winning the 2022 Mid-American Conference Tournament.

The UCLA Bruins advance to the second round and will face the No. 5-seed Saint Mary’s Gaels on Saturday, March 19 at 4:10 p.m. for a shot to return to the Sweet Sixteen.

Memphis upsets Boise in the paint

Jevone Moore

March 17, 2022

03172022_BoiseSt_vs_memphis_083213 — The Boise St. Broncos take on the Memphis Tigers in the First round of the NCAA March Madness tournament in Portland, Or on March 17,2022. (Photo by Evan Luecke / fi360 News)

Portland, OR – No. 9 Memphis Tigers forward DeAndre Williams drops the first bucket of the game to set the tone in the first half. They jumped out to a 19-point lead at the half, then managed to hold on for a 64-53 victory over the No. 8 Boise State Broncos.

Williams led his team playing a team high 32 minutes with 14 points and five rebounds. Center Jalen Duren had a double double with a team high 11 rebounds and 10 points.

The Boise St. Broncos take on the Memphis Tigers in the First round of the NCAA March Madness tournament in Portland, Or on March 17,2022. (Photo by Evan Luecke / fi360 News)

“Coach kept telling us it’s a game of runs,” said Duren, “Knowing we gotta lock in and be ready for the next game.”

The Tigers shot 47% from the field, and 41.7% from behind the arc, while the Broncos slow start cost them shooting only 31.5% from the field. Boise did out score the Tigers in the second half by eights points but the defect was too big to recover.

Most will wonder was it halftime adjustments for the Broncos or Memphis guard Alex Lomax tweaking his ankle as cause for the shift of momentum.

Tigers coach Penny Hardaway trusted his players to play through some adversity, and only looked to call time-out sparingly to slow down the Broncos flow.

“Fantastic win for us tonight,” said Memphis coach Hardaway, “We dug in deep to get our first win.”

When the Tigers defense was set, it really gave the Broncos fits who plays its best basketball in the halfcourt sets.

Broncos did come alive in the second half but used to much energy catching up while the Tigers just kept steady to hold on to advance to second round. Now the Tigers will sit back and wait Gonzaga if they can win to set up No. 1 vs No. 9 second round in the west.

Kraken fast start fizzles out in loss to Lightning

Charles Hamaker

March 16, 2022

NelsonAaron_Seattle_TampaBay_3_16_2022-21 — Photo by Aaron Nelson / fi360 News

Seattle, WA – The Seattle Kraken fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning by
a score of one to four in their March 16th matchup. Pregame, the team
honored defenseman and team captain Mark Giordano for playing in
1,000 games. Former Lightning player Yanni Gourde scored the
game’s first goal just three minutes in to the opening period. After that,
it was all Tampa Bay as the Lightning scored four unanswered goals.

One of the few positive notes to take from the game was captain Mark
Giordano being honored for playing in 1,000 games. The first captain
in Kraken franchise history was given a silver stick to commemorate
the achievement, his teammates bought Giordano a Rolex, and his
family was on hand to celebrate. Despite not putting up flashy
numbers, Giordano has been a fan favorite ever since he was
selected in the expansion draft. It was an interesting night for
Giordano, as the morning before the game it was announced that he
wouldn’t participate in the game. This comes as no surprise, as
Giordano is extremely likely to be traded before the March 21st
deadline.

A glaring negative in this game was that Seattle gave the Lightning,
the back-to-back defending champions, six power play opportunities.
The Lightning power play has been together for years, winning those
two Stanley cup titles in that span. Their chemistry makes the
Lightning special teams’ unit as dangerous as any in the NHL, and
Seattle learned that the hard way. Seattle’s own power play suffered,
as despite the Kraken drawing 5 penalties, only one resulted in a goal.2
Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol reflected on the special teams play
in the game.

“Tampa’s gonna get their pushes. We took too many penalties in the
first 40 minutes…. first four in the first couple of periods puts you in a
tough spot. There was a lot of special teams both ways, so the flow
was a little stop and go… that third goal thanks to some mass chaos
created some separation for them,” Hakstol reflected.

The Kraken sit at an awkward point in the season. A trade of captain
Mark Giordano has been in the cards for a few months, and now the
NHL trade deadline draws near. It was announced the morning of the
game that Giordano was being held out of the lineup. No injury, no
illness, just held out. Teammate Calle Jarnkrok was traded to
Giordano’s former team, the Calgary Flames, just two hours prior to
puck drop. With a quality forward being traded hours before a game
and the team captain on the move next, the Kraken are in an odd
position. Alternate captain Jordan Eberle spoke on the business of the
NHL.

“It’s part of the business. We understand the situation that we’re in,
guys are gonna get traded. They’re gonna do what’s best for the
organization. It happens every year, so it should really be no
surprise… we’re big boys. It’s a league based on winning, a business
based on winning. When you’re not doing that, changes have to be
made and you have to do what is best for the organization… at the
end of the day, we are still trying to be here. We have 20 games to
see who wants to be here,” Eberle stated.

What Eberle said at the end there should be important to Kraken fans.
A player wearing an alternate captain patch, an All-Star this year,3
stated that he wants to be here and wants to see who else feels the
same. Seattle should have a solid core heading into next year
hopefully of McCann, Eberle, Gourde, Schwartz. The team will have
Matty Beniers up next year and another high draft pick this season. In
addition to all that, general manager Ron Francis said that the team
expects to be aggressive in free agency. The tools for the Kraken to
be successful next season are available. They just need to be used
correctly.

Seattle’s next matchup is March 19th against the Detroit Red Wings at
Climate Pledge Arena, with a 7PM PST puck drop.

Arizona Wildcats outlast UCLA to win Pac-12 Tournament trophy

Isabel Gonzalez

March 12, 2022

20220312-CH2V8054 — Photo by Jerry Kelly

Las Vegas, NV – Tommy Lloyd and the Arizona Wildcats were predicted to finish fourth in the Pac-12 during preseason. On Saturday night, they lifted the conference tournament trophy with an 84-76 win against the UCLA Bruins at T-Mobile Arena.

Before being named the Arizona men’s basketball head coach in 2021, Lloyd was an assistant at Gonzaga for 22 seasons. He has certainly proven himself.

“My only objective has been to pour into these guys everything I got,” Lloyd said. “That’s how I’ve attacked it on a daily basis.”

Arizona entered the game ranked No. 2 in the nation, while the Bruins were No. 13. It’s been an exciting season for the Wildcats, and Arizona fans were easily found all over Las Vegas.

It seemed like the team fed off that energy. The Wildcats found an early 6-2 lead while the Bruins offense was still getting warmed up. UCLA started 2-of-7 from the field. By the first media timeout, It was a 10-4 lead for Arizona.

The Bruins woke up and the game was tied at 16 points at the 10:25 mark. UCLA was up by three with 6:30 remaining in the first period. Redshirt senior center Myles Johnson tried to extend the lead but Arizona’s redshirt sophomore center Oumar Ballo blocked the shot. That defense turned into offense and Arizona’s Adama Bal got a three-pointer.

Sophomore forward Azuolas Tubelis hit the Bruins with a dunk in Arizona’s last possession of the first half, but junior guard Johnny Juzang went on to register a three-pointer to give UCLA a 40-35 advantage at halftime.

The Bruins came out strong after the break and found a 12-point lead three minutes into the second period. However, the Wildcats came back with a vengeance.

https://twitter.com/cisabelg/status/1502855963551752193?s=20&t=XljZo9nqaYyqDRKGi5sBsg

Arizona had a 61-58 lead with nine minutes remaining and UCLA was forced to call a timeout to try to stop the momentum. At this point, the Wildcats were outshooting the Bruins 64.3 % to 31.6% percent in the second period. After the timeout, UCLA’s Jules Bernard attempted a three-point shot that got blocked by Pelle Larsson.

The highlight of the game for Arizona was an exclamation mark type of dunk by Dalen Terry with 5:45 remaining on the clock.

https://twitter.com/CBBonFOX/status/1502860768680808448?s=20&t=PBP9u7a_yDXolkvCLe8KOA

Arizona finished the night shooting at 52% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. The Wildcats beat the Bruins in the paint 40-32.

Sophomore guard/forward Bennedict Mathurin led the winning offense with 27 points and seven assists. Terry contributed with 15 points and another seven assists, while Christian Koloko registered a double of 13 points and 10 rebounds.

“These games are long and we’re a team that makes runs,” Lloyd said. “I’m always like, ‘Hang in there, hang in there, we could be a possession or two away from a run.’ We did a good job of hanging in there.”

With Saturday’s win, Wildcats have likely earned their place as a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday.

Bruins bear down to outlast rival USC in Pac-12 Tournament

Alex Hymes

March 11, 2022

20220311-CH2V0011 — Photo by Jerry Kelly

Las Vegas, NV – The Bruins faced cross-town rival USC in a tone-setting defensive performance.

Last years’ Bruins squad stunned the NCAA and fans with their wild Final Four run last postseason. Will this be the spark that starts another wild March Madness for the Bruins?

All of the evidence is pointing towards that notion… Including the recurring come-back after a slow start.

While the Trojans started the game hot, the Bruins quickly shifted the momentum and clamped down defensively.

The Bruins held USC forward Isaiah Mobley with an unusually quiet four-point 1st half while guard Boogie Ellis knocked three triples to keep USC afloat. UCLA held the Trojans to a measly 9-29 shooting in the first half of action.

On the other end, The Bruins balanced offensive attack was led by Jamie Jaquez with an 11-point first half. Jaquez’s play elevated his teammates including Jules Bernard. Bernard would have an eight-point first half which included a five-point swing, pushing to a Bruins 27-19 lead.

The tone was set, but the second half action provided an opportunity for the rival Trojans. USC cut the deficit to four points, but the Bruins conversely got hot offensively. Jaquez led the charge with 19 points and 5 rebounds, while four other members of the starting five added double-figure scoring.

USC’s standout Boogie Ellis heated up and nailed five triples for 18 of his 27 total points. Ellis stood tall but his teammates combined for a total of 32 points, including 7 bench points from Kobe Johnson. The Trojans couldn’t buy a basket and their struggles led them into playing defense for the majority of the evening.

UCLA guard Tyger Campbell was quick to note in the postgame presser that, “When we went on our run last reason, we locked in on the defensive side of the ball. Coach preaches defense, defense, defense, so we’re trying to lock in again.”

The Bruins’ victory sets them up for their first Pac-12 title game since winning the National Championship back in 2014. This win over their cross-town rival has added an even more interesting fold to what will come in this years’ March Madness.

Chippy Play Verse The LAFC Way

Alex Hymes

March 7, 2022

Crop-3728 — Photo by Chanel Foster / fi360 News

Los Angeles, CA – For the third match of their fifth season, LAFC hosted what some call their “greatest rival” in the Portland Timbers for a late, Fifty-five degree Sunday evening match-up. What nobody expected was the diverting styles and aggressive play which were on full display.

Portland’s Yimmi Chara stunned the crowd early, by corralling a ricocheted ball with an acrobatic bicycle kick for the match’s opening score.

On the over end, Portland’s defense smothered LAFC mightily, holding the club to zero shots on goal for the first twenty-seven minutes of play. The stifling defense dropped back and held firm in the box, preventing clear passing lanes and stagnant possessions for LAFC.

The clearest chance of the half came in the thirty-third minute when forward Carlos Vela fired a clean look from outside the box, which was swatted away by a diving Aljaž Ivačič. After a first half that included multiple turnovers and three yellow cards called on Portland, LAFC trotted into the locker room seemingly devoid of any emotional luster.

Prior to the second half tip, it was announced that Vela would not return, Head Coach Steve Cherundolo would later note as “Precautionary we’re still accessing what exactly what it is but doesn’t seem severe.” Without Vela, the other two members of the “Big 3”, Cristian Arango and Brian Rodriguez led the way.

Arango began the second half on an offensive tear by weaving through the Portland defense, which ultimately coaxed out the chippier side from the Timbers. In the 62nd minute, Arango forced Claudio Bravo into grabbing his arm and impeding his path, leading to Bravo’s second yellow card and ejection. LAFC took advantage of Portland playing one man down and began chipping away at the once-stifling defense.

Seven total yellow cards on the Timbers granted five minutes of stoppage time to tie the match. In the third minute of stoppage time, midfielder Brian Rodriguez weaved into the box and crossed to Mamadou “Mbacke” Fall for the game-tying score. Rodriguez beat his defender and found an open Fall, who tapped it into the corner of the net. Portland held possession for the final moments of stoppage time, ending the match in a draw of 1.

Leaving a cold, Sunday evening in Los Angeles with a tie from a match featuring 7 penalties and missing your captain for all of the second half, I call that a win. Yet, the insecurities surrounding the health of their stars are cause for concern. The club sits at third in their division with thirty-one more games to play. It’s too early to make any judgments, but LAFC and its fans have high hopes for the clubs’ fifth season of existence.

UCLA Avenges Loss Against USC Rival on Senior Night

Brianne Ingram

March 5, 2022

Westwood, CA – Round two for the battle of LA rivalry was filled with drama and intrigue under the bright lights of Pauley Pavilion. On Saturday night, the No. 17 UCLA Bruins (23-6, 15-5 Pac-12) avenged their loss against the No. 16 USC Trojans (25-6, 14-6 Pac-12) to a sold-out crowd with a 75-68 victory, and closed out the regular season honoring their seniors on senior night.

UCLA senior Jules Bernard shared what it meant to get this win.

“Obviously, we know the history of the rivalry. It’s not a secret, but the last five games, we were 0-5 against USC. So, this definitely meant a lot to end the regular season on a good note against a team that we, in the last few games, haven’t had some success against. It was definitely a meaningful win.”

With under five minutes to go the Bruins were up by 10, 70-60.

Before you knew it, the Trojans were on the heels of the Bruins.

USC forward Isaiah Mobley made a hard cut to the basket for an and-one to bring his team within two 70-68 with 1:22 minutes remaining.

At this point, it was anybody’s game.

UCLA went ahead 72-68 and could have extended their lead more but missed some clutch free throws down the stretch.

The Trojans had opportunities to make a run, but they just couldn’t kick start the engine.

With 30 seconds left, USC guard Reese Dixon-Waters shot a three from the top of the key, but it was off of the front of the rim.

Boogie Ellis also shot a three that was off the mark for the Trojans.

Despite the sloppy ending, the Bruins still managed to hold off the Trojans in the heat of the battle.

“To be honest with you, I didn’t like the way we finished the game,” said UCLA head coach Mick Cronin. “We got March coming up, I come here to try to get the 12th Championship, and we had some egregious errors down the stretch where we went for rebounds instead of getting back on defense. We don’t believe in giving and-1’s, that is a cardinal, cardinal, sin on our team, if you can’t foul him enough to stop the layup, you gotta let it go. I really have tried to train myself as I’ve gotten older to stay focused on coaching and what we are trying to accomplish to get better.”

On the bright side, the Bruins only committed one turnover all game.

“I think just sharing the ball, not trying to force anything,” said UCLA guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. on the Bruins only turnover. “Ball movement, I think, was really good. I think we ran our offense really well tonight. We were able to get open shots and move the ball with ease. I think [it was] just playing good offense.”

Jaquez Jr. was in his bag with 27 points, grabbing six boards, and dishing four assists. He has scored 57 points in the last two games and stated whether he feels like he’s in “March mode.”

“I just think I’ve been feeling a lot better. We’re in March, so I guess you can say that. Honestly, I’ve just been feeling really good. As far as my body, my ankles are doing a lot better right now. I’m excited. It’s time to turn it up to another gear.”

Bernard scored 19 points and was one of three senior players being honored. He commented on his future plans and the environment inside Pauley.

“It was amazing. The environment was amazing. It was great to walk out with my family, my loved ones. It always means a lot to have those close to me at the games. It was definitely a memorable night. As for your first question, I’m not sure. I’m just taking it one day at a time. I’m more focused on our games ahead. I know we have a lot of basketball ahead of us, so just trying to get rest, prepare for the games ahead, and be there for my team so we can win games.”

Bernard also stated whether he feels like his team is ready for the NCAA tournament.

“I think we are ready, but, obviously, we know the tough road. Being that we’ve been there before, and we know how hard it is to win in those environments. We’re definitely focused and locked in going into both the Pac-12 Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. We’re definitely all in-tune and ready for these tournaments.”

The 1972 UCLA championship basketball team was celebrated during halftime.

With this win, UCLA takes second in the Pac-12 regular season standings.

Both UCLA and USC have secured first-round byes in next week’s Pac-12 Tournament.

Seattle sends fans home happy on “Kraken Day” with 4-3 win over Predators

Charles Hamaker

March 2, 2022

MG_0307 — Photo by Megan Connelly / fi360 News

Seattle, WA – On the day that the city of Seattle declared the second of March “Kraken Day,” the Seattle Kraken sent home their fans home happy with a thrilling win over the Nashville Predators. The Kraken snapped their seven-game losing streak, having not won since their February 11th matchup in Anaheim. Four different skaters scored for Seattle.

The best part of this game for the Kraken would be the two minute and thirty-eight second time frame in the second period where Seattle scored three goals. The offensive explosion was much needed, as in the seven-game losing streak, the Kraken had been outscored 29 to 13 by their opponents. Seattle’s inability to score has hurt them several times this season, but the Kraken were able to bring the fight to Nashville in this one. Centerman Alex Wennberg reflected on what it took for Seattle to pull this one out.

“It’s a great feeling, obviously. There’s three different lines that helped us score; I feel like that’s good for the team. You have everyone chipping in, doing their part. That was the key today, it was a team effort. Everyone was working hard; everyone was doing their part. To get rewarded and to get a win like this, that’s great. Obviously, there are parts of our game we need to work on, but right now we’ll take this win and take the best out of this. There’s a lot of good things to build from this,” Wennberg remarked.

The area to build on in the win is once again defensive miscues. Nashville’s goals came off of Seattle’s inability to clear the puck out of their defensive zone as well as getting caught in an odd man rush. These are mistakes that have plagued the Kraken all season. The difference in this game being that Seattle was able to hang in this game despite being down two goals early. The team dug in and overcame the deficit. Head coach Dave Hakstol spoke about his team’s defensive performance.

“We did a real good job throughout the game on five on five… We did a good job. Driedgs (Chris Driedger) was solid, and our penalty kill was outstanding in front of him,” Hakstol stated. When asked about the teams fight and about how they could have packed it in after going down early, Hakstol said “I don’t think our team has packed it in one time this year.”

What Hakstol said in that last quote is true. Outside of perhaps a game or two, the Kraken have always battled till the end of the game in all of their losses. Seattle always seems to stick around, and never seem to “pack it in.” With general manager Ron Francis saying that the team will be active in free agency, and the high probability of Matty Beniers joining the squad at some point next season, the Kraken should be competitive in the 2022-2023 campaign. There are players that have shown that they should stick around, and there have been nights like this game that show this team has the potential, they just need to solidify their defensive consistency.

The Kraken head on the road for their next set of games, starting on the fifth of March against the Washington Capitals with a 4PM PST

No. 2 Arizona Walks Away with 91-71 Win Over No. 16 USC

Brianne Ingram

March 1, 2022

Los Angeles, CA – The Arizona Wildcats (26-3, 16-2) looked very much like the number two ranked team in the country on Tuesday night and comfortably walked away with a 20-point 91-71 win over the No. 16 USC Trojans (25-5, 14-5).

Offensively, the Trojans got off to a cold start which opened the door for the Wildcats to jump out to a 21-8 lead.

“Our three leading scorers started out 3 for 23 from the field, and you can’t win like that,” said Trojan head coach Andy Enfield. “You’re not going to beat anybody let alone Arizona. So, our best players have to play well in big games, and they’ve done that most of the season.”

With this momentum, the Wildcats made a statement by throwing down three consecutive dunks and went up by 21 points with two minutes remaining in the first half, 46-25.

Arizona got out early in transition and this made all of the difference for the Wildcats as the Trojans failed to get back on defense.

“Tonight, we weren’t very good basketball players. Especially on the offensive end. I think our offense hurt our defense early in the game because we were missing some shots. We weren’t finishing, missing open threes, we had a couple of live ball turnovers, and they got out in transition. That transition stretch really hurt us. Then we came back and cut into the lead then three straight transition baskets,” said coach Enfield.

From this point on, this game was a goner.

Coach Andy Enfield discussed his team’s defensive adjustments in attempting to stop the bleeding.

“We tried to trap their ball screens a few times, we hard hedged, we soft hedged, we dropped coverage, and we switched. We did a lot of different things tonight. When you’re playing a team that’s very sharp, they’re hard to guard,” said coach Enfield.

Arizona led 51-27 at the half and took full advantage of USC’s lax defense coming out of the locker room.

The middle was wide open all day for the Wildcats and the Trojans couldn’t find an answer.

Bennedict Mathurin gave the Trojans the business and led all scorers with 19 points, grabbed five rebounds, dished six assists, and hustled for three steals.

The Trojans were ice cold from the three and went 4/18 3-PTs (22.2%) from distance.

The Wildcats scored 19 points off of the 12 Trojan turnovers.

“This is college basketball, and we’ll see what we have Saturday. We got to bounce back. We have a lot to play for. We have a Pac-12 tournament coming up, we got our crosstown rival on Saturday, and we got the NCAA tournament. No one is going to feel sorry for us. I’m sure not going to feel sorry for anybody. We gotta figure this out and get better,” said coach Enfield.

Trojan forward Isaiah Mobley also stated what he is looking forward to for March.

“We only lost five games, so we just have to learn from it. I’d rather lose now than in either of those tournaments, this was a teaching point. Get this one out now, and let’s just try to get the ball rolling for the rest of March.”

USC was on fire with a six-game winning streak and two huge road wins before Tuesday.

The Trojans previously lost to the Wildcats 63-72 in Tucson, AZ on Feb. 5 in their first meeting.

USC football coach Lincoln Riley and USC receiver alum Nelson Agholor were in attendance to show support for the Trojans.

The Trojans take a drive across town to face the UCLA Bruins for their season closer on Saturday, March 5 at 7 p.m.

Fairfax Caps Off Season to Win Boys Open Division Championship Title

Brianne Ingram

February 26, 2022

Los Angeles, CA – The Fairfax Lions (16-6, 10-0 league) defeated the King/Drew Golden Eagles (20-11, 10-0 league) to capture the CIF City Section Open Division Championship title 76-64 at Roybal Learning Center on Saturday evening.

Laker guard Russell Westbrook was in attendance to support his former high school coach Reggie Morris Jr.

This marks the Lion’s ninth City title and the first under Fairfax head coach Reggie Morris Jr.

Coach Morris Jr. expressed what this win means for his program.

“It was a great experience. The guys really fought. They came. We punched them. They came back but we were able to withstand the final punch. Just all of what we’ve been showing them and teaching them throughout the year about being tough and being resilient we were able to pull off.”

Senior Tyler Bey came through down the stretch with four consecutive shots for Fairfax to will his team to victory. He finished with 22 points.

Coach Morris shared how proud he was of Bey’s performance.

“We just been working with him about being resilient and tough and fighting through and tonight I’ve been saying that this was their graduation and he graduated tonight. He fought the whole game. I’m very proud.”

Fairfax applied the pressure early on King/Drew with a full court press that rattled the Golden Eagles and jumped out to a 13-2 lead at the 5:05 mark in the first quarter.

Fairfax led 37-20 at halftime to stay in the driver’s seat.

The Lions came out of the locker room and went up by as many as 17 points 42-25 with 4:49 minutes remaining in the third quarter.

King/Drew’s Kalib LaCount dropped 33 points, with 15 points in the third quarter.

LaCount did everything in his power to charge a comeback.

The Golden Eagles cut the lead to eight 48-40 with thirty seconds left to bring the King-Drew crowd on their feet at the tail end of the third period.

“In any game people are going to make runs. Kalib [LaCount] is such a good player with a heart as big as all outside. I’m glad we were able to just kind of be close and keep fighting with him. We knew they were going to make a run, we just had to match the run,” said coach Morris Jr.

King/Drew’s Donald Thompson started draining threes to cut the lead to eight 66-58 once again with 2:48 remaining in the fourth quarter, but too much firepower propelled the Lions to come out on top.

Bey added an exclamation point with a monster dunk as the final seconds of the clock expired. He blew a kiss to the crowd.

“My teammates made sure that I had the mindset that I just had to take over and just have trust in everything in all of the work that we put in. I really appreciate my teammates for all of that and we just came through with the dub,” said Bey.

Both teams came into the game with an undefeated 10-0 league record.

Coach Morris Jr. reflected on the 2021-2022 season.

“Season was interesting because of Covid. We had two pauses during the season and it kind of kept us from our growing, but we were able to use that time to kind of get better and get closer. So now I think we’re playing our best basketball down the stretch. We’ve been able to string games and keep guys healthy and you can kind of tell right now.”

Coach Morris Jr. also shared his thoughts on his team’s run for the State title.

“Right now, State is the cherry on top. We had a young team. We started three tenth graders and a junior. Whatever we can get after this we’ll take. We just want to represent ourselves and do the best that we can.”