Bragging rights are always an impetus in rivalry games, but Friday’s showdown between Mira Costa and Redondo’s boys and girls basketball teams could very well have playoff implications in only the second Bay League contests of the season.
Three of the four teams dropped their league openers Tuesday meaning the losers of Friday’s games at Redondo will face an uphill battle for a championship in a league with no clear cut favorites. The girls play at 6 p.m. followed by the boys contest at 7:30 p.m.
After a successful non-league season, Mira Costa’s boys basketball team (13-4, 0-1) was stunned by visiting West (11-5, 1-0) Tuesday, falling to the Warriors 53-47. Cole Feaster led the Mustangs with 11 points and four assists, Max Watson scored nine points and Karl Acres added eight points in the loss.
Mira Costa entered league play after throttling Marywood Palm Valley 78-17 last Friday. Oliver Mausner scored a team-high 13 points including three 3-pointers; Jeremy Prim added 12 points and five rebounds and Chase Crandall had eight points and 10 rebounds for the Mustangs who had held off El Segundo 47-42 earlier in the week. Cooper Pugnale scored 13 points and Justin Strings added nine points in the win.
Going into the game, Mira Costa head coach Jeff Amaral said he and his coaching staff have been pleased with the progress the Mustangs have made this season.
“We are happy and proud of our efforts so far but realize that the Bay League is extremely competitive this season,” Amaral said. “Our goal is of course to win league but the top three finishers automatically qualify for the playoffs so we are focused on getting one of those spots and if everything turns out better that would be great.”
“Redondo has been playing really well against good competition up to this point,” Amaral stated. “We know that their guards are really talented especially Derek Biale. Ian Fox is coming back from an injury and he makes them a lot more dangerous. They also play extremely hard particularly on defense and each guy on their team plays his role very well. That game is going to be a mental test for us because we are going to have to match their intensity and toughness if we plan on winning at their place.
“The league is wide open in large part to how well everyone is playing and also because all the teams are replacing their leading scorers from last season. Leuzinger, in my mind, is the front-runner going in due to their experience but whichever teams can hold home court advantage and then steal a few games on the road will have the inside track for the top three spots.”
Following the Redondo Friday game, Mira Costa continues Bay League action Tuesday at Leuzinger in a 7:30 p.m. contest.
Leuzinger is ranked No. 6 while Mira Costa holds the No. 11 spot, Peninsula is at No. 14 and Pioneer League North Torrance is ranked No. 12 in the CIF Southern Section Division 2A poll.
In Division 3AAA, Bay League adversary West is ranked No. 7 and Lawndale is listed in the No. 9 spot.
Pioneer League foes South Torrance (No. 2) and Torrance (No. 8) are ranked in Division 3AA while Bishop Montgomery and Serra are ranked second and third, respectively, in Division 4AA.
Redondo (7-8, 0-1) lost a 3-point shooting duel in a 56-54 loss to visiting Peninsula Tuesday. Derek Biale’s game-high 23 points (including six 3-pointers) weren’t enough for the Sea Hawks, who also received 17 points (including five 3-pointers) from Brian Frew.
The loss was the second straight heartbreaker for Redondo. The Sea Hawks suffered a tough 61-57 home loss to North in a non-league contest last Friday. Biale had 16 points and five steals, Frew recorded nine points and 11 rebounds and Davion Goodall added nine points for Redondo but it was not enough to defeat the Saxons.
“This team is young and inexperienced, but resilient,” Redondo head coach Tom Maier said. “They do not quit. We hope the strong competition will help in our quest for a league championship, but there is no guarantee. We are healthy which is a big plus.”
Maier is now focusing on Friday’s game against Mira Costa which he knows will be an important league match up.
“In the Bay League, there is no one clear cut favorite although Leuzinger is very athletic,” Maier said. “Mira Costa is a rivalry with a new coach so anything is possible.”
After the game with the Mustangs, the Sea Hawks in a Coaches vs. Cancer charity game against Edison at Villa Park on Saturday and resume Bay League competition Tuesday with a 7:30 p.m. game at West.
Girls Basketball
The race for the Bay League title appears to be wide open with five of the six teams ranked in the CIF Southern Section polls.
Redondo was the lone Beach Cities basketball team to win its league opener. Ranked No. 9 in Division 2AA, Redondo (8-8, 1-0) defeated Peninsula (No. 5 in Div. 2A) 49-38 in a home game Tuesday.
Annie Park recorded 16 points and four steals; Taylor Smith added 11 points and six rebounds, Kourtney Noa had eight points and Bella Hall tallied six points and grabbed 14 rebounds for the Sea Hawks.
After hosting Mira Costa on Friday, Redondo will play at West on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Redondo entered Bay League competition by overcoming an 11-point first-half deficit to defeat visiting Gahr 60-53 in a non-league contest. Inara Nyingifa scored a team-high 22 points and grabbed 19 rebounds, Annie Park scored 15 of her 16 points in the final quarter and Taylor Smith added 11 points for the Sea Hawks.
Other local teams ranked in CIF pools include South Torrance (No. 11) and Torrance (No. 15) in Division 3AAA, Hawthorne (No. 11) in Division 3AA and Serra (No. 2) and Bishop Montgomery (No. 4) in Division 4AA.
Host Mira Costa (9-9, 0-1) entered the week ranked No. 15 in Division 2A but fell to visiting West (No. 1 in Div. 3AAA) 54-33 to open Bay League play on Tuesday. The win marked the first time in more than 10 years that the Warriors have defeated the Mustangs.
Ashley Reese led Mira Costa with 11 points.
After head coach Miranda Biteler’s Mira Costa quad plays at rival Redondo, the Mustangs travel to Leuzinger on Tuesday for a 6 p.m. tip-off.
Prior to its Bay League opener, Mira Costa defeated host North Torrance (No. 12 in div. 2A) 43-28 with Shaylyn Austin and Reese each scoring eight points.
The Mustangs then ran into a stifling defense at Bishop Montgomery, falling to the Knights 61-35. Keilani Ikehara led Mira Costa with 10 points and Rachel Humphrey added six points in the loss.
