St. Pius X-St. Matthias (Downey, Calif.) knocks off Desert Mountain (Scottsdale, Ariz.) behind its quick begin to seize the Platinum Division championship on the 2023 Tarkanian Basic. San Francisco-bound Tyrone Riley will get workforce going early in opposition to a membership that began its earlier three video games with a bang, solely to shortly fall behind in the beginning of the title recreation. St. Augustine (San Diego, Calif.) takes third place within the occasion’s high division.
The title recreation of the 11th Annual Tarkanian Basic pitted two groups that took completely different approaches to reaching Thursday afternoon’s championship recreation. St. Pius-St. Matthias (Downey, Calif.) got here into the sport realizing it might play with Desert Mountain (Scottsdale, Ariz.) and will play from behind, if vital. The Warriors most popular to not play from behind in opposition to a Desert Mountain membership that was the Platinum Division’s most explosive offensively and a really perfect state of affairs transpired. The Southeast L.A.-based membership received off to the quick begin it wanted and posted a wire-to-wire victory over a youthful membership that performed with no concern however might by no means overcome its personal rocky begin.
Desert Mountain star guard Kaden Home, a 6-foot-3 sophomore who got here into the title recreation averaging 34.7 ppg by way of the event’s first three video games however harm his hamstring within the 78-65 semifinal victory over Branson (Ross, Calif.), didn’t begin the sport. He took some additional time to warm-up behind the bench, however by the point Home entered the sport with 6:03 remaining within the first interval, St. Pius X-St. Matthias was already cooking. The Wolves trailed 8-0 by that point and finally went down 10-0 and Desert Mountain’s gradual begin was basically the distinction in St. Pius X’s 89-79 victory.
With the victory, St. Pius X-St. Matthias (8-1) turns into the sixth program from the huge CIF Southern Part in California to win the occasion’s high bracket. CIFSS groups have now received seven of 11 tournaments, as Stanley Johnson-led Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) captured the primary two championships in 2012 and 2013.
Even with Home within the recreation, the Warriors remained scorching, significantly senior 6-foot-6 wing Tyrone Riley, certainly one of California’s finest gamers whose assured demeanor brings out the most effective in his teammates. Riley had 10 factors within the first interval because the Warriors led 27-17 after eight minutes and he was as much as 24 factors by the point St. Pius X-St. Matthias took a 51-43 halftime lead. He solely missed three subject objective makes an attempt at that time.
“The power we had within the locker room…I nonetheless felt it throughout warmups and it carried over to our 10-0 begin,” stated Riley. “After we received our first recreation, we stated to ourselves ‘we are able to win this’. We knew if we might velocity them up, they’d get drained.”
Desert Mountain (9-2), in actuality, by no means received too drained, Home was simply considerably bothered by the hamstring and the Wolves’ different shot-makers had been harassed by the most effective and most dedicated defenders they noticed within the event, significantly 5-foot-8 senior (2024) David Mack after which 5-foot-8 2025 Saul Anaya off the bench. That defensive duo stored fixed stress on Home and his brother Kalek Home and the workforce’s third all-tournament participant, 6-foot-4 freshman Javon Bardwell.
“We knew it was going to be exhausting, however that they had been going to get drained finally, stated Mack, who was named all-tournament and completed the title recreation with six factors. “It was a tough job, however we stayed with it.”
Pictures across the rim additionally did not fall fairly like they did within the first three video games for Desert Mountain, due to the presence of 2025 ahead Doug Langford, who had seven factors, 5 rebounds and three blocked photographs within the first half. Langford additionally pressured Desert Mountain to play an enormous lineup and go only a bit deeper in its bench than it maybe wished to.
St. Pius X led 72-59 after three intervals, however Desert Mountain wasn’t performed but. It will definitely reduce its deficit to 77-73 as Langford (who completed with 13 factors, 10 rebounds and 4 blocked photographs) fouled out with 2:54 remaining. The Wolves, nonetheless, might get no nearer as St. Pius X hit just a few well timed photographs, continued to maintain up the defensive depth and hit simply sufficient free throws to return to Southern California with its tourney title in tow.
Senior Tylon Williams scored 9 factors, all within the first half, and senior Dayvon Gates netted 11 factors, all within the second half, to offer an enormous raise for St. Pius X. The unsung play of junior (2025) Tariq Bridges was additionally key all through the tourney, and he completed the championship recreation with 16 factors.
Riley scored seven factors after intermission to complete with 31 factors, however his impression on the sport by no means wavered. He had two key putbacks within the second half, contested photographs, jumped passing lanes and battled on the boards to complete with six rebounds, and 4 steals. The lefty wing was named the Platinum Division’s Most Invaluable Participant, averaging 22 ppg for the tourney.
St. Pius-St. Matthias head coach Donte Archie flashed a proud grin for Riley for the exhibiting his star senior had at Tarkanian after a considerably harm plagued summer time. “It is good to see him bounce again after his accidents, as some folks wrote him off,” Archie stated. “I am particularly completely happy for Tyrone as a result of I understand how good he’s.”
Sophomore Kalek Home (17.3 ppg in 4 tourney video games) led Desert Mountain 24 factors. Bardwell (15 ppg) completed with 13 factors. Earlier than fouling out with 35.5 seconds remaining, Kaden Home completed with 16 factors, 4 rebounds and three assists. For the event, he averaged 30 ppg and was certainly one of two serpentine sophomore guards among the many Tarkanian Basic’s scoring leaders. The opposite very good tenth-grader, Jason Crowe of Lynwood (Calif.) really did lead the tourney in scoring competing within the Ball Dawgs Division. He had two 50-point performances to complete with an occasion report 157 factors, whereas averaging 39.3 ppg.
Desert Mountain will get some much-needed relaxation earlier than enjoying within the VisitMesa.com Event in Arizona after the vacation. As for the Warriors, they’re within the Gold Division at The Basic at Damien and now are the prohibitive favorites to win that tourney’s second division.
St. Augustine (Calif.) coach Mike Haupt is called top-of-the-line coaches within the CIF ranks and that time was reiterated when he coached up his undersized membership to a 3rd place end in Tark’s high division, recording a 56-55 victory over The Branson Faculty.
St. Augustine (10-2) led 33-22 at halftime, however Branson (which fell to eventual runner-up Desert Mountain within the semis) stored chipping away. Branson (7-3) even took a 34-33 lead with 3:44 remaining within the third interval after trailing 31-17 late within the second interval. The sport went back-and-fourth from there, with the Bulls in place to tie the sport on their final possession with a 3-pointer. After a 3-point miss within the closing seconds, all Branson might muster with a two-point subject on the buzzer.
Branson’s Semetri Carr, a 6-foot-1 junior guard who completed with 11 factors, was joined on the 2023 Platinum Division All-Event workforce by Illinois-bound teammate Jase Butler, who completed the third place contest with 21 factors. For St. Augustine, Cal-St. Fullerton-bound LoLo Rudolph (six factors) made all-tourney for the second consecutive yr. He was joined by sophomore Jaden Bailes, who had a breakout event and netted 20 factors within the third place victory.
The next is the whole all-tournament workforce within the high division.
2023 Tarkanian Platinum Division All-Event Staff
MVP: Tyrone Riley, St. Pius-St. Matthias (Calif.) 6-6 2024 G (USF) 22.0 ppg
Doug Langford, St. Pius-St. Matthias (Calif.) 6-8 2025 PF (15 ppg)
David Mack, St. Pius-St. Matthias (Calif.) 5-8 2024 G
Javon Bardwell, Desert Mountain (Ariz.) 6-3 2027 G (15 ppg)
Kaden Home, Desert Mountain (Ariz.) 6-3 2026 G (30 ppg)
Kalek Home, Desert Mountain (Ariz.) 6-2 2026 G (17.3 ppg)
Jase Butler, Branson Faculty (Calif.) 6-4 2024 G (Illinois) 22.3 ppg
Semetri Carr, Branson Faculty (Calif.) 6-1 2025 G
Jaden Bailes, St. Augustine (Calif.) 6-2 2026 G (19 ppg)
LoLo Rudolph, St. Augustine (Calif.) 6-2 2026 G
Shon Abaev, Calvary Christian (Fla.) 6-8 2025 PF (18.8 ppg)
Pharaoh Compton, Arbor View (Nevada.) 6-7 2024 PF (San Diego St.) 16 ppg
Josiah Cunningham, Coronado (Nev.) 6-3 2024 G (18 ppg)
Eric Freeny, Centennial (Calif.) 6-4 2024 G (UCLA) 18.5 ppg
Aliaun Iscandari, Campbell Corridor (Calif.) 6-4 2024 G (20 ppg)
Nick Jefferson, Bishop Gorman (Nevada.) 6-1 2025 G (20.3 ppg)
Jaxon Johnson, Alta (Utah) 6-8 2024 F (Utah) 19.8 ppg
Jordyn Kee, Sagemont Prep (Fla.) 6-4 2024 G
Christian Reid, Mater Lakes (Fla.) 6-5 F (Southern Miss)
Kendyl Sanders, St. Bernard (Calif.) 6-6 2024 F (16 ppg)
D.J. Stickman, Clovis West (Calif.) 6-1 2024 G (11.7 ppg)
Bryson Tucker, O’Connell (Va.) 6-7 2024 G (24.5 ppg)
MORE TOURNEY TILE GAME ROUNDUPS
BallDawgs Division Championship:
Liberty Magnet (Baton Rouge, La.) 59, Weston Ranch (Stockton, Calif.) 49
The Patriots did an amazing job defensively and broke the sport open within the second quarter, outscoring Weston Ranch 17-4 in that stanza to take a 33-19 halftime lead. Weston Ranch received inside 49-42, however two missed free throws adopted by a Liberty Magnet 3-pointer set forth in movement the Patriots’ victory. Jaylen Peters, a 6-foot-6 ahead was an enormous distinction all tourney for Liberty Magnet (13-2), incomes division MVP honors and ending the title recreation with 11 factors. The Louisiana membership additionally restricted Cornell-bound sharp-shooter Mateen Rafiq of Weston Ranch (6-2) to eight factors and two 3-pointers. He completed the event with 20 made 3-pointers and averaged 20 ppg.
Spalding Division:
Carlsbad (Calif.) 53, Poly (Riverside, Calif.) 50
In top-of-the-line championship video games at Bishop Gorman, it was a nip-and-tuck affair within the second half after Carlsbad led by two factors (39-37) at halftime. Carlsbad (10-1) led 48-45 with 30 seconds remaining when Poly’s J-Rob Croy (19 factors) made a twisting lay-up to chop its deficit to at least one. Carlsbad’s Jordan Garner then made two free throws, however with seven seconds remaining, Croy tied the sport for Poly (10-4) at 50-50 on his fifth 3-pointer. The Lancers’ Tony Duckett, nonetheless, answered proper again by hitting a straight-away 3-pointer on the buzzer to provide his workforce the title. Duckett, an unsigned senior who helped himself tremendously at Tarkanian, was identify division MVP after scoring 21 factors.
Orleans Division:
Brentwood (Los Angeles) 71, Higley (Gilbert, Ariz.) 58
Jordan Houegban, a 6-foot-3 senior, had a terrific efficiency when his workforce wanted it essentially the most, flattening six 3-pointers and ending with 38 factors. Houegban is certainly one of California’s finest shooters. The Eagles begin two freshmen and play three extensively.
BallerTV Division:
Vista Murrieta (Calif.) 81, Desert Oasis (Las Vegas, Nv.) 40
The Broncos moved to 13-1 with a romp of a neighborhood membership. The division MVP was 6-foot-6 senior Donovan Ford, who netted 9 factors within the title recreation however was regular all event lengthy. 9 gamers scored within the straightforward victory for the Broncos. The important thing win was their 68-46 semifinal win over beforehand unbeaten Pasadena (Calif.), a workforce that got here into the sport ranked No. 22 in California, based on Cal-Hello Sports activities.
Ronnie Flores is the nationwide Grassroots editor of Ballislife.com. He might be reached at [email protected]. Do not forget to comply with him on Twitter: @RonMFlores
