Boys’ basketball: Loyola has reached peak form

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There might not be a hotter team in Southern California than Los Angeles Loyola (23-5), which has won 12 consecutive games and reached the Southern Section Division 1A final by winning three playoffs by margins of 40, 29 and 30 points.

To say the Cubs are peaking would be an understatement. They’ve knocked off 1AA semifinalist Etiwanda and 3A finalist North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake during the winning streak.

And they’ve reached this point without one of their best players, senior Ryan Oliver, who hasn’t played in a single game after tearing his ACL in late August.

It’s one of the finest coaching jobs of the season turned in by Jamal Adams, who was receiving stupid criticism early on from some fans for starting a freshman, Parker Cartwright, at point guard. Now everyone has gone silent because the Cubs are playing as a team, with many contributors.

Loyola could be very dangerous when the state Division I playoffs begin. First up, though, is Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley in Saturday’s 1A final.

-- Eric Sondheimer