It’s Hard to Top Results of Mission

There has been much discussion concerning which was the most competitive boys’ basketball league in the region.

The Mission League has performed better than any other in the playoffs, with four of its five teams still alive.

Notre Dame (22-5) and Chaminade (19-8) are in position to earn automatic berths for the state playoffs with victories in Southern Section Division III-AA quarterfinal games tonight. Notre Dame hosts La Canada (22-6) and Chaminade plays at Compton Centennial.

Notre Dame defeated La Canada, 68-67, in the championship game of the La Salle/Temple City tournament almost two months ago on a basket by Cody Pearson with 14 seconds to play. The two schools are equally matched, with neither having a dominant center and both relying on shooting guards.

La Canada is known for its motion offense, which uses a series of screens and passes that make it difficult for teams to play man-to-man defense. But the Spartans have enough quality three-point shooters that opponents don’t like to play zone.

Chaminade upset Ridgecrest Burroughs, 63-53, last Friday. The Eagles have been surging in recent weeks behind the play of 6-foot-2 senior Jordan O’Gilvie. Last week, O’Gilvie scored a career-high 35 points in an overtime victory over Ganesha and had 20 points against Burroughs. He’s averaging 20 points in his last six games.

The other two Mission teams still playing are top-seeded Crespi (20-6), which plays at Cerritos Valley Christian in a Division IV-AA quarterfinal game, and Loyola (17-8), which hosts Warren in a second-round Division I-AA game.

The Marmonte League has distinguished itself, with three teams still alive. In Division I-AA, Thousand Oaks (21-5) plays at Camarillo (15-13). In Division I-A, Simi Valley (20-8) hosts Claremont. In Division II-AA, Westlake (15-9) plays at Chaparral.

Oxnard (24-3), the No. 1-ranked team in the region by The Times, travels to Moreno Valley to play Canyon Springs in a Division I-AAA game. Highland (13-13) hosts Arroyo Grande in another I-AAA game.

Buckley (22-3) and Montclair Prep (13-13) will play tonight at Montclair Prep in a Division V-AA quarterfinal. It is a rematch of last year’s exciting playoff game, which Buckley won, 70-66. Eric Kaufman has been playing well for the Mounties. He had 30 points in a victory over Woodcrest Christian.

Other top boys’ basketball playoff games tonight include: Crescenta Valley hosting J.W. North in Division I-AA; Lancaster at Anaheim Canyon in I-A; Crespi at Cerritos Valley Christian, Orange Lutheran at Oak Park and St. Bonaventure at St. Paul in IV-AA.

The City Section girls’ soccer playoffs open today at 3 p.m. with Championship and Invitational division play. No. 1-seeded El Camino Real, No. 2-seeded Chatsworth, Granada Hills, Grant and Kennedy play home games.

In girls’ water polo, Southern Section Division II and III quarterfinals will be played today.

Staff writers Eric Sondheimer and Dan Loumena contributed to this report.

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Matchups

Today’s playoff pairings on D7