Roundup: Kalib LaCount scores 35 points to lift King/Drew into Open Division semifinals
Kalib LaCount refused to left his King/Drew teammates go home without a victory. In an opening game of the City Section Open Division playoffs, he rallied his team to a 53-49 victory over Palisades, finishing with 35 points and six three-pointers.
“I feel confident all the time, even with a million people in the gym cheering against me,” he said. “We lost to them early in the season, but the difference tonight was we played much better defense.”
King/Drew will play at Taft on Tuesday. Taft received 33 points from Jordan Collins in a 66-60 win over Narbonne.
Fairfax 62, El Camino Real 48: Tyler Bey scored 14 points and had 10 rebounds for the Lions, who will host Birmingham on Tuesday. Birmingham defeated Venice 51-44.
Grant 73, San Pedro 57: Jeremiah Windham scored 24 points and Obed Vega had 18 points to send the Lancers into the City Section Division 1 semifinals. The Lancers will host Crenshaw on Tuesday. Crenshaw defeated Gardena 50-49.
Brady Dunlap starred late, lifting Harvard-Westlake to a 63-60 victory at Sierra Canyon for a berth in the Southern Section Open Division title game.
Westchester 55, Granada Hills 50: Despite 31 points from Khalil Forester, the Highlanders were beaten by top-seeded Westchester in a Division I quarterfinal. Teiahjio Gilpen scored 18 points.
Chatsworth 65, Hamilton 60: Jamaal Unuakhalu finished with 20 points in the Division I overtime victory.
St. John Bosco 73, Loyola 64: The Braves advanced to the Division 1 semifinals. Jack Turner scored 25 points. They will face Trinity League rival JSerra, which defeated St. Francis 65-56. Robert Diaz scored 26 points and Aidan Fowler 20. Buckley DeJardin had 23 points for St. Francis.
St. Anthony 75, Colony 54: St. Anthony dominated from start to finish.
It’s the fifth anniversary of a playoff doubleheader that featured nearly two dozen future college basketball players, five who made it to the NBA.
Baseball
Servite 6, San Juan Hills 1: Mikiah Negrete struck out six in six innings and Miles Scott had two RBIs for the Friars.
Fullerton 8, Dana Hills 2: Nate Norman had two doubles and two RBIs.
San Fernando 4, Verdugo Hills 3: Nathan Arceo finished with seven strikeouts and no walks in six innings. Eli Navarro and Angel Salas each had two hits.
Santa Monica 1, Hamilton 0: Colin Jones struck out 10 and allowed three hits.
Girls’ basketball
Garfield 61, Narbonne 46: Jada Barnes scored 25 points to lead the Bulldogs.
Palisades 57, Eagle Rock 49: The Dolphins advanced in the Open Division.
Granada Hills 61, King/Drew 33: The Highlanders improved to 23-2 as Marianne Boco scored 21 points.
Boys’ soccer
Birmingham 2, Canoga Park 1: David Diaz scored his 28th goal of the season to break a tie and send the Patriots into the Division I semifinals.
El Camino Real 3, Hamilton 0: Julio Chacon scored two goals for the top-seeded Royals.
South East 1, Palisades 1 (South East wins on penalty kicks): South East advanced to the Division I semifinals on penalty kicks.
Chavez 2, San Fernando 1: Chavez improved to 21-1-3 with a City quarterfinal victory. Chavez will play at Birmingham and South East will be at El Camino Real in the semifinals.
Servite 2, Godinez 0: Dylan Graham and Cristian Uriostegui each scored goals to send the Friars into the Southern Section Division 1 semifinals. The semifinal schedule: Huntington Beach at Servite and JSerra at Mira Costa.
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