Friday night’s CIF Open Division showdown between St. John Bosco and Loyola was expected to be one of the most entertaining games of the first round. Through the first three quarters, it appeared that expectation would prove incorrect, with the third-seeded Cubs leading by as many as 23 points late in the third quarter.
However, a desperate fourth-quarter rally from the Braves pulled them within a point with 12.4 seconds to play. But Loyola survived the scare with a 70-67 victory, as Bosco junior Tyler Dorsey missed a last-second 3-pointer.
The win is even more impressive for Loyola, considering it was without Arizona-bound senior point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwrght, who is no longer at the school. Senior Max Hazzard stepped into his role beautifully, scoring 18 points and dishing out 10 assists.
“A lot of people thought we were going to lose without (Jackson-Cartwright),” said Hazzard. “But we stepped up as a team tonight. That’s what good teams do.”
Things were competitive after the first eight minutes with the score tied at 11. Tyler Dorsey had six points in the first frame for Bosco and the Braves zone defense played well, limiting 7-foot UCLA-bound Thomas Welsh to just one point in the quarter.
But it was a whole different story in the second as the Cubs outscored Bosco 24-5, closing the frame on a 16-0 run to go up 35-16 at the half.
Consecutive 3-pointers from Thomas Lapham (12 points, 4 of 7 on 3-pointers) followed by triples from Hazzard and Joshua Lavergne keyed the run. Welsh had five blocks in the second frame alone, and finished with 20 points and 20 rebounds.
The Braves turned to a relentless press defense in the final frame to spur their comeback effort.
“When their backs were to the wall, like a wounded animal they came out kicking and scratching,” said Loyola coach Jamal Adams oF Bosco’s fourth quarter.
Dorsey (28 points) and sophomore Vance Jackson pulled the Braves back with a series of big shots, all while Loyola continued to turn the ball over. A valiant comeback came up just short as Dorsey’s final heave skidded off the rim and fell to Welsh.
“When you’re undisciplined, you’re going to lose to disciplined teams,” said Braves coach Derrick Taylor. “It’s the same problem we’ve had all year. This is a big-boy tournament.”
Loyola (25-2) will visit Redondo Union in the second round next Friday night, while Bosco (17-10) will visit Compton in the consolation bracket.
