SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO – Whether the coach likes it or not, Fairmont Prep’s boys basketball team just might have strengthened its candidacy for the CIF Southern Section’s Open Division.
The Huskies defeated Capistrano Valley Christian 72-67 on Tuesday in a San Joaquin League game at Capistrano Valley Christian High.
Fairmont Prep 6-5 senior guard Chol Deng led all scorers with 28 points and had 11 rebounds. Capistrano Valley Christian 6-3 senior guard Mac West scored a team-high 24 points with 11 rebounds for the Eagles.
Fairmont Prep, which improved to 10-3 overall and 3-0 in league, and Capistrano Valley Christian (13-3, 1-1) are on the “watch list” of candidates for the Southern Section’s elite Open Division. A few members of the Open Division selection committee were in attendance Tuesday at Capistrano Valley Christian.
The Open Division watch list debuted Monday with 24 teams for what is expected to be an eight-team division. The list was published in alphabetical order.
It would seem that many teams are stronger candidates than is Fairmont Prep for the Open Division that will include teams from various CIF-SS divisions. Fairmont Prep is classified as a Division 1 team via the CIF-SS power points system, but is not among the teams in the Division 1 top 16.
Still, Fairmont Prep’s quick-attack offense, space-eating zone and overall athleticism just might have impressed the Open Division committee members in Capistrano Valley’s tiny gym Tuesday.
Fairmont Prep coach Joedy Gardner was asked after the game if he thought the Huskies proved they are Open Division material.
“No,” he answered quickly. “We’re not quite there.”
For the first three quarters Fairmont Prep appeared to be getting there. The Huskies took a 61-40 lead into the fourth quarter.
But their offense struggled in the fourth quarter. Fairmont Prep made only 1 of 9 shots in the final quarter, and got eight of their 10 fourth-quarter points at the free-throw line.
Fairmont Prep 6-5 senior Chol Deng scored 27 points in the Huskies’ 72-67 win over Capistrano Valley Christian @ocvarsity @ocvarsityguy pic.twitter.com/glJx0g5m4h
— Steve Fryer (@SteveFryer) January 12, 2022
Fairmont Prep, No. 4 in the Orange County top 25, shot better than county No. 3 Capistrano Valley Christian did in the Eagles gym. The Huskies made 25 of their 57 shots (44 percent), including 6 for 16 on 3-pointers. Capistrano Valley Christian was 26 for 65 (40 percent) on all shots, 4 for 19 on 3s.
The Eagles struggled to find quality shots inside. The Huskies’ 2-3 zone had on the back side 6-8 junior Collin Acheampong and 6-5 Deng on the outside, and 7-foot freshman Maper Maker in the middle.
“That’s our team’s strength,” Deng said of the zone. “We work on it as a team every day.”
Deng in previous seasons displayed power and speed when slashing his way to the basket. On Tuesday he showed that he has developed a pull-up jumper, making a couple of those in the 14-16 feet range.
“He’s working on his mid-range shot,” Gardner said. “He hasn’t been able to do that shot the last two years. The last two days he’s starting to do it and tonight he hit a couple big ones.”
Capistrano Valley Christian’s fourth-quarter rally was led by West, who scored 11 points in the quarter, and junior guard Ariik Mawien who scored seven of his 18 points in the final quarter. The Eagles’ rally became more hopeful when Fairmont Prep senior point guard Myles Che fouled out in the fourth quarter after scoring 16 points.
Fairmont Prep had a 66-56 lead with just under two minutes to play. Mawien scored off of an offensive rebound to make it 66-69 with 1:03 remaining, his dunk on a lob pass from Makaih Williams made it 67-61, and Mawien’s 3-pointer with 18 seconds to go put the score at 67-64. Fairmont Prep senior guard Kristian Jemerson made five free throws in the remaining time to secure the Huskies win.
The teams play each other Jan. 27 at Fairmont Prep.
This post first appeared on ocregister.com
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