point

There have been good weeks and bad weeks for the Lakers this season.

Ahead of Friday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, they were trending downward after losing four of their last five games.

The Memphis game turned into a microcosm of that trend, with the Lakers building leads through effort and intensity only to see them crumble behind less-inspired play.

In the end, standout performances from Luka Doncic and LeBron James helped the Lakers surge late and hold on for a 128-121 win at Crypto.com Arena.

Doncic and James made sure the 15-point lead the Lakers held before it dissolved by the end of the third quarter wasn’t completely achieved in vain. Doncic made 17 of 20 free throws in scoring 34 points with eight assists and six rebounds, and James had 31 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

They got help from Jake LaRavia, who scored 21 points on eight-for-12 shooting in addition to nine rebounds and stellar defense. Marcus Smart had 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and Jaxson Hayes scored 12 points off the bench.

The Lakers improved to an NBA-best 11-0 when within five or fewer points of their opponent heading into the final five minutes.

“I think we have a lot of people that closed the game, especially (me), when LeBron, he took over today,” Doncic said. “(Jarred Vanderbilt) hit a big shot. Jake hit a big shot. Jaxson had a big dunk. So, it’s just everybody.”

Lakers center Jaxson Hayes dunks over Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (8) and center Jock Landale (31) in the fourth quarter Friday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

It was a group effort that helped the Lakers seal the win in the fourth quarter. It also marked the first time since March that Doncic and James scored at least 30 points in the same game.

“It was just playing and playing in rhythm,” James said. “We’re trying to find ways that we can be productive. Obviously, Luka did a great job of getting to the free-throw line. … He made a step-back three, a big-time shot there.

“Myself, just trying to sprinkle in a little bit here, a little bit there. Just trying to be consistent and be super efficient with my play. So we worked well off each other today and we led the group.”

The Lakers (21-11) went down 110-109 in the fourth quarter before going on a 12-2 run to take the lead for good.

The teams will meet again here Sunday night.

“We made some big-time plays offensively and we were sharing the ball, and guys made some big-time shots,” James said. “Vando’s three, Jake’s three on the other side of their bench at the end of the shot clock, Jax had a big-time dunk down the middle. So, those are key moments. And then defensively, we were able to get a couple shots, get a couple rebounds. That allowed us to kind of start pushing the lead up.”

Vincent update

Gabe Vincent (lumbar back strain) missed his seventh straight game, but Redick said the team hopes he can practice Saturday and that if he does, it will “be modified.”

Redick said Vincent will not play Sunday against the Grizzlies, but the hope is that he can play either at New Orleans on Tuesday or at San Antonio on Wednesday.

“We’ve got to get him exposure to live play, and with the travel day on Monday, that’s gonna be tough,” Redick said.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Morez Johnson Jr. scored a career-high 29 points, including 17 in the first half, and No. 2 Michigan beat No. 24 USC 96-66 on Friday night.

Roddy Gayle Jr. added 12 points for the Wolverines (13-0, 3-0 Big Ten), and Will Tschetter, Trey McKenney and L.J. Cason each scored 10.

Michigan is off to its best start since it won 17 straight games to start the 2018-19 season.

Jaden Brownell scored 16 points and Ezra Ausar added 15 for the Trojans (12-2, 1-2), whose only previous loss was by eight points against Washington on Dec. 6. Chad Baker-Mazara, who came into the game averaging 21 points, was hampered by early foul trouble and finished with 12 points on three-of-11 shooting.

Michigan starting guard Nimari Burnett was helped from the court with 16:25 left after falling during a battle under the basket. He went down to the floor and appeared to be bleeding above his eyebrow and holding his ankle. He sat on the bench the rest of the night.

The Wolverines bolted out to an 11-0 lead thanks to a defense that forced six early turnovers. USC got within five points twice in the first half and Michigan responded with a 32-19 run to build a 49-31 halftime advantage.

USC got no closer the rest of the way.

With a week to go before opening the Trinity League with a showdown against St. John Bosco at home, Santa Margarita continued its preparation Friday night, defeating defending state Open Division champion Eastvale Roosevelt 65-49 at JSerra.

The Eagles are 18-2 and have one final tuneup Saturday against Fairfax at St. Francis before facing the Braves on Jan. 9.

Santa Margarita almost lost a big lead in the second half before prevailing. The Eagles led 16-2 to start the game. Drew Anderson had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Kaiden Bailey added 14 points and Brayden Kyman 13.

St. Francis 58, Fairfax 41: The Golden Knights (15-2) received 18 points, 11 rebounds, 10 blocks and eight assists from center Cherif Millogo.

Seattle Rainier Beach 75, Mater Dei 67: Former Sherman Oaks Notre Dame senior Tyran Stokes had 26 points for Rainier Beach in Arizona. Zain Majeed led Mater Dei with 28 points.

Servite 76, Rolling Hills Prep 72: The Friars picked up a good nonleague victory before opening Trinity League play.

Campbell Hall 61, Arcadia 54: The Vikings picked up their biggest win of the season. Ean Britt finished with 21 points. Christian Rogers had 15 points.

Inglewood 112, St. Paul 57: Jason Crowe Jr., averaging 43.9 points, scored 50 points in the win at Morningside.

Redondo Union 89, Santa Barbara 54: Chace Holley scored 41 points for the Sea Hawks (15-3).

Calabasas 66, El Camino Real 49: Johnny Thyfault had 17 points for Calabasas.

La Mirada 68, Crespi 57: The Matadores (11-6) helped their Southern Section Open Division playoff hopes by knocking off the Celts. Jordyn Houston had 17 points.

Girls basketball

Ontario Christian 100, Carondelet 49: There’s no slowing down 16-0 Ontario Christian. Tatianna Griffin had 32 points and 11 rebounds. Kaleena Smith added 29 points.

Brentwood 73, Thousand Oaks 50: The Eagles handed Thousand Oaks its second loss of the season. Reena White scored 21 points.

Troy 59, Sonora 42: Lexi Joko scored a career-high 26 points for Troy in a league opener.

Will Bryson III of St. Paul stuck it out for his senior basketball season even though the team lost pretty much everybody to graduation except for him.

All he can do is his best, and that’s what he has been doing, including a 68-point performance two weeks ago in Las Vegas in a triple overtime game.

The 6-foot-4 guard is averaging 33.1 points a game for St. Paul (6-9) and showing dedication in that he stayed knowing the team might not be as good as last season’s 19-11 team, but he’d be the leader entrusted to help young players develop. On Friday, he faces the state’s leading scorer, Jason Crowe Jr. of Inglewood, in a noon game at Morningside. Bryson ranks as No. 3 in the state. Crowe is averaging 43.9 points and the two have been facing off since their youth days.

Coach Patrick Roy has been raving about Bryson’s contributions.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Kawhi Leonard scored 45 points, James Harden added 20 and the Clippers recovered from blowing a 21-point lead to beat the Utah Jazz on 118-101 on Thursday night, extending their winning streak to a season-best six games.

Leonard was the only Clippers starter on the floor for much of the fourth quarter. He singlehandedly matched Utah’s points in the period (20), with blood on his nose from what appeared to be a scratch.

The Clippers hit seven straight three-pointers, with Leonard making four, to pull away. Nicolas Batum finished with 14 points and went four for six from three-point range.

The Jazz rallied despite being without three starters. They were led by reserve Kyle Anderson with 22 points — his first 20-point game in nearly three years — and Brice Sensabaugh with 20. Anderson’s eight rebounds were a season high. Cody Williams also had 18 points, while Isaiah Collier had 16 points and 10 assists.

The game was tied six times in the third, when Utah took its first lead of the game.

The Clippers outscored Utah 28-7 to start the game. The Jazz missed their first six shots and had one rebound in the first six minutes.

Utah outscored the Clippers 33-22 in the second — when Leonard scored the Clippers’ first nine points — to trail 53-50 at halftime.

Utah played without Keyonte George (illness), Lauri Markkanen (knee) and Jusuf Nurkic (toe). The Jazz have dropped six of eight.

The Jazz had 58 points in the paint and their bench outscored the Clippers’ reserves 51-40.

Up next for the Clippers: vs. the Boston Celtics at Intuit Dome on Saturday.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Two years ago, a day after he decided to fire Alex Grinch as USC‘s defensive coordinator, Lincoln Riley made a promise to those concerned about the future of the Trojans’ defense.

“I have complete belief, conviction. We will play great defense here,” the coach said in November 2023. “It is going to happen. There’s not a reason in the world why it can’t.”

Two years later, another defensive coordinator is out the door at USC. The day after Grinch’s replacement, D’Anton Lynn, left to take the same job at Penn State, Riley stood in front of reporters, assuring everyone once again that soon enough, USC would be great on that side of the ball.

“The arrow,” he said Tuesday, “is pointing straight up.”

“The opportunity for us to make a hire, to continue to make us better and to go from being a very good defense to being a great defense is the goal.”

Yet patience on that promise is wearing thin, especially given how the season had ended less than an hour before. USC blew a 10-point lead in the final five minutes against Texas Christian on Tuesday, a team playing without its star quarterback, before missing four tackles on a third-and-20 walk-off touchdown in overtime. The disastrous Alamo Bowl defeat would serve as an especially sobering reminder that while USC made progress under Lynn, it’s still a ways from heeding Riley’s guarantee.

And now, the defense will have to start again, with a new direction, a new scheme and a new coordinator, who will be Riley’s third hire in five seasons at USC.

In spite of all that, Riley was upbeat when asked about the unit’s future Tuesday night. He felt “fantastic,” he said, about where USC’s defense was headed.

“We have the personnel,” Riley said of becoming a great defensive unit. “We’re on an upward trend. And, you know, there’s going to be a lot of interest in this job.
I mean, this will be an extremely, extremely coveted job, and I can already tell by the nature of what my phone’s been like the last couple of days.”

Several potential candidates with deep experience, as well as close ties to USC athletics officials, are expected to be available.

Former Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski, who worked at Washington under current USC athletic director Jennifer Cohen, was let go by the Longhorns earlier this month. Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden, meanwhile, worked closely with USC general manager Chad Bowden at Notre Dame and could be looking for a job as soon as next week.

Both coached college defenses that ranked in the top four in the nation in points allowed during the 2024 season.

USC appeared bound for a similar trajectory after Year 1 with Lynn. The Trojans allowed 10 fewer points per game, leaping from 121st in scoring defense under Grinch to 56th in his first season at USC. They got stingier on third down — 106th nationally to 21st — and in the red zone — 119th to 69th. Lynn was even named candidate for the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant.

In some respects, USC’s defense continued to take steps forward in Year 2 under Lynn. It gave up fewer points and fewer yards per game. The pass rush improved, adding 10 sacks to its season total in 2025.

But the personnel on defense was less proven this season — and more prone to mistakes. The secondary struggled through stretches. A thin group of linebackers was often overwhelmed. The defensive interior was manhandled for most of the season, and in each of their three regular-season losses, the Trojans were trampled on the ground.

Last month, when asked about the group’s inconsistency, Lynn said that USC’s youth forced him to “scale back” significantly on defense. He actually wondered, in the wake of USC’s loss to Oregon, if he shouldn’t have scaled back the defense even more this season.

“It’s different when you’re teaching an 18-year-old versus teaching a guy who has been at two to three schools who has already played a bunch of college ball,” Lynn said.

Lynn, nonetheless, leaves USC in a better place than when he arrived. The nation’s No. 1 recruiting class lands on campus next week, with plenty of highly ranked reinforcements on the way. Talented freshmen like defensive linemen Jahkeem Stewart and Floyd Boucard as well as defensive back Alex Graham are rising stars who should be ready to step into significant roles.

But USC will have to replace three starters in the secondary, including Kamari Ramsey, its best linebacker [Eric Gentry] and its top run stopper on the defensive line [Anthony Lucas]. Whomever takes over as coordinator will be expected to take a significant step forward immediately, up against one of the nation’s toughest schedules in what should be a decisive season for the program.

Then there’s the matter of Riley’s job security, which could make any available top coordinator queasy.

Yet as far as the coach is concerned, the path to finding a great coordinator and fielding a great defense isn’t that far off from what USC has now.

“I definitely don’t want to press reset,” Riley said. “I’m excited about the process, and I think it’s going to make us better, I know it will. So, we’ll wake up tomorrow morning and we’ll get on it.”

The scouting report was clear. The Pistons (25-8) were second in the league in points in the paint. They were third in points off turnovers and third in turnovers forced.

The Lakers played directly into Detroit’s hands.

Detroit scored 74 points in the paint, the most allowed by the Lakers all season, and capitalized on 21 Lakers turnovers for 30 points. Entering the game, the Pistons’ 58.1 points in the paint per game were only narrowly behind Oklahoma City’s league-leading 58.2.

“We’ve got to definitely match their physicality,” said Luka Doncic, who led the Lakers with 30 points and 11 assists, but had eight turnovers, which is tied for his second-most in a game this season. “That’s the whole point. We got to match how they play.”

Last week, the Lakers faced Phoenix and Houston, two teams with similar styles to Detroit. The Suns averaged 59 paint points in their two wins over the Lakers in December compared to 44 in the Lakers’ Dec. 14 win. The Rockets poured in 68 paint points on Christmas Day.

The Pistons made more shots in the paint (37) than the Lakers attempted (34) and kept their shooting percentage sky-high when three-pointers started to fall. Detroit, which had been shooting 34.7% from three this season, made 11 of 24 (45.8%) from beyond the arc Tuesday.

“We had a game plan,” James said as the Lakers allowed a season-high 63.2% shooting from the field. “We understand that they’re probably No. 1 in points in the paint in the NBA. They get a lot of their points off fast breaks and in the paint. So we knew we’d try to make them miss from the outside and they made some tonight and that’s OK.”

Marcus Sasser hit four of six from three, all in the second half, to finish with 19 points off the bench. Cade Cunningham starred for the Pistons with 27 points and 11 assists.

WITH its vast skies, golden sand and rippling dunes, the Lincolnshire coastline is brimming with brilliant beaches.

Of course, you’ve got traditional seaside towns with piers, promenades and bucket-and-spade fun, such as Skegness, Mablethorpe and Cleethorpes.

These are also often the best-rated options thanks to their family-friendly touches and scenic beauty – but there’s plenty more to explore. 

If you’re looking to escape the crowds, do some birdwatching or walk your dog, there’s a beach with your name on it.

You’ll also find beachside pubs, nature reserves and quirky art installations along Lincolnshire’s more than 50-mile stretch of coast.

So the hardest question on your next £9.50 Holiday will be: which beach should you visit first? 

We’ve spoken to local experts and Sun readers who have already enjoyed a £9.50 Holiday near the Lincolnshire coastline to get their recommendations for the best beaches to visit.

We’ve also selected some of the county’s top-rated options and suggested our own pick of where not to miss.

So grab your buckets and spades, binoculars or swimsuit and head to one of these… 

Best for families

With its traditional English seaside feel, Mablethorpe Beach is a beautiful, Blue Flag award-winning beach.

Its soft golden sand stretches as far as the eye can see, offering endless sandcastle-building potential.

You’ve also got donkey rides on the sand, plus a fairground nearby and beachfront cafes like the highly-rated Snack Shack selling everything from fish and chips to ice cream.

There’s even a little land train that takes you up and down the coast for £2.

Sun reader Linda McDonnell, 71, from Lincoln, says Mablethorpe is an “unbelievable” beach, especially on a sunny day, adding that it is “nice and safe” for families.

She also says not to miss the Time and Tide Bell – a sculpture on the sand with bells that are rung by the waves at high tide. “It’s great if you’re into quirky things,” she added.

Best for wave watching – or wave riding 

Alex Trembath, creator of the Lincoln and Beyond blog, says: “The Lincolnshire coastline is one of the UK’s most underrated beach destinations.

“Skegness used to have a reputation for being a tacky resort town, but these days it has clean, Blue Flag beaches and you can always find a quieter spot if you want.

“My personal favourite beach is Huttoft (south of Mablethorpe). It’s quieter than Skegness and Mablethorpe and is great for surfing and swimming.

“It also has a large car terrace for wave watching whatever the weather.”

There have been an increasing number of wave riders in Lincolnshire since the seventies, with Sutton on Sea, Sandilands and Huttoft, being popular surf spots, especially in winter. 

Best hidden beaches

Daniel Start is the author of Hidden Beaches Britain by Wild Things Publishing (£16.99), which features over 500 hidden coastal locations.

He recommends Anderby Creek, around ten miles north of Skegness, describing it as “a perfect hidden beach with endless golden sands backed with dunes and with very few people.”

While there, you can even check out Britain’s first official cloud-spotting station, complete with parabolic mirrors, roof-top loungers and a “cloud bar” menu. 

Best for nature lovers

Nature lovers can take their pick of beaches packed with wildlife and natural attractions in Lincolnshire.

A few miles south of Skegness, Gibraltar Point is a nature reserve right on the seafront – with more wildlife than human visitors.

Daniel Start says: “There are dunes and wildflower meadows galore at the exotically-named Gibraltar Point.

“Flocks of migrating birds also gather here – up to 10,000 dunlins at a time may break from their migration, descending from the clouds.

“The sea here is shallow but when you run out through the breakers – the huge expanse of the Wash to the south, dunes and meadows behind – you’re reminded of the immensity of nature and the vast tracts of open space still left in Britain.”

Travel north for around 40 minutes up the coast, and you’ll enter the Lincolnshire Coastal Country Park, a five-mile stretch of coastline from Sandilands to Chapel St Leonards.

Sandilands is a good place to start, with coastal birds to spot, weekly walks to join and a National Trust cafe to refuel in. 

Best beach with a pub

You can’t get much closer to the beach than the Admiral Benbow, which is a quirky pub right on the sand at Chapel St Leonards.

Named after the inn in the book Treasure Island, it has a fun, nautical pirate theme that extends to the outdoor seating area – located inside a wooden boat on the beach.

Sun reader John Ellis, 72, from Sheffield, has visited, and said: “It has a fun atmosphere”.

Meanwhile, head north up the coast to Sutton on Sea, where the highly-rated Beach Bar has great sea views and serves good value food, like seafood and beef wellington. 

Best for dogs

Sarah Al-Aidi, General Manager at Southview Holiday Park, said: “There’s a dog-friendly stretch of beach with free council parking that not many people know about.

“It’s at the end of Skegness – about a good five-mile stretch all the way past Ingoldmells and up to Chapel St Leonards, which is all dog-friendly all year long.

“The rest of the beaches are all restricted for dogs in the summer.”

Joanne Green, General Manager at Sunnydale Holiday Park also has a lesser-known dog-walking route to suggest.

She said: “As you come out of our park, turn left and you’re on the salt marshes, which are brilliant for walking dogs.

“People don’t tend to go there because they get to the top of the ramp and they see just salt marshes.

“But if they walk for ten minutes towards the water, there’s a stunning beach with white sand called Saltfleet.

“There are usually not many people there and you can walk all the way to Mablethorpe along the beach from here if you want.”

The Lakers are still searching for an identity after 31 games, a task complicated by injuries that have depleted their rotation for much of the season.

They’re lacking a defensive personality. They haven’t been a physical team, an overly athletic team or a fast team.

The Lakers got a close look at a team that embodies all of those characteristics in a 128-106 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.

Coach JJ Redick acknowledged the Lakers are still trying to figure out who they are and how they can fix their issues after losing for the fourth time in five games.

Lakers star LeBron James is fouled by Detroit Pistons guard Javonte Green (31) in the first half Tuesday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

“The players, staff, everybody, we’ve really tried to play the right way every night and have the right intent,” Redick said. “The flow of lineups and rotations and all that has been challenging for everybody, not just the coaches. It’s a challenge for the players. And building an identity is difficult.”

“I think that’s hard to figure out with this team right now.”

It’s been hard because starters Austin Reaves (calf) and Rui Hachimura (calf) are out. Key rotation player Gabe Vincent (back) is also out. In addition, LeBron James missed the first 14 games with sciatica.

The Lakers’ roster has been completely healthy for just two games this season.

“We got some very important guys out right now,” said James, who scored 17 points on his 41st birthday. “So that’s very hard to get a rhythm of chemistry on the floor with guys that you know you’re gonna play with every night. Guys you know are going to come in with the subs and patterns and things like that.

“But still no excuse. We still got to go out and execute and I think we did that tonight. I thought, like I said, the turnovers were too many pick-sixes, but we came in, we played hard, we executed. The better team tonight won.”

What the Lakers (20-11) haven’t done much all season is play defense at a high level.

That was the case against the Pistons (25-8), who shot 63% from the field and 46% from three-point range. They had 74 points in the paint, getting inside with ease. They also had 31 fast-break points. The Lakers had 21 turnovers, eight coming from Luka Doncic, who finished with 30 points and 11 assists.

“We’ve got to definitely match their physicality,” Doncic said. “That’s the whole point. We got to match how they play.”

The Lakers’ 11 losses have been by an average of 20.3 points per game.

The Lakers got better on defense in the third quarter. After giving up 36 points in the first quarter and 34 in the second, the Lakers gave up 26 in the third and were down 96-88.

But they fell apart in the fourth, giving up an 18-6 run that put them in a 20-point hole midway through the quarter. The Lakers turned the ball over six times during that stretch, leading Redick to call a timeout with six minutes remaining.

That still didn’t stop the Pistons from building a 26-point lead and coasting to victory.

“Yeah, I think we just let off of the rope a little bit,” Doncic said. “Like I said, I think we played good basketball for three quarters, physical basketball. We just kind of let go of the rope.”

Lakers guard Luka Doncic, right, inadvertently hits Detroit Pistons forward Ronald Holland II (5) in the face after Holland steals the ball in the second half Tuesday night.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Kawhi Leonard scored 33 points and the Clippers extended their winning streak to a season-best five games Tuesday night with a 131-90 victory over the Sacramento Kings.

James Harden had 21 points while John Collins and rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser each added 16 for the Clippers, who have found a successful formula after not winning more than two consecutive games before their current run of success began.

Leonard’s productive night came after he scored a career-best 55 points in a victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. He has averaged 37.8 points over the past five games.

The Clippers’ win streak started on the same night center Ivica Zubac went down with a left ankle sprain. Zubac has not played in any of the past four games.

Nique Clifford scored 18 points while Maxime Raynaud and Russell Westbrook each had 12 for the Kings, who fell to 3-12 since Nov. 26. Raynaud also grabbed 12 rebounds, but Sacramento lost its fifth consecutive road game.

Westbrook added four assists and a pair of three-pointers against his former team.

The Clippers left little doubt from the start. They led 34-20 after one quarter and were up by 36 in the second before taking a 70-43 advantage into halftime. They shot 57.1% from the floor in the second quarter while scoring 39 points, with Leonard delivering 18 of them.

Leonard had 30 points through three quarters as the Clippers led 100-71 and coasted from there.

The Clippers shot 51.1% from the field overall while posting its largest margin of victory this season. Sacramento shot 41% from the floor.

The Clippers committed just four turnovers while forcing the Kings into 19 that they turned into 28 points.

Up next for the Clippers: vs. the Utah Jazz at Intuit Dome on Thursday.

Ethan Hill and Shalen Sheppard were the twin towers for Brentwood’s boys basketball team last winter. Now, without one of his best buddies, Hill is learning to cope just fine — and his teammates are following his lead.

The 6-foot-7 sophomore forward had 32 points and 18 rebounds while earning all-tournament honors as the Eagles held off Millikan 75-68 to win the Silver Division championship Tuesday afternoon in the Classic at Damien.

To the surprise of his coaches and teammates, Sheppard decided at the end of September to transfer to Crossroads in Santa Monica. He is one of the highest-rated players in his graduating class.

Shalen Sheppard scores 22 points for Crossroads in a Gold Division consolation game against San Joaquin Memorial during the Classic at Damien on Dec. 30, 2025.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

“Honestly, I was just shocked,” Hill said upon learning of Sheppard’s departure. “We’ve been playing together since eighth grade. We just had the craziest chemistry. It’s a bigger challenge without him, but I believe we’re up to it. Our coaching staff pushed us hard every day.”

Led by their two fantastic freshmen, the Eagles went 25-5 last season. Sheppard averaged 16.6 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while Hill averaged 8.4 points and 5.5 rebounds.

“Leaving Ethan was one of the hardest parts about transferring,” said Sheppard, who scored 22 points in the Roadrunners’ 57-48 loss to San Joaquin Memorial in a Gold Division consolation game earlier in the day at Ramona Middle School. “I play AAU with him and he’s one of the first people I called the night I decided.”

The sit-out period for transfers ended right before the Damien tournament. With four games under his belt, Sheppard is adjusting to being without his frontcourt mate.

“I was getting double-teamed a lot so I got a little tired but as a squad we’re playing real tough teams right now,” he said. “It’s hard without Ethan. Him being a big body and taking up the middle cleared a lot of space for me. I might go over and watch his game later.”

Crossroads (9-8) faces a huge test Saturday against Crean Lutheran, ranked fifth in the Southland by The Times. On Tuesday, Crean Lutheran fell to No. 10 Crespi 57-54 for third in the Platinum Division.

“I have more gym time because Crossroads is not as academically rigid,” Sheppard said. “Traffic was a factor also. I live in the same place, but I can take the Metro or the bus to school. Sunset [Boulevard] at rush hour wasn’t fun.”

Brentwood guard AJ Okoh drives for a layup on his way to MVP honors in the Silver Division championship game of the Classic at Damien on Tuesday.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Meanwhile, Hill and junior guard AJ Okoh are building chemistry, and it showed against Millikan. Okoh dished out four assists and scored 23 points, including a three-pointer which gave the Eagles a five-point cushion with 1:30 remaining. He was named most valuable player. Fellow guard Auggie Sugarman netted 14 points and named to the all-tournament team.

“AJ and I complement each other well,” said Hill, whose scoring was as balanced as can be — 11 points in the first quarter, six in the second, eight in the third and seven in the fourth. “He gets downhill quick and his passing ability is amazing.”

Senior Jeremiah Hunt made seven three-pointers to keep the Rams (11-6) in striking distance and finished with a game-high 34 points. Freshman guard Quali Giran, who entered the contest averaging 24.5 points per game, finished with 18 points and eight assists and joined Hunt on the all-tournament team.

Crespi’s Rodney Mukendi tries to block a jump shot by Crean Lutheran’s Chadrack Mpoyi in the third-place game of the Platinum Division in The Classic at Damien on Dec. 30, 2025.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Brentwood, ranked 19th in The Times’ Top 25 poll, has won seven in a row since its lone loss to Goodyear (Ariz.) Millennium on Dec. 17 and improved to 17-1. The Eagles beat Woodland Hills Taft, Newport Beach Pacifica Christian and Dublin on their way to the finals.

“Not having Shalen puts a lot more attention on me and that frees up my teammates,” Hill said. “We have the same goal, to go all the way and I have all the confidence and belief in us.”

Hill and Sheppard look forward to reuniting Jan. 9 in the first of two Gold Coast League matchups between their schools.

Aided by aggressive offensive rebounding, Rolling Hills Prep led from start to finish to hand Arcadia only its second defeat of the season 50-37 in a semifinal game of the Classic at Damien Gold Division on Monday.

Rolling Hills Prep (13-2) appears to have found itself after back-to-back losses earlier this month to Los Alamitos and Loyola. The arrival of sit-out period transfer point guard Carter Fulton certainly has helped. He had 10 points on Monday. The Huskies opened a 25-8 lead midway through the second quarter. Arcadia dropped to 11-2.

Kawika Suter had a big game for the Huskies with 22 points and 16 rebounds. Nick Welch Jr. had 16 points and 11 rebounds. Rolling Hills Prep will play Folsom at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

Redondo Union 79, Crean Lutheran 55: SJ Madison had 23 points for Redondo Union, which will face Phoenix (Ariz.) Sunnyslope in Tuesday’s Plantium Division championship game. Redondo Union has a win this season over Sunnyslope. Sunnslope defeated Crespi 65-48 in the other semifinal.

St. Pius X-St. Matthias 68, Francis Parker 63: Dominic Gallardo scored 18 points and Dayvion Gates had 17 points for 9-4 PMA.

Inglewood 92, Austin (Tx.) St. Michael’s 80: Jason Crowe Jr. scored 54 points and passed the 4,000-points mark in win.

Brentwood 70, Dublin 64: The Eagles (16-1) made it to their divisional final at Damien. Auggie Sugarman had 16 points and Ethan Hill added 15 points and 14 rebounds. They will face Long Beach Millikan, a 68-62 winner over Hesperia in which Jeremiah Hunt had 26 points and freshman Quali Giran added 20 points.

San Gabriel Academy 60, Arizona Mesa 57: Mahamadou Diop had 21 points and nine rebounds for San Gabriel Academy.

Damien 57, Phoenix Sandra Day O’Connor 51: Eli Garner finished with 30 points for Damien.

La Mirada 62, Utah American Fork 46: Gene Roebuck scored 22 points and Jordyn Houston 17 for the Matadores.

Corona Centennial 64, Dallas Parish Episcopal 61: Jayden Yim had 17 points for the 15-3 Huskies.

Etiwanda 67, Loyola 64: Devin Mitchell contributed 18 points and nine rebounds for 16-1 Etiwanda in an overtime victory. Deuce Newt had 29 points for Loyola.

Layton Christian (Utah) 70, Eastvale Roosevelt 59: Jackson Higgins had 18 points for Roosevelt.

Richmond Salesian 61, St. John Bosco 58: Christian Collins led the Braves with 26 points and 11 rebounds. Gavin Dean-Moss had nine assists.

Cleveland 71, Redwood 62: Emmitt Claiborne had 20 points and Charlie Adams 19 for the Cavaliers, who will play in the Silver consolation championship game on Tuesday at San Dimas.

Eastside 82, West Ranch 60: Wydell James had 26 points for 12-2 Eastside at St. Francis.

St. Anthony 77, Washington Mercer Island 49: The Saints advanced to the championship game of the Tustin tournament. Jamil House had 19 points.

Mater Dei 88, Nevada Clark 74: Luke Barnett made seven threes and finished with 28 points.

Mayfair 52, Crossroads 48: Josiah Johnson had 15 points for 7-3 Mayfair.

St. Bernard 82, Democracy Prep 75: Chris Rupert scored 23 points, Gary Ferguson 18 and Jordan Ballard 16 for St. Bernard.

Summit 67, Viewpoint 48: Solomon Clanton Jr. had 18 points for Viewpoint.

St. Francis 74, Calabasas 59: The Golden Knights advanced to the championship game of their own tournament. Cherif Millogo had 25 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks. Will Ellien added 23 points.

Harvard-Westlake 94, Nevada Democracy Prep 52: Pierce Thompson had 21 points for the 16-2 Wolverines.

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 81, Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha 62: NaVorro Bowman scored 20 points, Caleb Ogbu 17, Josiah Nance 15 and Zach White had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

San Pedro 67, Merced Stone Ridge Christian 40: AJ Bobich led the Pirates (11-3) with 14 points.

JSerra 63, Mission Bay 50: Jaden Bailes and Micah Cunningham each scored 14 points for JSerra.

Santa Margarita 80, Washington Puyallup 52: The Eagles improved to 16-2. Kaiden Bailey had 23 points and Brayden Kyman 22 points.

Girls basketball

Brentwood 46, Bothell (Wash.) 32: Logan Scott had 12 points and Mikaella Kawahito 11 for the Eagles in the semifinals of the WNBA Gold in San Diego.

Oak Park 57, La Jolla Country Day 53: Maya Deshautelle and Ava Rogerson each scored 14 points for Oak Park.

Ontario Christian 76, Houston Summer Creek 54: The Knights improved to 15-0. Dani Robinson had 22 points and Tatianna Griffin 18.

Bishop Montgomery 53, Alameda 39: Sophia Dignadice had 15 points for the Knights.

Windward 64, Bakersfield Christian 52: The Wildcats went 4-0 in Las Vegas. Charis Rainey had 27 points and 13 rebounds.

Sierra Canyon 77, Washington Bellevue 57: Cherri Hatter had 27 points for Sierra Canyon.

Troy 65, Beckman 42: Freshman Rilynn Robinson scored 20 points for Troy.

Macklin Celebrini became the third player with 60 points this season with a goal and two assists in the San José Sharks’ 5-4 victory over the Ducks on Monday night.

Mario Ferraro, Igor Chernyshov, William Eklund and Zach Ostapchuk also scored for the Sharks, who earned their second win since the holiday break despite getting outshot 43-13. Yaroslav Askarov made 38 saves.

Troy Terry scored two goals, Cutter Gauthier got his 19th goal and Pavel Mintyukov also scored for the Ducks, who have lost three straight and seven of nine while falling out of first place in the Pacific Division. Lukas Dostal allowed four goals on nine shots before Petr Mrazek replaced him during the second period.

With his seventh multipoint game of December, Celebrini needed just 39 games to get 60 points — the most scored by a teenager before New Year’s Day in the NHL. He also extended his points streak to eight games.

Celebrini left the ice after getting hit in the face by a deflected puck in the third period, but returned several minutes later.

Alexander Wennberg set up San José’s first two goals with exceptional passes, but Anaheim scored off an atrocious turnover by Askarov. He gave away the puck behind his net to Nikita Nesterenko, who found an uncontested Terry.

Celebrini scored his 21st goal late in the first, and he set up Chernyshov’s second career goal in the second. Eklund chased Dostal with his 10th goal after another clever pass by Celebrini.

Gauthier scored late in the second before setting up Mintyukov early in the third.

San José scored on two of its three shots in the second period, and it didn’t put the puck on Anaheim’s net in the first 11 minutes of the third. Ostapchuk still made it 5-3 on a long tip with 6:13 to play, but Terry scored moments later with Mrazek pulled.

DENVER — Nathan MacKinnon scored the 399th goal of his career, Brock Nelson had a goal and an assist, and the surging Colorado Avalanche won their eighth in a row, 5-2 over the Kings on Monday night.

MacKinnon added an assist to go with his NHL-leading 32nd goal this season. Jack Drury, Cale Makar and Martin Necas also scored for the Avalanche, who have won 14 in a row at home.

Colorado has points in 28 of their last 29 games and are 10-0-1 in their last 11 to continue their historic start to the season. Colorado reached 65 points in 38 games, second all-time to the 1929-30 Boston Bruins.

Corey Perry scored and Joel Armia added a short-handed goal for the Kings, who have lost seven of nine.

Drury opened the scoring midway through the first period and Perry tied it with a power-play goal 5:15 into the second period.

Necas put Colorado back in front later in the second when he tapped in a puck that was sitting on the goal line. Nelson’s snap shot beat Anton Forsberg over his left shoulder with 2:30 left in the second.

Forsberg finished with 21 saves for the Kings.

Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 23 shots, including a save on Adrian Kempe’s short-handed breakaway late in the second period.

He couldn’t stop Armia, who skated the length of the ice and scored through the pads during a Colorado power play.

It was the NHL-leading seventh short-handed goal of the season for the Kings.

Forsberg came off for an extra skater with 2:26 remaining and MacKinnon scored an empty-netter with 1:37 remaining. Makar added another goal with 45 seconds to go to seal it.

Up next for the Kings: vs. Tampa Bay at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday.

First clue that someone is serious about pingpong: They call it table tennis.

Second clue: They bring their own paddle.

Timothée Chalamet dropped a third clue on movie sets all over the globe. To prepare for his role in the delightfully frenetic “Marty Supreme,” the two-time Oscar nominee traveled for years with a table in tow, training and presumably enjoying the sport at the center of the current holiday season hit.

Director Josh Safdie enlisted the husband-and-wife table-tennis teaching tandem of Diego Schaaf and Wei Wang — a former U.S. Olympian — to elevate Chalamet’s game as well as serve as technical advisors on set.

But Chalamet was already playing nearly well enough to emulate a world champion on screen. He’d taken lessons and done his homework — setting up a table in the living room of his New York apartment and playing throughout the pandemic.

“Everything I was working on, it was this secret,” Chalamet told the Hollywood Reporter. “I had a table in London while I was making ‘Wonka.’ On ‘Dune: Part Two,’ I had a table in Budapest [and] Jordan. I had a table in Abu Dhabi. I had a table at the Cannes Film Festival for ‘The French Dispatch.’”

It seems implausible that Chalamet was immersed in table tennis while also learning to sing and play guitar for the role of Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown.”

“If anyone thinks this is cap, as the kids say — if anyone thinks this is made up — this is all documented, and it’ll be put out,” he said. “These were the two spoiled projects where I got years to work on them. This is the truth. I was working on both these things concurrently.”

Wherever Chalamet found the time, Schaaf was impressed by the result.

“He was singularly dedicated to getting this to be the same quality as the rest of the movie,” Schaaf told the Hollywood Reporter.

Eschewing a stunt double for the table tennis scenes was a point of pride for Chalamet. The only concession to modern moviemaking was that several of the longer sequences during games were choreographed without a ball, which was added later via computer-generated imagery (CGI).

“We realized it had to be scripted to be able to film it,” Schaaf told the Washington Post. “And because it was scripted, we had to practice it first with a real ball. He had to understand the physical layout of the point: Where does he have to go? When does he have to go there? When you later on do [visual effects] and put the ball in there, it’s critical that the player goes to the right place.”

Schaaf said about 60 points were scripted.

“We needed a lot of rehearsal, and I was amazed,” he said. “Timothée wound up getting a better feel for it than most professional players because professional players take the cue from the ball. You take the ball away, they all were like ‘What is the timing?’

“Of course, they have a good sense of timing and then they learned it quickly. But Timothée was right there on top of it.”

The on-screen rival of Chalamet’s character, Marty Mauser, is Koto Endo, portrayed by real-life Japanese table tennis champion Koto Kawaguchi. Their dynamic approximated the real-life rivalry between 1950s U.S. champion Marty Reisman and Japan’s Hiroji Satoh.

In her review of “Marty Supreme,” Times film critic Amy Nicholson noted that well-struck pingpong balls travel up to 70 mph.

“Set in 1952 New York, this deranged caper races after a money-grubbing table tennis hustler (he prefers ‘professional athlete’) who argues like he plays, swatting away protests and annoying his adversaries to exhaustion,” she wrote.

Nicholson offers that Reisman would be pleased by the movie, “which time-travels audiences back seven decades to when American table tennis players were certain bright days were ahead.

“As an athlete, Chalamet seems to have lost muscle for the role. Yet as funny as it is to see a guy this scrawny carry himself like Hercules, he leaps and strikes with conviction.”

Nothing gives an actor — or an athlete — self-assurance like practice, repetitions and rehearsals. Chalamet’s paddle performance is proof.

Nick Smith Jr. placed his newest souvenir nonchalantly underneath the press conference table. This game ball will likely go to his mother.

Smith earned it Sunday with a starring performance off the bench while filling in for the injured Reaves. The 21-year-old guard on a two-way contract scored 21 points on eight-for-14 shooting with three rebounds and one assist. He made five three-pointers, including his first four from beyond the arc while starting seven-for-seven from the field.

With Reaves sidelined for at least a month with a grade two strain in his left calf, Smith will be in line for more consistent minutes, Redick said before the game. Especially with fellow guard Gabe Vincent missing his fourth game because of a back injury Sunday, the Lakers need Smith’s ball handling and shiftiness alongside James and Doncic.

But to offset the loss of their second-leading scorer, the Lakers are most desperate for Smith’s scoring.

“It’s why we wanted him on the Lakers and part of our program, because we knew he could score,” Redick said. “I like when he’s aggressive. … If he could just do him within our structure, a lot of times, good things happen.”

Smith has already flashed his scoring potential in big moments. The former first-round draft pick who signed with the Lakers a day before training camp started rescued the team with 25 points in Portland in a game without James, Doncic or Reaves. He had 12 points in 14 minutes off the bench against Toronto when the Lakers survived thanks to a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Rui Hachimura.

“We trust him,” Redick said before the game.

After getting waived by the Charlotte Hornets, Smith recognized that he hasn’t had this level of trust from a coaching staff “in a long time.” To have it “means everything,” he added.

“It’s a different stage, you know, where I came from, and I understand that,” Smith said. “So I just want to make sure I’m ready. … I’m just blessed to be here, just have the opportunity just to even play with the Lakers and stuff like that, even be in the league. A lot of guys where I’m from would, like, love to be in this situation.”

Kawhi Leonard scored a career-high 55 points, James Harden added 28, and the Clippers extended their winning streak to a season-high four games with a 112-99 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night at Intuit Dome.

Leonard went 17 for 26 from the floor, including five for 10 from three-point range, and made 16 of 17 free throws, his miss in the third quarter ending a streak of 64 straight from the line this month. He scored 26 points in the third quarter.

Leonard tied the team record for points in a game, set by Harden on Nov. 22 at Charlotte, and became the second in franchise history to score at least 40 points in consecutive games at home, joining Bob McAdoo.

Nicolas Batum scored 12 points, while Leonard added 11 rebounds and five steals for the Clippers (10-21), who lost 10 of 11 before this four-game run.

The Clippers, the oldest team in the NBA, took things to the extreme with three starters in Harden, Batum and Brook Lopez age 36 or older. All five starters were in their 30s, with Leonard (34) and Kris Dunn (31) the other two.

Cade Cunningham finished with 27 points for the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons after being held scoreless in the first half while in foul trouble. Jalen Duren had 18 points and 14 rebounds, and Jaden Ivey added 11 points for Detroit, which lost back-to-back games for just the second time.

Playing without injured center Ivica Zubac for the third consecutive game, the Clippers were all business from the start. Their first double-digit lead came four minutes into the game at 16-6 on a three-pointer from Harden.

The Clippers led by as many as 20 points in the first half when Leonard scored 25 points. The Pistons pulled within nine points twice in the third quarter before a 16-5 run gave the Clippers another 20-point lead at 81-61 on a Leonard three-pointer.

Up next for the Clippers: vs. the Sacramento Kings at Intuit Dome on Tuesday.

The Lakers underwent some soul-searching at practice Saturday, with coach JJ Redick starting the conversation before allowing players to speak freely about the team’s issues.

It was an attempt by Redick and the team to prevent things from spiraling out of control after three consecutive losses.

When the Lakers faced the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena, Redick wanted to see players executing on defense and playing harder.

The Lakers did exactly that, with Luka Doncic and LeBron James leading the way to a 125-101 win.

For the Lakers, it was more than Doncic finishing with 34 points, seven assists and five rebounds. It was Doncic playing defense, illustrated best when he blocked a shot by DeMar DeRozan. It was Doncic hustling, such as when he dove to the floor for a loose ball.

It was more than James scoring 24 points and handing out five assists. It was James throwing down a reverse dunk and offering words of wisdom to teammates.

And it also was reserve Nick Smith Jr. finding a role in the rotation and producing, one of the six Lakers scoring in double figures. Smith had 21 points on eight-for-14 shooting, making five of 10 threes.

Rui Hachimura had 12 points, Deandre Ayton had 11 points and 11 rebounds, and Jake LaRavia had 11 points.

The Lakers (20-10) took control from the start of the third quarter, going on a 13-2 run to give them a 26-point lead that reached as high as 30 in the fourth quarter.

Granted, the Kings (8-24) have the second-worst record in the West and were missing injured stars Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Bradley, three of their top four scorers.

But the Lakers lost three straight games because of poor defense and an overall effort that Redick described as “terrible.”

And with Austin Reaves out for at least a month because of a calf strain, getting the chance to talk through their issues might end up changing the team’s fortunes.

“They’re trying, and you know, I told the guys, this is normal,” Redick said. “There’s very few teams that don’t hit troughs throughout the season. It’s not all peaks. … It’s just a natural cycle that every team goes through.

“So we need to identify the problems and then come up with the solutions. So that’s just the process that we’re in the middle of right now.”

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Lauren Betts had 18 points and 16 rebounds as No. 4 UCLA extended its winning streak to six games with an 82-75 win over No. 19 Ohio State on Sunday.

Kiki Rice added 16 points and Angela Dugalic scored 15 as UCLA (12-1, 2-0 Big Ten) beat the Buckeyes for the fourth straight time, dating to December 2023.

Jaloni Cambridge led all scorers with 28 points, and Elsa Lemmila added 13 points and seven rebounds for Ohio State (11-2, 1-1) which had its nine-game winning streak halted in its conference home opener.

The Bruins built a 76–60 lead midway through the fourth quarter before Ohio State closed the gap behind strong defense and key late baskets from Cambridge, T’yana Todd and Chance Gray. The Buckeyes closed within six points with about two minutes remaining, but got no closer.

UCLA outrebounded Ohio State 47–33, including a 19–10 edge on the offensive end that led to a 35–10 advantage in second-chance points. Betts anchored the Bruins in the paint as UCLA outscored the Buckeyes 50–32 inside.

Ohio State struggled from three-point range in the first half, missing its first 11 attempts before Lemmila connected with 3:43 left in the second quarter. The Buckeyes found some rhythm in the third quarter, hitting six three-pointers, and finished seven of 30 (23%) from beyond the arc.

Up next for UCLA: at Penn State on Wednesday.

After the Lakers’ third straight loss Thursday, JJ Redick promised things would get “uncomfortable.” The second-year coach, frustrated after the team delivered a lump of coal in a Christmas Day blowout by the Houston Rockets, said he couldn’t stand to rewatch the same tired story. Leaning his elbow on the table at his postgame news conference, Redick called out players who don’t give enough effort on defense or play hard.

Two days later he stood in front of reporters with a different tone.

“Recalibration,” Redick said calmly of the message he delivered during Saturday’s team meeting. “Reconnection.”

Redick has cooled, but the Lakers still are under fire. Not only are they trying to snap a season-high three-game losing streak at home Sunday against the Sacramento Kings (6:30 p.m.), but also the Lakers (19-10) still are looking for their first home win in December and must navigate this defining moment without guard Austin Reaves.

Reaves was diagnosed with a grade 2 strain in his left calf Friday and will be reevaluated in four weeks. The latest setback comes less than two weeks after he was sidelined because of a “mild” strain in the same calf that kept him out for three games.

Reaves is averaging career highs in points (26.6), assists (6.3) and rebounds (5.2) and his ascent from undrafted rookie to potential first-time All-Star was one of the team’s feel-good stories of the season. Reaves scored a career-high 51 points against Sacramento in October, rescuing the Lakers in a game without LeBron James or Luka Doncic and showing Reaves’ potential in a starring role.

Now without their second-leading scorer, the Lakers are looking for their supporting cast to step up.

“We just need our guys to be stars in their roles,” Redick said. “Certainly from a top-end talent standpoint, it diminishes that. But it doesn’t change the non-negotiables or how we’re trying to play.”

After losing the last three games by an average of 20.7 points per game, the Lakers needed to get reacquainted with their non-negotiables during Saturday’s meeting. The session was uncomfortable in the way confronting truth can be uncomfortable, Redick said. It wasn’t just coaches lecturing, but also players speaking up.

The top priority was creating more clarity, Redick said. The team needed to get back to building its defensive fundamentals after so many lineup changes because of injuries. The Lakers have used 16 different starting lineups in 29 games and have to readjust their rotation again in Reaves’ absence.

“Togetherness is going to have to be emphasized to where it looks like an exaggeration,” center Deandre Ayton said, “where it becomes a habit. And that’s what winners do. And it’s pretty easy for this team. It’s just that there’s always a different group out there and we’re going to get it for sure.”

Forward Rui Hachimura said coaches reminded players of the team’s three pillars that again were displayed on a screen in the practice gym Saturday — championship habits, championship communication, championship shape.

“We just talk about everybody, players, coaches, we just gotta kind of tighten up,” Hachimura said. “We had a good stretch in the beginning and now we kind of, I don’t know, we relaxed or we kind of got tired of winning, you know, but we just stopped doing what we’re supposed to do.”

The Lakers are 29th in the NBA in defensive rating in the last 15 games, giving up 122.2 points per 100 possessions. It’s a significant drop from their rating of 113.7 in the first 14 games in which they went 10-4.

Since James returned from, the Lakers’ preferred starting lineup — Doncic, Reaves, James, Ayton and Hachimura — has a net rating of minus-19.9 in seven games.

Offensively the Lakers have lacked organization since James came back, Redick acknowledged. James declined to speak to reporters after practice.

“Too many random possessions,” Redick said. “That’s on me.”

Crespi’s basketball team is starting to gain notice just in time for the start of Mission League play next month.

The Celts (11-4) advanced to the semifinals of the toughest division of the Classic at Damien with a 70-67 victory over Northern California power Richmond Salesian on Saturday.

Carter Barnes finished with 16 points and five assists. Jasiah Williams had 15 points. And, in a big development for the Celts, 6-foot-10 transfer student Rodney Mukendi, who became eligible on Friday, had nine points and eight rebounds in 13 minutes as he continues to gain playing time and makes the transition to blending in.

Crespi will face the winner of St. John Bosco-Phoenix Sunnyslope in the Platinum division semifinals on Monday.

Crean Lutheran 61, Texas Sandra Day O’Connor 60: Nick Giarrusso had 17 points and 12 rebounds to help Crean Lutheran earn a spot in the Platinum division semifinals.

Rolling Hills Prep 61, Arizona Mesa 47: Nick Welch Jr. had 25 points and 14 rebounds to advance Rolling Hills Prep (12-2) to the Gold Division semifinals at Damien.

Eastvale Roosevelt 65, Utah American Fork 61: Sloane Harris had 26 points for Roosevelt.

Corona Centennial 70, Idaho Owyee 46: Stanford commit Isaiah Rogers scored 21 points for Centennial.

Mayfair 55, Palisades 49: Josiah Johnson finished with 27 points for Mayfair.

Campbell Hall 75, Washington Prep 69: Ean Britt finished with 23 points for Campbell Hall.

St. Pius X-St. Matthias 67, De La Salle 64: In double overtime, the Warriors prevailed. Kayleb Kearse scored 23 points and Dominic Gallardo had 16.

Crossroads 65, California 58: Shalen Sheppard, cleared by the Southern Section after transferring from Brentwood, scored 19 points for Crossroads.

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 85, St. Augustine 47: NaVorro Bowman had 17 points for 10-4 Notre Dame. Josiah Nance added 15 points.

St. Anthony 64, Tesoro 55: Jamil House had 24 points and seven rebounds for St. Anthony.

Calabasas 76, Menlo 53: JR Hughes had 24 points and 14 rebounds for Calabasas.

Viewpoint 62, Palo Verde 43: Solomon Clanton Jr. finished with 21 points for 10-2 Viewpoint.

Girls basketball

Windward 68, Bishop Montgomery 50: Angelina Habis scored 37 points, including eight threes, for a Windward team that got better after the sit-out transfer period ended Friday. Charis Rainey added 21 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.

Sierra Canyon 72, San Juan Hills 22: Emilia Krstevski finished with 16 points and Payton Montgomery had 12 rebounds for 11-1 Sierra Canyon.

The day after Christmas is for more than seeking bargain Christmas sales or making returns on gifts. It’s also the first chance for high school basketball players who had to sit out the first half of the season after transferring to make their debuts.

At the Classic at Damien, Loyola got an immediate lift in a 67-51 win over Bakersfield Christian on Friday. Its two leading scorers were sit-out period players. Deuce Newt, a transfer from Campbell Hall, scored 24 points and Omari Cuffe, a transfer from St. Pius X-St. Matthias, had 17 points.

No team has waited more patiently than Corona Centennial’s girls’ basketball team. Knowing its top transfer students wouldn’t be eligible until Dec. 26, the Huskies didn’t play any games until Friday’s 90-31 win over Camarillo. Perhaps this is the trend of the future. Centennial is 1-0 and expected to be a Southern Section Open Division playoff team.

Can you say built for the playoffs?

Boys’ basketball

Crean Lutheran 62, Meridian (Id.) Owyhee 59: The Saints knocked off a team that beat Harvard-Westlake last week in Hawaii. Hunter Caplan scored 20 points.

Crespi 73, Layton (Utah) Christian 70 (OT): The Celts won in overtime. Isaiah Barnes had 28 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

Redondo Union 110, Fresno Clovis North 56: SJ Madison had 30 points for the Sea Hawks.

St. John Bosco 56, Utah American Fork 39: Christian Collins led the Braves with 27 points.

Arcadia 64, Mayfair 59: Owen Eteuati-Edwards had 22 points for Arcadia, setting up a Saturday showdown with San Gabriel Academy.

San Gabriel Academy 66, Palisades 57: Freshman Zach Arnold contributed 14 points for San Gabriel Academy.

Moorpark 57, Fairfax 47: Sophomore Logan Stotts had 16 points for Moorpark.

Bogart (Ga.) North Oconee 65, St. Pius X-St. Matthias 64: Freshman Darrellreon Morris had 21 points in a buzzer-beater loss.

Milken 65, Bishop Alemany 55: Grayson Coleman scored 24 points for 7-7 Milken. Sophomore Ethan Frank, a transfer from Crespi, made his season debut for Milken, scoring nine points and getting seven rounds.

Etiwanda 53, San Joaquin Memorial 50: Armaun Pollock’s 14 points helpd the Eagles (15-0) stay unbeaten.

Mira Costa 55, La Costa Canyon 44: The Mustangs improved to 14-1 with a win in Carlsbad. Jayden Kainsinger scored 20 points.

La Habra 63, Washington Prep 48: Acen Jimenez finished with 27 points for La Habra.

St. Francis 68, Burroughs 23: Luke Paulus had 23 points for St. Francis.

Bishop Montgomery 73, Sylmar 41: Twins Terron and Tarron Williams combined for 30 points and 18 rebounds.

Harvard-Westlake 70, Germany Urspring 44: Joe Sterling made seven threes and finished with 31 points.

Brentwood 62, Taft 52: Ethan Hill finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Mater Dei 98, Otay Ranch 50: Zain Majeed, a transfer from IMG Academy, had 20 points in his debut for Mater Dei.

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 55, Idaho Lake City 45: Josiah Nance, back from injury, had nine points for the Knights as they slowly get him back into shape. NaVorro Bowman led the way with 17 points.

Thousand Oaks 68, Davis Sr. 61: The Lancers stayed unbeaten behind Dylan McCord, who made seven threes and had 36 points.

Viewpoint 67, Washington Roosevelt 43: Solomon Clanton Jr. had 21 points.

Rolling Hills Prep 51, California 50: Carter Fulton had 27 points for 11-2 Rolling Hills Prep.

Calabasas 85, Eastside 58: Tristan Cordero had 28 points and Calvin Goetz 27 points for the Coyotes.

JSerra 68, Democracy Prep 64: Early Bryson scored 23 points and Jaden Bailes 22 points in San Diego.

St. Bernard 65, Washington Mount Si 64: Brandon Granger had 34 points for St. Bernard.

Girls’ basketball

Troy 57, King/Drew 46: Mei-Ling Perry led the way with 24 points for 10-3 Troy.

Sierra Canyon 82, Rancho Cucamonga 36: Sophomores Rosie Oladokum and Cherri Hatter each scored 18 points for the Trailblazers.