As the clock ticked down late in the fourth quarter with the outcome long decided, Redondo Union senior guard Devin Wright caught a pass off the backboard from teammate Chace Holley in midair and stuffed it through the hoop two-handed — the exclamation point to an emphatic 85-51 victory over archival Mira Costa on Friday night.
Wright finished with a game-high 23 points — most of them on layups while cutting to the basket — small forward SJ Madison scored 19, Holley had 17 and Chris Sanders added 16 as the Sea Hawks, ranked No. 2 in the Southland by The Times, stayed unbeaten in the Bay League and sent a message to their competition.
Redondo Union’s SJ Madison shoots a jumper during an 85-51 win over Mira Costa on Friday.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
“We knew this was a big game and I had to be there for my team,” Wright said after scoring 18 points in the last two quarters. “We saw early they couldn’t contain us so we were getting open looks and hitting them.”
Madison and Mira Costa forward Paxx Bell traded baskets throughout a fast-paced first quarter, which ended with the host Sea Hawks up 20-18. They extended the lead to seven by halftime and used a 23-7 run in the third quarter to put the game out of reach.
“Chace is a big weapon, but we’re all weapons,” Wright said. “If they double-team him it leaves someone else open. We all took our turns.”
Bell led the 19th-ranked Mustangs (18-4, 3-1) with 15 points while senior shooting guard Luke Lowell and junior wing Strax Dragicevic each added 12.
The teams shared the league title last winter, each winning on the opponents’ home floor. On Friday, the Sea Hawks (18-3, 4-0) showed they have the skill and talent to claim the title outright.
“We didn’t like splitting league with them last year,” Wright said. “So this year it’s all ours — and we’re taking it.”
Mira Costa’s Paxx Bell scores on a layup over Redondo Union’s Chace Holley in the first half on Friday.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Redondo Union beat Mira Costa 72-66 in the CIF state Division I regional semifinals last season before losing to Sierra Canyon in the next round — falling one win shy of the state finals. The Sea Hawks failed to advance out of pool play in the Southern Section Open Division playoffs while Mira Costa fell to Los Alamitos in the Southern Section Division 1 final. However, that was then and this is now.
The teams meet again to wrap up Bay League play Feb. 3 in Manhattan Beach.