MISSION VIEJO – Capistrano Valley advanced to the CIF-Southern Section semifinals with a 73-59 home win over Dos Pueblos of Goleta on Tuesday.
The Cougars (23-6) will play at home Friday in the Division 2A semifinals against Rancho Christian of Temecula. Rancho Christian (20-10), CIF-SS Division 5A champion last season, defeated Aliso Niguel in the 2A quarterfinals Tuesday.
Including Friday, all three of Capistrano Valley’s playoff games will be home games.
Dawson Baker scored a game-high 17 points against Dos Puebles (22-5). Grayson Beeman added 14 points for the Cougars and drew praise from Baker.
“When Grayson gets going to the basket, he can make a lot of ‘finishes’,” Baker said. “He always plays 100 percent.”
Capistrano Valley also played Dos Pueblos on Jan. 16. The Cougars won that game, 76-74.
Capistrano Valley led for most of the game. The Cougars trailed the Chargers, 8-7, early in the first quarter before moving ahead for good. Capistrano Valley took a 15-8 lead into the second quarter, and had a 27-21 advantage at halftime.
Cougars coach Brian Mulligan and his assistants gave the players a forceful talk during the break.
“We ripped them at halftime,” Mulligan said. “We had a total defensive breakdown in the last minute-and-a-half, the last two minutes of the second quarter.”
Capistrano Valley responded with a terrific third quarter. The Cougars outscored the Chargers, 19-8, to give the Capistrano Valley a 17-point lead going into the fourth quarter.
No Dos Pueblos player scored in double figures. Diego Riker, an excellent outside shooter for the Chargers, led his team with nine points on three 3-pointers.
The Cougars’ previous semifinals appearance was in the 2011-12 season.
Rancho Christian is a tall team. Isaiah Mobley, a 6-foot-9 sophomore, averages 18 points and 13 rebounds a game, and his 6-9 freshman brother Evan Mobley averages six rebounds. Solomon Davi is a 6-7 sophomore, averages 17 points and seven rebounds.
Capistrano Valley’s tallest starter was Beeman, who is 6-4. Rebounding is emphasized every game for the Cougars.
“That’s always big thing for us,” Baker said. “We’re short so we have to hustle harder than the other teams.”
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