ENCINO — Crespi’s boys basketball team’s journey is beginning to look all too familiar to its 2016 campaign.
Two seasons ago, Crespi lost to Damien in the CIF Southern Section Open Division first round, resulting in the Celts’ placement in the consolation bracket, which was the path they took to an eventual CIF State Division 1 title.
After last Saturday’s loss to Mater Dei, Crespi is now in the same scenario which started with a 80-69 victory over Santa Margarita in the consolation semifinal Friday night. Crespi will face St. John Bosco in Bellflower on Tuesday night in the consolation final.
Despite familiar sightings of a state championship season, Crespi’s win Friday night was nothing like its play against Mater Dei last week where nothing was going in.
“It was a bounce-back game for us, we had to get the nasty taste out of our mouth,” Crespi point guard Taj Regans said.
Crespi (26-3) made 12 3-pointers, including a 7-of-14 performance in the first half. Arizona-bound guard Brandon Williams had 29 points, nine rebounds and six assists, and fellow senior Taj Regans added 23 points, including six 3s.
“Actually, getting little flashbacks of that 2016 season,” Williams said. “We didn’t shoot well against Mater Dei, but being at home tonight helped a ton. We just need to stay the course.”
The made 3s were one thing, but it was the timely makes from beyond the arc that kept Santa Margarita at bay the entire night. Back-to-back 3s from Williams and Regans in the first quarter created a double-digit lead for the Celts heading into the second quarter. Then two consecutive 3s from Russell Stong to open the third quarter expanded the four-point lead to 10, 45-35, within 30 seconds.
At one point Crespi held onto a 54-37 lead with under three minutes to go in the third.
Santa Margarita (20-8) made a late push that cut the deficit to 12 with 4:28 left in the final quarter after a 3 from Ryan Evans, but another timely three by Regans with 2:20 left put Crespi into cruise control.
Santa Margarita was led by Max Agbonkpolo’s 16 points. Jordan Guest added 14.
Williams and Regans are two of six players that were part of that 2016 CIF State championship team. The Celts will likely receive a No. 1 seed if they can beat St. John Bosco on Tuesday. The Braves are one of the Celts’ three losses this season.
“After losing that first Open Division playoff game, people start to say we have nothing to play for,” Regans said. “But it’s not true. We are playing for ourselves.”
