Loyola athletics - Cub basketball ends La Canada's win streak, huge semifianl rematch with Harvard-Westlake Friday
Loyola downs La Canada in CIF playoff quarterfinals, earns rematch with rival Harvard-Westlake
In a CIF Southern Section quarterrfinal playoff game that was worth every cent of the price of admission, Loyola's varsity basketball team finally put away a very feisty La Canada squad before a packed house at Leavey Gymnasium on Tuesday night.
The Cubs led by a point, 29-28, at halftime and was able to stretch the lead to nine points midway through the fourth quarter only to see the Spartans claw back to within three points. With 50.5 seconds left in the final stanza, Loyola had stretched its lead to 66-61, an advantage it would not relinquish as La Canada was forced to foul. The Cubs converted the ensuing charity shots to close out the fiercely contested playoff contest with a 71-63 victory in an incredibly energetic environment.
The big win was in no small measure aided by a large, boisterous 'Cub Pride' contingent that played the role of a valuable sixth man. The usually sharp-eyed shooters from the foothills of the San Gabriels were clearly distracted by the incessant, full-throated din of the 'Pride'. The Spartans, who were the number four seed in Div. 1A, finished the season 25-5 after losing for the first time following 15 consecutive victories. The Cubs improved to 19-9 heading into Friday's semifinal round. Senior forward DYLAN BOEHM had a team-high 15 points for the Big Blue.
Friday's semifinal match-up pits the Cubs against archrival Harvard-Westlake for the third time this season. The Wolverines routed talented King of Riverside,on the losers' home court, 77-48, on Tuesday evening. Loyola fell to the Wolverines in Mission League contests, 64-51, at the Wolverines' Studio City lair on January 4, and at Leavey, 70-66, on January 27.
If there is a more intense rivalry in California high school basketball than Loyola vs. Harvard-Westlake, neither school has heard of it. Rest assured the rafters will be swaying in Leavey Gymnasium on Friday night. The Wolverines (19-11) are the number one seed in the Division 1A playoffs. It will take a nearly flawless effort for the Cubs to take down their archrivals, and an even more impassioned effort by the 'Pride' - if that is even possible - for Loyola to advance to next week's final. Tickets for the titanic semifinal bout will be hard to come by. Ticket pre-sales should begin either this afternoon or tomorrow morning in the Loyola athletic office. For information, call 213.381.5121, extension 1517. Leavey only seats about 1,400 fans, and half the pre-sale allotment is earmarked for Harvard-Westlake.
Huge second round CIF Div. I soccer match on tap at Loyola this afternoon
Loyola's varsity soccer team, fresh off Saturday's 6-1 demolition of Simi Valley, will entertain the number three seed Dons of Santa Barbara on the pitch at Smith Field this afternoon at 3:00 p.m.in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs. Santa Barbara boasts a 20-1-5 record. The Cubs (14-9-5) beat the Dons in last season's Division I championship game. A huge, partisan crowd is expected to be on hand to root on the Cubs. This match is a must-see.
In a CIF Southern Section quarterrfinal playoff game that was worth every cent of the price of admission, Loyola's varsity basketball team finally put away a very feisty La Canada squad before a packed house at Leavey Gymnasium on Tuesday night.
The Cubs led by a point, 29-28, at halftime and was able to stretch the lead to nine points midway through the fourth quarter only to see the Spartans claw back to within three points. With 50.5 seconds left in the final stanza, Loyola had stretched its lead to 66-61, an advantage it would not relinquish as La Canada was forced to foul. The Cubs converted the ensuing charity shots to close out the fiercely contested playoff contest with a 71-63 victory in an incredibly energetic environment.
The big win was in no small measure aided by a large, boisterous 'Cub Pride' contingent that played the role of a valuable sixth man. The usually sharp-eyed shooters from the foothills of the San Gabriels were clearly distracted by the incessant, full-throated din of the 'Pride'. The Spartans, who were the number four seed in Div. 1A, finished the season 25-5 after losing for the first time following 15 consecutive victories. The Cubs improved to 19-9 heading into Friday's semifinal round. Senior forward DYLAN BOEHM had a team-high 15 points for the Big Blue.
Friday's semifinal match-up pits the Cubs against archrival Harvard-Westlake for the third time this season. The Wolverines routed talented King of Riverside,on the losers' home court, 77-48, on Tuesday evening. Loyola fell to the Wolverines in Mission League contests, 64-51, at the Wolverines' Studio City lair on January 4, and at Leavey, 70-66, on January 27.
If there is a more intense rivalry in California high school basketball than Loyola vs. Harvard-Westlake, neither school has heard of it. Rest assured the rafters will be swaying in Leavey Gymnasium on Friday night. The Wolverines (19-11) are the number one seed in the Division 1A playoffs. It will take a nearly flawless effort for the Cubs to take down their archrivals, and an even more impassioned effort by the 'Pride' - if that is even possible - for Loyola to advance to next week's final. Tickets for the titanic semifinal bout will be hard to come by. Ticket pre-sales should begin either this afternoon or tomorrow morning in the Loyola athletic office. For information, call 213.381.5121, extension 1517. Leavey only seats about 1,400 fans, and half the pre-sale allotment is earmarked for Harvard-Westlake.
Huge second round CIF Div. I soccer match on tap at Loyola this afternoon
Loyola's varsity soccer team, fresh off Saturday's 6-1 demolition of Simi Valley, will entertain the number three seed Dons of Santa Barbara on the pitch at Smith Field this afternoon at 3:00 p.m.in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs. Santa Barbara boasts a 20-1-5 record. The Cubs (14-9-5) beat the Dons in last season's Division I championship game. A huge, partisan crowd is expected to be on hand to root on the Cubs. This match is a must-see.
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