Taj Ariza (Kenneth Miller/Photo)
High school playoff basketball in the CIF Los Angeles City Section and CIF Southern Section is about to reach a critical point when some season cruelly come to a conclusion and others chase that chip.
While the City girls and boys seedings will be released February 16, the Southern Section is already in second round play.
One team that will not be playing any further is much heralded Inglewood and it’s sharp shooting junior guard Jason Crowe Jr., which was stunned at home on Valentines Day by Winward 71-69 in CIF-SS D-1 field.
With Crowe and Inglewood gone, all eyes will be focused on coach Reggie Morris, Jr. and Redondo Union in the CIF-SS Open bracket.
The Sea Hawks upset No. 3 seed St. John Bosco 77-75 and on any given day can play with beat anyone, but also can lose to any of the elite teams as indicative in their four defeats to the by 10 to La Mirada, by a point to D-1 No. 2 seed Mira Costa, in overtime to Sierra canyon 69-66 and to previously the top team in the nation Roosevelt, 78-74.
Redondo union has a home game on Feb. 18 against Heritage Christian, a team it narrowly defeated previously.
Other top boys South Bay teams include CIF-SS D-2AA No. 2 Seed North Torrance which will play host to Don Pueblos on Feb 15, while Buena Park visit West Torrance and Hart travels to Torrance.
Meanwhile on the girl’s side, Bishop Montgomery led by Jordin Blackmon is the No. 5 seed in the Open Division, Lawndale is the top seed in CIF-SS D-3A, while Leuzinger is No. 2 seed. Gardena Serra is back in post season play and will host Anaheim in D-3A.
In the City Section Westchester girls and boys are anticipating a top two seed in the Open Division when play begins next week.
Westchester finished its season with an emphatic 85-54 victory over rival Fairfax at home to close out an undefeated Western League campaign. Junior wing Taj Ariza was electric scoring 31 points including a hand full of high flying dunks. Taj is the son of former Westchester star Trevor Ariza who played 17 years in the NBA, including a championship season with the Lakers.
