JSerra boys basketball continues state title quest with victory over Carlsbad ...Middle East

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO – The CIF Southern California Regional playoffs can be a second chance for some teams.

The JSerra boys basketball team is one of those teams.

After going 1-3 in pool play in the CIF Southern Section Open Division playoffs, JSerra has won its first two regional games, including a 79-55 victory over Carlsbad in Division I Thursday at JSerra High.

JSerra (24-10) plays at Sierra Canyon (24-7) in the Division I regional semifinals Saturday at 7 p.m. The winner of that game plays in the SoCal Regional championship game Tuesday.

Sierra Canyon, the No. 1 seed in the SoCal Division I bracket, defeated Santa Barbara 78-45 on Thursday.

JSerra junior forward Brannon Martinsen said the Lions are hungry for success.

“We didn’t complete two of our goals,” said Martinsen, referring to finishing third in the Trinity League and not reaching the CIF-SS Open Division championship game. “Hang up a black banner, a state championship banner, is still what we’re trying to do.”

Martinsen has done his part. He scored a game-high 25 points with eight rebounds Thursday. The 6-7 junior forward scored 16 points Tuesday when JSerra beat San Marcos 80-56 in the first round of the regional playoffs.

JSerra senior guard BJ Davis Ray scored 20 points with six assists. He also was the primary defender on Carlsbad’s high-scoring Jake Hall. The senior guard, averaging close to 30 points this season, was held to 15 points, his second-lowest total this season.

Lions senior forward James Eyenga scored 15 points with 16 rebounds.

JSerra beat Carlsbad 91-77 in a tournament in late December although Hall had a hot hand in that game.

“He scored 32 on us last time,” JSerra coach Keith Wilkinson said. “Even though we won we had to do a little bit better with him this time.”

Hall had difficulty getting the ball and had a hard time, too, getting off a quality shot when he did because of the defense of JSerra freshman Ryan Doane and senior James Eyenga at times but mostly because of Ray’s work.

“He’s one of the best defenders in the country,” Wilkinson said of Ray, a 6-7 senior who signed with Southern Methodist University. “He’s got great length, great feet and he can guard anybody.”

Carlsbad (26-7), which lost to Montgomery 53-45 in the CIF San Diego Section Open Division championship game, had a 16-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Martinsen opened the second quarter with a 3-point basket. Ray made two free throws to put JSerra on top 17-16 and the Lions added to their lead from there. They outscored the Lancers 21-9 in the second quarter for a 33-27 halftime lead.

JSerra then outscored Carlsbad 22-9 in the third quarter to put the game away, taking a 55-36 lead into the fourth quarter.

Carlsbad made 17 of its 52 shots, for 33 percent, while the Lions were 31 for 64 from the floor 48 percent.

Ray has scored 46 points over the two regional games.

JSerra is playing without starting point guard EJ Bryson, who was injured in the Lions’ win over Santa Margarita in the CIF-SS Open Division playoffs. Ray and fellow senior Grayson Sinek handled point guard duties Thursday.

“It was a really hard loss for us when we lost Bryson in that Santa Margarita game,” Wilkinson said. “We’ve adjusted and figured out how to play without a true point guard.

“It’s a credit to BJ and Grayson. They’ve done a really good job.”

The pursuit of a championship continues for JSerra.

“We’re playing well,” Wilkinson said. “Guys are sharing the ball and making shots.”

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