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Sierra Canyon boys basketball digs deep to beat Redondo in Division I regional final

  • Sierra Canyon’s Gavin Hightower, #0, drives to there basket as...

    Sierra Canyon’s Gavin Hightower, #0, drives to there basket as Redondo Union’s Chris Sanders, #5, defends on the play during third quarter action in the CIF State Regional Division I championship game at Sierra Canyon on Tuesday, March 10, 2025. Sierra Canyon defeated Redondo Union 74-68 and will go to Sacramento for the state championship Friday. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

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Sierra Canyon’s Gavin Hightower, #0, drives to there basket as Redondo Union’s Chris Sanders, #5, defends on the play during third quarter action in the CIF State Regional Division I championship game at Sierra Canyon on Tuesday, March 10, 2025. Sierra Canyon defeated Redondo Union 74-68 and will go to Sacramento for the state championship Friday. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

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CHATSWORTH — The CIF State Southern California Division I Regional final between the Sierra Canyon and Redondo boys basketball teams Tuesday night felt like a heavyweight boxing match between two evenly-matched fighters.

The Sea Hawks landed some punches in the first half by way of the 3-ball, leading to a 30-22 advantage midway through the second quarter, their largest lead of the game.

The Trailblazers hit back with a series of jabs, followed by a couple of haymakers in the form of relentless drives to the basket by Gavin Hightower.

On the few occasions Hightower wasn’t taking it to the rim for a score or to draw a foul, he found his teammates for open looks, including two pinpoint passes to Maximo Adams in the third quarter that ended in thunderous dunks.

Hightower finished with 25 points, nine rebounds, five assists and made 15 of 18 free throws to lead Sierra Canyon to a 74-68 win over Redondo and a spot in the CIF State Division I championship game Friday at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

“We just went through so much adversity this season. There’s just so much going on,” Hightower said. “I’m just blessed we were able to come together and get this win as a team. We wanted to get to this point so bad.”

Hightower was a driving force all night, using his speed and strength to get to the basket at will. He along with Adams combined for 19 of Sierra Canyon’s 22 points in the second quarter to keep the game in contention when it looked like Redondo could start to build a double-digit lead.

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Perhaps the most pivotal play of the game came with less than a minute left, with Redondo clinging to a 68-67 advantage. Jayden Alexander and Hightower crashed the offensive glass off a missed 3-pointer, and the latter was able to secure the rebound, score and get fouled. He made the free throw to give Sierra Canyon a 70-68 lead with 49 seconds left.

The Sea Hawks were unable to score the rest of the game and the Trailblazers made four straight free throws, two by Hightower and two by Alexander, to close out the win.

“We just had to lock in and dig deep. That’s really what it was,” Adams said. “It’s just a happy moment.”

Adams finished with 22 points and seven rebounds and Bryce Cofield added 14 points and four rebounds for Sierra Canyon.

Cofield, like Hightower, was able to use his strength and versatility to get to the paint and score or draw fouls.

At one point midway through the fourth quarter, Cofield was able to break through Redondo’s full-court defensive pressure himself, taking the ball coast to coast for a layup while drawing a foul.

Hudson Mayes finished with 19 points and Brayden Miner scored 14 points, including four 3-pointers, for Redondo.

In Friday’s state final, Sierra Canyon will play Lincoln of Stockton, which defeated San Ramon Valley 66-58 in the Northern California Division I Regional final.

“In the previous years, we’ve come up short, so I’m just excited that we got the job done,” Cofield said. “(Friday) will be the same thing we just did today, get the job done and get the win.”

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