ENCINO — Pressure is a privilege for Sierra Canyon basketball player Gavin Hightower. Even when his shots weren’t falling in the first quarter, he kept his head up and continued driving to the basket.
His scoring efforts led the way for the Trailblazers in a 71-62 win over Crespi on Wednesday night a Mission League matchup with a lively atmosphere.
The win kept Sierra Canyon in the race for the top position of the Mission League. Three teams — Sierra Canyon, Notre Dame, and Harvard-Westlake — are 3-0 in league play. All three programs are set to play each other in the next four games, with Notre Dame and Harvard-Westlake meeting up Friday night.
Hightower, a senior guard, finished with a team-leading 19 points. He scored just two points in the opening quarter but netted 15 in the second half to accentuate a team effort.
After the game, Hightower gave full credit to his teammates for the win.
“Today, everybody played hard,” Hightower said. “Anytime we get a win, I think we all did well, it was a team effort.”
Once the game tipped off, both teams started strong defensively, playing press defense with all players maintaining tight man coverage. Once the deadlock ended, though, Sierra Canyon quickly built up momentum.
The first quarter’s standout was senior guard Jayden Alexander. He rained 3-pointers down in Encino, hitting three from behind the arc in the opening quarter. He greatly benefited from the Trailblazers’ ability to drive the ball inside and kick it to him, creating good looks for Alexander and the rest of the offense.
Isaiah Barnes played a key role in keeping the Celtics in the game. Despite going down 10-2 early, Crespi rallied for a 10-3 run of its own to end the quarter down 15-12. Barnes scored half of the Celtics’ points in the quarter, scoring a layup and drawing five free throws, making four.
Hightower said the team anticipated the high-energy opening, especially inside a full gym. He also said the circumstances prompted him to be a more aggressive scorer.
“I know sometimes my team needs a bucket so coach (Andre Chevalier) put the ball in my hand and said ‘Go get one,’” Hightower said. “Sometimes it’s going to be my teammate, sometimes it’s going to be me.”
Hightower kept attacking the rim in the second half, and the attention he demanded from the defense created opportunities for other players.
One such player was Bryce James. He hit a trio of 3-pointers in the game, with two coming in the second half off transition. The senior wing’s 13 points was the Blazers’ second-highest tally.
Four players for Sierra Canyon — Hightower, Alexander, James, and junior forward Maximo Adams — scored double digits, highlighting the team’s overall scoring output.
For Crespi, Isaiah Barnes’ first-quarter heroics and 12 overall points were not enough to come out with the win.
However, several players had impressive performances. First and foremost was Jayden Xu. The senior guard/forward netted 11 points, including three baskets from behind the 3-point line, all coming at crucial moments.
Senior forward Peyton White led the Celtics with 13 points, including three 3-pointers in the third quarter. However, he was outrebounded by Adams and Trailblazers senior forward Bryce Cofield, who had a game-high eight rebounds.
Sierra Canyon will strive to continue its undefeated league streak against St. Francis on Friday at 7 p.m., while Crespi will host Chaminade on Friday at 7 p.m.