Photos by Beth Qualine
Boys Basketball:
There’s no nice way of saying it.
Bonita limped into the CIF-SS Division 3A playoffs, having lost six of their last seven regular season games.
And they had to make a 104-mile drive to face an Indio program that entered the postseason with a 24-6 record.
But the Bearcats got Colton Perez back, they have a guy named Tim Godley drawing up the game plan, and they put a 71-44 beatdown on IHS.
BHS had a 42-15 advantage in 3-pointers made.
Bonita led by two points after the first eight minutes, but they outscored the Rajahs, 54-29, the rest of the way.
Hunter Smith had the game of his young career.
Smith hit seven 3’s, and finished with a game-high 23 points.
Jake Matsuo’s 12 points all came from beyond the 3-point arc.
And Perez finished with 12 points in the win.
Camari Wright led Indio with 15 points and Jamerson McClendon had 12 for the Rajahs.
Jacob Canizales and Joel Gonzalez had eight points apiece.
And both Canizales and Gonzalez had two 3-pointers apiece.
Up next: Bonita will face top-seeded Paraclete.
The Spirits (25-4) outlasted visiting Lawndale, 89-82, in their first-round game.
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Box Score:
B: 17-23-10-21-(71)
I: 15-14-4-11-(44)
Bonita scoring: Hunter Smith 23, Colton Perez 12, Jake Matsuo 12, Jordan Kenwood 8, Andrew Sanchez 8, Josh Kim 6, Collin Henry 2
BHS 3-Pointers: Smith 7, Matsuo 4, Kim 2, Perez 1
Indio scoring: Camari Wright 15, Jamerson McClendon 12, Jacob Canizales 8, Joel Gonzalez 8, Jayden Gonzalez 1
Records: Bonita (16-12); Indio (24-7)
Division 3A Scores:
Paraclete 89, Lawndale 82
Bonita 71, Indio 44
Woodbridge 67, Alhambra 51
San Dimas 73, Hemet 47
Temescal Canyon 55, Yorba Linda 45
San Gabriel Academy 63, Rialto 60
Chino 55, Arlington 53
Valley Torah 75, Murrieta Mesa 59
Oakwood had a bye
Valley View 77, Wiseburn da Vinci 54
Cerritos 51, Ocean View 40
Newport Harbor 56, Laguna Hills 41
Ontario Christian 72, Moreno Valley 59
Mission Viejo 61, Western 32
Schurr 71, Hart 63
Inglewood 60, La Habra 54