La Mirada lands in Open Division for playoffs

HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL

La Mirada’s Gene Roebuck, right, and the Matadores will take on top-seeded Harvard-Westlake in pool play Wednesday to begin the CIF-SS Open Division playoffs. Photo by Trevor Stamp

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By Fred Robledo

frobledo@scng.com

The La Mirada boys basketball team got its wish by being included in the Open Division of the CIF Southern Section boys basketball playoffs.

The pairings were released Saturday, and the Matadores were part of the 10-team group placed in the top division of the CIF-SS playoffs based on computer rankings.

The Open Division, which uses a pool-play format while the other divisions are single elimination, was expanded to 10 teams after being an eight-team field in recent years. La Mirada (22-4) received the No. 9 seed. It is in Pool A with No. 1 seed Harvard Westlake, No. 4 Santa Margarita, No. 5 Notre Dame and No. 6 JSerra.

La Mirada opens pool play Wednesday at Harvard Westlake (27-1), and will play each team in the pool once for a total of four games. The winner of Pool A will meet the winner of Pool B in the championship game.

All first-round games are Wednesday.

Three area teams are in Division 1 for the playoffs — Damien, St. Paul and La Habra.

Damien (21-10), which won the third-place game in the Baseline League tournament, will host Anaheim Canyon (20-9) in the first round.

St. Paul (17-11), which finished third in the Del Rey League, will be at Baseline League runner-up Etiwanda (17-11).

La Habra (20-8), which won the Division 3AA title last season, makes the big leap to Division 1 and will be at Windward (20-7).

Pasadena (16-7) finished second in the Pacific League, but has to feel good about getting the No. 3 seed in Division 2A. The Bulldogs will be home against Beverly Hills (13-14) in the first round.

Del Rio League champion Whittier (17-9) is the No. 4 seed in Division 4AA. Whittier will host Cal Lutheran (17-8) in the first round.

California (13-15) is the No. 4 seed in Division 4A and San Gabriel (16-11) is the No. 3 seed in Division 5AA. California will host San Jacinto (10-12) and San Gabriel will host Samueli Academy (11-11).

In other notable first-round games in Division 2AA: Palomares League champion Glendora (25-3) is at Mayfair (22-6); Rio Hondo League winner South Pasdena (19-9) is at Newport Harbor (17-11); La Canada (22-5) is home against San Marcos.