Pasadena Star-News

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Athan Sierra (13) and La Mirada will play host to Pacifica Christian tonight in a CIF-SS Division 2A semifinals game. KEITH BIRMINGHAM — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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A look at the matchups for the local teams playing in the CIF-SS boys basketball semifinals today and Saturday:

TODAY’S SEMIFINALS

DIVISION 2A

Pacifica Christian of Newport Beach (23-8) at La Mirada (24-8), 7 p.m.: The Matadores are in the semifinals for a second consecutive season and hoping to reach their second straight championship game. The Matadores’ super sophomore, Julien Gomez, had a big second half to lead them past Walnut 76-69 in the quarterfinals Tuesday. Gomez scored a game-high 24 points and Morgan Smith added 19. Pacifica Christian advanced to the semifinals with back-to-back 20-point victories in the second round and quarterfinals, beating Sonora 76-56 on Tuesday. Pacifica won without its star player, Northwestern signee Parker Strauss, who is battling an achilles injury and is unlikely to play Friday. Advantage, La Mirada.

DIVISION 3AA

La Serna (26-5) at Camarillo (19-12), 7 p.m.: The Lancers are the third seed in 3AA and playing like it. They advanced to the semifinals with a 60-48 second-round win over Corona del Mar, and then knocked off Hillcrest 77-75 in a quarterfinals thriller. The Lancers went undefeated in the Del Rio League and bring a six-game winning streak into the semifinals. Camarillo has 12 losses, but seven of them have come by four points or less against quality opponents. They beat a solid South Pasadena squad in the opening round, and knocked off No. 2 seed Orangewood Academy 49-45 in the quarterfinals. The Lancers must keep an eye on Camarillo’s Chase Aronowitz, who set a school record with nine 3-pointers and finished with 27 points in their quarterfinal win. He is Camarillo’s all-time leader for 3-pointers.

DIVISION 5AA

Bosco Tech (25-6) at North Torrance (25-5), 7 p.m.: Since Bosco Tech nearly knocked off Damien before losing by 10 points during The Classic at Damien tournament in December, the Tigers have been one to watch, especially in this lower-division bracket. They have looked like world beaters, crushing Temecula Prep 85-43 in the second round, then hammering Hillcrest Christian 78-42 in the quarterfinals. Ryan Osborne had 37 points and 15 rebounds and Jaden Erami had 24 points and 15 rebounds to lead them past Hillcrest. The Saxons, the Pioneer League champions and No. 2 seed in 5AA, have been equally impressive in the playoffs, easily beating Loara 61-27 in the quarterfinals. These are two teams finally playing quality opponents in the playoffs, so something will have to give.

SATURDAY’S SEMIFINALS

DIVISION 3A

San Gabriel Academy (19-14) at Bonita (20-12), 8 p.m.: Playoffs are about getting hot and staying hot, and that’s what the Bearcats have done. They had lost six of their last eight games entering the playoffs, but then proceeded to knock off top-seed Paraclete 61-52 in the second round, and then defeated rival San Dimas 59-58 in a quarterfinals thriller. Colton Perez was the Bearcats’ hero Tuesday, hitting two clutch free throws to give them the win over the Saints. One of the reasons for the Bearcats’ turnaround is they’re getting healthy. Jake Quintana and Perez each scored 20 points in the win over San Dimas. Both missed significant time during the season with injuries. San Gabriel Academy has played a tough schedule and has a load of talent. It knocked off No. 4 seed Valley Torah 66-53 in the quarterfinals. Mazin Lumori led them with 20 points and Ethan McClosky had 14 points, including four 3-pointers, and Jayden Mojica had 13 points.

DIVISION 5A

Blair (21-10) at Tarbut V’Torah (15-7), 7:30 p.m.: The top-seeded Vikings have gone from zero to hero in just a year. They were 9-16 last year, and now they are on the brink of playing for a CIF-SS championship, but they have beat the Irvine-based school Saturday night. The Vikings’ big turnaround has been paced by freshman sensation Timmy Anderson, who scored 24 points in Blair’s 82-68 quarterfinals win over Hesperia Christian. But the talent doesn’t end there. Keshrey Smith Jr. and Shakour Sidney each had 21 points in the win. The Vikings didn’t break a sweat in the first two rounds, winning by 37 and 61 points, respectively. The Lions are the fourth seed and finished third in the Academy League. They beat Vasquez 60-51 in the quarterfinals. The Lions have been in competitive games in every round, which probably bodes well for the Vikings.

— Fred Robledo