Bosco Tech held on for a 52-47 victory over North Torrance to advance to the CIF Southern Section Division 5AA championship, denying the Saxons from making their first title appearance since 1965.

with Bosco Tech up 50-47, North Torrance called a timeout with 12.4 second left. The team hadn’t made a 3-point field goal throughout the game and Kai Bradley’s potential tying attempt came up short.

The Tigers (26-6) got the rebound and Jaden Erami put the game away with a pair of free throws.

Bosco Tech led 42-36 entering the fourth quarter and after a basket by Ryan Osborne, the Tigers had their largest lead of the game (44-36).

With the win, the Tigers will face top-seeded Lynwood in the finals either Friday or Saturday. It will be Bosco Tech’s first finals appearance.

“We thought we had to settle down,” Bosco Tech coach Michael Romo said. “Obviously, they played very good defense, but once our boys settled in, we thought our ability, our shooting would take over. Hats off to them (North), they had a hell of a game plan, but I couldn’t be prouder of my boys. This is the farthest the school has gone in history and as alumnus, I’m so proud.”

Erami led Bosco Tech with 20 points. Darius Benitez had 16, with 14 coming in the first half. Osborne, who keyed the third-quarter surge with seven points, finished with 11.

— Damian Calhoun

Division 2A

LA MIRADA 55, PACIFICA CHRISTIAN 37 >> When the La Mirada boys basketball team squandered an opportunity to win the Gateway League title outright on a last-second shot by Downey, Matadores coach Randy Oronoz hoped that the heart-wrenching loss, along with others like it during the season, would be lessons learned that could benefit the team in the CIF Southern Section playoffs.

Mission accomplished.

The Matadores were dominant in front of a sold-out home crowd and defeated Pacifca Christian of Newport in a CIF-SS Division 2A semifinal Friday night.

The Matadores will be playing in their second straight championship game.

La Mirada, which lost in the championship game last year, will get another crack at the title when it faces Canoga Park’s AGBU on Friday or Saturday, The CIF-SS will announce the finals schedule next week.

“We lost three games on buzzer beaters,” Oronoz recalled. “I laughed when we lost to Campbell Hall and Downey. I told the boys, ‘we’re gonna win the league and we’re going to be back in the finals.’”

Julien Gomez led La Mirada with 17 points and Sean Cervantes added 16 to lead the Matadores.

Cervantes provided an exclamation point on the Matadores’ win midway through the fourth quarter when he hit guard Julien Gomez on a back door cut on the left wing. Gomez, all alone, rose up and tomahawk-slammed the ball into the basket, putting the game out of reach.

“We’ve had that play in our playbook for a while now,” said Gomez. “When I heard (Oronoz) call it out, I knew that was my opportunity.”

The Matadores will have a few days to get ready for their second championship appearance in as many years. Last year, La Mirada lost 59-49 to San Juan Hills.

Cervantes believes this trip will be different.

“We’re gonna get the ring this time,” Cervantes said. “I’m not gonna lose. I can’t lose two times in a row.”

— Jorge Ramos

Division 3AA

LA SERNA 41, CAMARILLO 38 >> La Serna’s boys basketball team held off a fouth-quarter rally by host Camarillo to secure a victory in Friday’s CIF Southern Section Division 3AA semifinals.

La Serna advances to next week’s championship game against top seed St. Pius X/St. Matthias, an easy 82-59 winner over Buena. The CIF-SS finals will be played over Friday and Saturday, with the schedule announced on Monday.

The Lancers’ Daniel Angulo hit two free throws with 9.7 seconds left to give the Lancers’ a 3-point lead, and they were able to hold on defensively in the final seconds after the Scorpions missed a game-tying 3-point attempt.

Zach Leija and Angulo finished with a team-high 10 points to lead the Lancers and Marco Montano scored all eight of his points, including two 3-pointers, in the second half. Xavier Ortiz also had eight points.

The Scorpions (19-13) were paced by Chase Aronowitz’s game-high 15 points, all on 3-pointers.

The third-seeded Lancers (27-5) will play for their first championship in school history.

“Being first to do get there and play for it (championship) is great,” La Serna coach Marino Angulo said. “But my real focus is on the memories this gives our players. It’s been a magical run and they’ll never forget it. So, we have one more and that’s all we’re focusing on now.”

— Fred Robledo