Game of the week

La Serna’s Experience Leads to Win Over #16 La Habra

In a matchup of two programs known for their tough defensive mindset and well run offense, La Serna’s experience proved to be the determining factor in their 53-46 win over #16 La Habra on Monday night. In front of a loud and energetic crowd, the Lancers experience showed as they did not have a let down after defeating #2 Canyon on Saturday to win the North OC Championships.

La Serna took a 10-8 lead after the 1st quarter, which featured tough, physical defense as both teams struggled to find a flow offensively. Both teams continued to lock down on defense in the 2nd as La Serna extended their lead to 23-18 at the half.  Junior Gabriel Lewis finished the half with 11 for the Lancers, showing his range with a late corner 3 after Senior Jason Rivera attacked the gap of La Habra’s zone before finding Lewis in the corner. Sophomore Grayson Sinek led the Highlanders with 9.

Both teams continued to pick up the pace offensively and La Serna hit three 3’s to take a 38-31 lead into the 4th. Senior Marco Montano hit two 3’s in the quarter for the Lancers. La Serna stretched their lead to 43-33 with 6:23 left after a nice euro by Senior Zach Leija. La Habra continued to fight and forced a few late turnovers while Freshman Acen Jimenez got downhill on multiple possessions to finish at the rim but the Lancers made their free throws to come away with the win. La Serna improved to 8-3 and will take on Schurr and Los Altos later this week. La Habra dropped to 8-3 and will face Cerritos and #18 Cypress to close out the week.

Leading Scorers and Player Evaluations:

La Serna

-Gabriel Lewis (19pts.): Savvy player with great hands and feel for the game. Strong finisher with mid-range jumper and ability to knock down from the perimeter.

-Jason Rivera (14): Shooter who will knock down the open 3 and is a physical defender.

#16 La Habra

-Grayson Sinek (18): Can create own shot with a quick pull off the dribble. Great footwork with the ability to score on all 3 levels, knocking down 3 3’s.

-Acen Jimenez (13): Impressive freshman guard who showed the ability to get downhill and finish in traffic with a solid mid-range game.