By Christian Romo
Muir stepped closer to their first ever Rose City Roundball Classic title on Saturday, but couldn’t match Fairfax’s championship performance.
Taking second place in the fourteenth annual Classic, the Muir Mustangs (3-1) lost to the Fairfax Lions (4-0), 59-48, Saturday night at Maranatha High School in Pasadena. Senior Javonte James (1) led the Mustangs with 18 points while junior Hunter Woods (0) grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, adding three blocks and two steals.
Though his players were disappointed with the loss, Muir coach Simaine Stewart praised their effort. “A couple mishaps, blown plays, but overall, we played well,” he said. Stewart said his team needed to work on team defense, but called the second-place finish “a great start to the season.”
Despite missing three starters, Fairfax rolled through the tournament, challenged only by PHS in a two-point semifinal win. “It was a phenomenal team win,” said Fairfax coach Steve Baik. “We’re missing a couple of all-city guys…for us to put it together like that, it was incredible.”
Fairfax sophomore Ethan Anderson (20) was named the tournament’s most valuable player, putting up 23 points on 10-16 shooting in the title game. James, Woods, and junior point guard Tiyon Martin (2) were named to the all-tournament team for the Mustangs.
PHS 53-66 Loyola
In the third place game, the Pasadena High Bulldogs (2-2) fell to the Loyola Cubs (3-1), 66-53. Junior Darius Brown II (2) led the Bulldogs with twenty points, while sophomore Darius Mason (3) put up ten points and nine rebounds. PHS finished in fourth place playing without injured forward Bryce Hamilton for the final two games of the tournament.
Maranatha 46-57 Cantwell Sacred Heart
The Maranatha Minutemen (2-2) fell to the Cantwell Sacred Heart Cardinals (3-1), 57-46, in the fifth place game. The host Minutemen finished the tournament in sixth place.
