The third game in the Pioneer Hoops Showdown features a quality matchup between the Etiwanda Eagles and the Beverly Hills Normans.
Etiwanda entered the contest with an 11-2 record while Beverly Hills comes in with an 8-7 mark.
The Eagles jumped out to an early thanks to lights out jump shooting from junior Jordan McLaughlin, who knocked down three bombs from downtown.
Senior big man Tim Myles threw down a nice slam dunk to keep Etiwanda in the lead.
Beverly Hills sophomore guard Ryan Manoocheri hit two three-pointers to keep the Normans in the game.
At the half, Etiwanda held a 29-20 advantage.
The Eagles extended their lead in the third quarter and took a 42-26 advantage into the final frame.
Jordan McLaughlin continued to shine in the fourth as Etiwanda built an insurmountable lead. The Eagles suffocating defense proved too much for Beverly Hills but the Normans fought to the end.
With 17 points, Jordan McLaughlin was named CLA and Gatorade Player of the Game in leading the Eagles to an impressive 60-37 victory.
Game 4: St. Anthony (Long Beach) vs. Central (Fresno)
The fourth game in the Pioneer Hoops Showdown at Providence features a sweet matchup between the St. Anthony Saints of Long Beach and the Central Grizzlies of Fresno.
Central enters the contest with an 11-3 record while St. Anthony holds an 8-6 mark.
St. Anthony is led by senior Kyle Benton and Arizona commit Eric Cooper Jr.
Senior Tony Warrick opened the scoring for St. Anthony with a sweet medium range bank shot. Eric Cooper Jr drilled a baseline three pointer followed by a nice assist to give the Saints an early 7-1 advantage.
Big man Kyle Benton added a jump hook while Jonathan Ross made two short jumpers as the Saints led 11-1 with four minutes left in the first.
The Grizzlies went on a 8-0 run to get back in the game but St. Anthony led 12-9 at the end of a quarter.
Saints junior guard Drew Reid had a nice layup to start the second.
Junior Murshid Randle drilled a three-pointer to tie the game at 14 for the Grizzlies.
St. Anthony's Eric Cooper Jr began to heat up and made a few medium range jumpers to give the Saints a 21-14 advantage. Drew Reid dropped a sweet dime to Kyle Benton to extend the lead further. Senior Greg Karapoulios hit a three pointer right before halftime to give the Saints a 33-18 lead at the break.
Central came out in the second half determined to get back in the game. St. Anthony picked up the defensive pressure, trapping Grizzlies players at every turn. Central, however, was able to handle the pressure and get some easy buckets to cut the deficit to 41-32 late in the third.
Karapoulios drilled back-to-back three pointers to push the lead up to 47-32.
Heading to the fourth quarter, St. Anthony held a 47-34 advantage.
Randle led the Grizzlies back within 53-45 but the Saints responded with buckets from Cooper Jr and Warrick.
With 20 points, Eric Cooper Jr. was named CLA + Further Generation Player of the Game, in leading the Saints to a 61-49 victory. Senior Kyle Benton took home the Gatordae G Series Player of the Game.
