With the clock ticking down in the fourth quarter and the outcome long decided, Redondo Union senior guard Devin Wright caught a backboard pass from teammate Chace Holley in mid-air and stuffed it with both hands over the hoop — an exclamation point to an emphatic 85-51 victory over Archer Mira Costa on Friday night.
Wright finished with 23 points — most of them on layups while cutting to the basket — small forward SJ Madison scored 19, Holley had 17 and Chris Sanders added 16 as the Sea Hawks, ranked second in the Southland according to The Times, remained undefeated in the Bay League and sent a message to their competition.
Redondo Union’s SJ Madison hits a jumper during Friday’s 85-51 win over Mira Costa.
(Steve Galluzzo/For The Times)
“We knew it was a big game and I had to be there for my team,” Wright said after scoring 18 points in the final two quarters. “We saw early on that they couldn’t contain us, so we looked at them and hit them.
Madison and Mira Costa forward Paxx Bell traded baskets during a fast-paced first quarter that ended 20-18 for the visiting Sea Hawks. They pushed the lead to seven by halftime and used a 23-7 lead in the third quarter to put the game out of reach.
“Chace is a big gun, but we’re all guns,” Wright said. “If he doubles him, he leaves somebody else open. We all took turns.”
Bell led the 19th-ranked Mustangs (18-4, 3-1) with 15 points, while senior shooting guard Luke Lowell and junior wing Strax Dragicevic each added 12.
The teams shared the league title last winter, each winning on their opponents’ home turf. On Friday, the Sea Hawks (18-3, 4-0) showed they have the skills and talent to win a title.
“We didn’t like splitting the league with them last year,” Wright said. “So this year it’s all ours – and we’re taking it.”
Mira Costa’s Paxx Bell scored in the first half Friday off a layup by Redondo Union’s Chace Holley.
(Steve Galluzzo/For The Times)
Redondo Union beat Mira Costa 72-66 in the CIF State Division I regional semifinals last season before losing to Sierra Canyon in the next round — falling one win short of the state final. The Sea Hawks failed to advance out of pool play in the Southern Section Open Division playoffs, while Mira Costa fell to Los Alamitos in the Southern Section Division 1 final. But that was then and this is now.
The teams will meet again to wrap up Bay League play on Feb. 3 in Manhattan Beach.
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