CONTACT US

Contact Form

    News Details

    Canyon boys basketball defeats Cypress in tiebreaker game, earns CIF-SS playoff berth
    • February 6, 2025

    FULLERTON – It was only right that Orange County boys basketball’s wild and crazy Crestview League would need an additional game to decide the league’s third and final guaranteed playoff berth.

    Canyon and Cypress played each other Wednesday in that third-place tiebreaker game. Led by Brandon Benjamin’s 29 points, Canyon defeated Cypress 64-56 at Sunny Hills High.

    Canyon likely will be in CIF Southern Section Division 1 when the playoffs begin Feb. 12.

    Canyon, 20-9 overall, is No. 17 in the CIF-SS rankings that determine the placement of playoff teams into playoff divisions.

    If Canyon this week is moved into the top 16 teams in the final rankings of the season, and if the Open Division is a 16-team bracket, then Canyon would be in the Open Division for the playoffs. The Open Division was an eight-team group last year, and seems destined to be a group of 8-10 teams this year.

    As only the top three teams in a five-team league like the Crestview receive guaranteed playoff berths, Cypress (18-11) is left to hope an at-large berth is available. The Centurions, No. 32 in the CIF-SS rankings, will be in the Division 1 pool of at-large hopefuls.

    CIF-SS boys and girls basketball playoff brackets will be released Saturday at noon.

    Wednesday’s game matched two teams that were going in opposite directions as they concluded their scheduled Crestview League games with their 4-4 league records. Canyon and Cypress split their two league games, so head-to-head results could not break the tie between them. Sunny Hills was selected as the neutral site for the third-place playoff game.

    After a 0-3 start in league Cypress had won four of its last five Crestview League games to get the Centurions into playoff contention. Canyon, 4-1 at one point of league play, had lost three straight league games, including a two-point loss to league champion Crean Lutheran on Tuesday, by a total of 11 points.

    Benjamin, a 6-6 senior forward who signed with University of San Diego, scored 12 points in the fourth quarter. He made 3 of his 4 shots and was 6 for 6 at the free-throw line in the final eight minutes.

    “Knowing that, as a senior, this could be one of our last games, we just wanted it more,” Benjamin said. “We wanted to come out, make sure we get to the playoffs and have a good ending to our season.”

    Benjamin scored in the usual manner – powering his way up and through the double- and triple-teams he has encountered since his freshman year with a handful of 10-15 foot jump shots and a first-quarter 3-pointer. He also had 10 rebounds and five assists.

    Canyon senior guards Saf Yilmazturk scored 12 points with two 3-pointers and Noah Kim scored seven points. Senior forward Zach Cutler grabbed seven rebounds.

    “Credit to our kids,” said Canyon coach Nate Harrison. “We had a really tough loss last night. Some teams would be done at that point, and our kids didn’t quit.”

    Cypress junior high-energy guard Ryan Gov scored 23 points including eight points in the fourth quarter. Centurions senior guard King Birdsong scored 15 points with two 3-point baskets.

    Canyon took a 42-39 lead into the fourth quarter. Birdsong converted a three-point play to tie it 44-44 and Gov would do the same to make it 49-49. Josiyah Hall-Deans scored for Cypress off of an offensive rebound to put the Centurions on top 51-49.

    Benjamin tied it on a spin move in the key, Yilmazturk took a great pass from Benjamin for a layup and Canyon was ahead 53-51. Jackson Houston scored for Cypress with two minutes left to tie the game 53-53. Benjamin spun his way through three defenders again for a 55-53 lead with 1:49 to go.

    Benjamin made four free throws over the final 79 seconds as did reserve junior guard Rami Awad to keep Canyon in control.

    Harrison said he hoped Cypress would get into the playoffs, and praised Cypress coach Derek Mitchell.

    “There will be a ton of great teams that will miss the playoffs,” Harrison said. “And that man deserves to be in the playoffs. He does as good of a job as anybody.”

    ​ Orange County Register 

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    News