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VAN NUYS — In the same high school gym where his father played, Chatsworth freshman Alijah Arenas did everything he could to will his team to victory in a City Section Division I quarterfinal matchup against Grant.
Arenas, the son of three-time NBA All-Star and Grant alum Gilbert Arenas, scored 14 points in the fourth quarter before fouling out with four minutes remaining in the game.
The freshman totaled 30 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, but it wasn’t enough to bring the Chancellors back after the Lancers went on a 3-point barrage in the third quarter, sealing the 85-73 win Friday night.
Grant alumni packed the gym tonight. Here’s Grant head coach Tarek Abdelsameia with Gilbert Arenas, Howard Levine (Arenas’ coach at Grant) Asatur Bagaryan (Arenas’ HS teammate and current assistant) and Rashad Winston (Arenas’ HS teammate) posing in front of the trophy case pic.twitter.com/rmeh7r1op7
— Dan Lovi (@LoviSports) February 11, 2023
Grant is one step closer to reaching the Division I City final for the second straight year. The Lancers will face Granada Hills, 61-59 winners over Palisades, in the semifinals next Friday.
Trailing by 11 at halftime, Grant’s accurate shooting and suffocating press turned the tide. The Lancers outscored Chatsworth 30-5 in the third quarter, giving them a double-digit advantage they did not relinquish the rest of the way.
“I think we weren’t playing to our potential in the first half. We did a better job of making a cut to the middle in their zone, we hit a couple shots and we started swarming in our press,” Grant head coach Tarek Abdelsameia said. “They decided at halftime if they wanted this to be their last game or play next Friday.”
Grant hit 11 3-pointers total, with a handful of them coming in the third quarter. Byron Mendez led the way with five made 3-pointers, finishing with 27 points. Anthony Minnoy…
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