Local boys, girls basketball teams set for CIF State regional semifinals Saturday

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Only a few remain.

The CIF State boys and girls basketball regional playoffs will continue Saturday night with all teams just two wins away from earning a spot in the CIF State finals in Sacramento next weekend.

Harvard-Westlake boys basketball has a rematch with St. John Bosco in the CIF State Open Division semifinal. The Wolverines will look to avenge its loss to the Braves 62-55 on Feb. 14 in Southern Section Open Division pool play at home. This time, Harvard-Westlake will be on the road to St. John Bosco in Bellflower.

Harvard-Westlake’s goal to win a CIF State title is still intact despite being bounced from the possibility of winning a section crown. The winner of Saturday night’s game will play the winner of Corona Centennial and San Diego’s St. Augustine, which knocked off West Ranch on Thursday night 63-60.

Fattal: Sierra Canyon’s Juju Watkins dominating her way into high school greatness

The Sierra Canyon girls basketball team will take on Mater Dei in the CIF State Open Division regional semifinal at home. The game will be played at 4 p.m. so traveling Mater Dei fans can get to the boys basketball game at Notre Dame in Sherman Oaks at 7 p.m. The Trailblazers (30-0) are one week of winning the CIF Southern Section Open Division title over Etiwanda where Juju Watkins scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

If Sierra Canyon wins Saturday, it will face the winner of La Jolla Country Day and Etiwanda in the regional final Tuesday night – two teams the Trailblazers have beaten this season.

Watkins was named the James Naismith National girls basketball Player of the Year Friday.

In Division I, the No. 1-seeded Notre Dame boys basketball team will take on Mater Dei at home Saturday night. The Knights already beat Fairfax (84-68) thanks to Dusty Stromer’s 21 points and beat Mira Costa (58-39) Thursday night thanks to Caleb Foster’s 28 points.