Bucs, Knights headline SD contingent in Holiday Classic Semifinals

After his team was blown out of the gym in the first half of its Holiday Classic Tip-Off Night Classic game Tuesday, Mission Bay Head Coach Marshawn Cherry challenged his team to play with toughness.

The Buccaneers accepted that challenge and turned what would have been a blowout into a respectable loss to a very good Victory Christian squad.

Since that game, the Bucs have found their stride, winning two games in the National Bracket of the Holiday Classic to advance to the semifinals tonight against JSerra Catholic of San Juan Capistrano. Mission Bay is the lone of the four San Diego teams in the top bracket to make the penultimate game.

The Bucs and Lions tip off at 8:35 p.m. after the first semifinals, which features national power Dematha Catholic against Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. Both squads took down San Diego teams to advance to the semis, with the Stags beating a spirited Torrey Pines squad 74-57, and the Knights steamrolling St. Augustine 85-47.

Mission Bay had to claw their way back from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to stun North Oconee (GA) 76-71 in overtime, their second fourth quarter comeback of the tournament. They used an 18-5 run to beat Concord De La Salle in the opening round game.

Starring in the comeback was 6-0 2028 G Lucky Davis, who finished with a team-high 21 points and looked electric carving up the North Oconee defense down the stretch, hitting timely free throws to seal the OT win. Davis, the youngest brother of former Mission Bay star and Georgia Tech/ Pacific standout Justin Moore, has long been considered one of the top prospects in the SD 2028 class. This game might signal his arrival.

The team that handed Mission Bay the loss in the tip-off game, Victory Christian, has advanced to a semifinals game of its own, in the American Division. They face St. Ignatius in a 7 p.m. semifinals at St. Augustine High. Olympian, which got a huge win against Top-20 California team Bellarmine College Prep, is in the second semifinal game at 8:35 p.m., where they will face a Moreau Catholic team that took down No. 2 Santa Fe Christian 54-52 in the quarterfinals, handing the Eagles their first loss of the season.

The Holiday Classic's Senators Division is the lone division without a San Diego representative in the final four. Somerset Losee (NV) faces fellow Nevada squad Bishop Manogue at 7 p.m., while Manhattan Beach Mira Costa will take on Stockton Lincoln at 8:35 p.m. at Carlsbad High.

Three San Diego teams comprise the final four teams in the Governor's Division at Rancho Buena Vista High. Two of them, Poway and Coronado, square off at 8:35 p.m., while Army Navy faces a very good Cypress team at 7 p.m.

And in the Mayor's Division, San Diego High's attempt to repeat as divisional champs is alive, as they will face El Cerrito at 8:35 p.m. at El Camino High. The winner will face the winner of Chino Hills Ayala and San Marino, which square off at 7 p.m.