First round action in the Southern California regional playoffs saw San Diego’s 36-team Boys and Girls contingent dwindle to 13, which will begin semifinals play tonight.
Wiped out with an 0-8 record in Boys’ Divisions IÂ & II, it was left to the Open Division’s St. Augustine. The 4 seed Saints rallied to a 63-60 victory over No. 5 Valencia West Hills before a loud, capacity crowd of more than 2,000 and then some.
A drone also floated above the court during pregame warmups and then disappeared as quietly as it arrived.
The host Saints took an early 11-4 lead, fell behind, 19-18, at the end of the first quarter, and then drifted back and forth with deficits up to six points against the tall (University of Texas-bound center Jazz Gardner is 7 feet) Wildcats. St. Augustine finally went ahead again, 57-56, on Lolo Rudolph’s basket with 2:50 remaining.
A long looper by Jason Matingou gave the Saints some air at 62-58 and they rode out a tense and scrambling final 1:11.
Most impressive win for San Diego teams was by coach Robbie Sandoval’s Mount Miguel girls, a 14 seed in D-I. The Matadors won at No. 3 Los Angeles Windward, 61-60.
La Jolla Country Day’s Open Division No. 2 seed Torreys girls (29-3) will try to repeat a 70-65 victory last month over the Rancho Cucamonga Etiwanda Eagles Saturday night at home.
A story about tonight’s semifinals games and seedings will follow.
San Diego Section winners highlighted:
BOYS
| DIVISION | TEAM/VISITOR | SEED | OPPONENT/HOME | SEED | SCORE |
| Open | Valencia West Ranch (29-3) | 5 | St. Augustine (27-4) | 4 | 63-60 |
| I | Montgomery (25-7) | 9 | Manhattan Beach Mira Costa (28-3) | 8 | 49-45 |
| Carlsbad (24-7) | 10 | Temecula Rancho Christian (24-10) | 7 | 89-72 | |
| San Ysidro (18-13) | 11 | Rancho Cucamonga Etiwanda (26-5) | 6 | 63-53 | |
| La Costa Canyon (16-13) | 12 | Santa Ana Mater Dei (28-6) | 5 | Â 70-66 | |
| Santa Fe Christian (24-6) | 13 | Playa del Rey St. Bernard (22-8) | 4 | Â 75-73 | |
| Torrey Pines (18-12) | 15 | Torrance Bishop Montgomery (27-4) | 2 | 81-53 | |
| II | San Gabriel Academy (20-14) | 10 | Mater Dei (21-9) | 7 | 75-72 |
| III | Del Norte (20-11) | 9 | Ventura Buena (28-5) | 8 | 72-66 |
| Lincoln (30-2) | 10 | Whittier La Serna (27-7) | 7 | 53-52 | |
| Â | Camarillo (20-13) | 12 | San Diego (20-13) | 5 | 67-61 |
| Otay Ranch (21-11) | 13 | North Hollywood Oakwood (21-9) | 4 | 78-53 | |
| Â | Ontario Christian (19-11) | 14 | Mission Bay (24-9) | 3 | 75-55 |
| Â | La Verne Bonita (19-14) | 16 | La Jolla Country Day (24-7) | 1 | 55-52 |
| IV | Long Beach Wilson (21-12) | 11 | Victory Christian (24-8) | 6 | 71-64 |
| V | Imperial (20-9) | 9 | Torrance North (25-6) | 8 | 83-55 |
| Â | Classical (17-10) | 10 | Littlerock (20-6) | 7 | 55-41 |
|  | Irvine Tarbut V’Torah (14-8) | 14 | Ramona (21-10) | 3 |  75-38 |
GIRLS
| DIVISION | TEAM/VISITOR | SEED | TEAM/HOME | SEED | SCORE |
| Open | Rancho Cucamonga Etiwanda (29-3) | 3 | La Jolla Country Day (29-3) | 2 | Â Bye |
| I | L.A. Marlborough (22-10) | 12 | Del Norte (21-10) | 5 | Â 55-37 |
| Â | Fullerton Rosary (23-8) | 13 | Mission Hills (20-11) | 4 | Â 57-54 |
| Â | Mount Miguel (23-7) | 14 | L.A. Windward (18-10) | 3 | 61-60 |
| Westview (25-6) | 15 | Corona Santiago (23-9) | 2 | Â 49-48 | |
| II | Scripps Ranch (20-7) | 9 | La Canada Flintridge (30-2) | 8 | Â 55-44 |
| Poway (24-5) | 10 | Sun Valley Village (26-6) | 7 | Â 49-36 | |
| Mater Dei (21-10) | 11 | San Juan Capistrano San Juan Hills (25-6) | 6 | Â 60-49 | |
| Imperial (26-6) | 12 | Newhall Hart (28-4) | 5 | Â 59-43 | |
| Rancho Bernardo (22-10) | 14 | Pasadena La Salle (31-3) | 3 | Â 56-45 | |
| Lake Balboa Birmingham (17-13) | 16 | Bonita Vista (20-9) | 1 | Â 63-49 | |
| III | Buena Park (25-7) | 13 | Torrey Pines (25-8) | 4 | Â 71-57 |
| Â | Moreno Valley (23-9) | 14 | Cathedral (15-14) | 3 | 60-53 |
| IV | North Hollywood Oakwood (18-12) | 12 | Oceanside (22-7) | 5 | Â 47-40 |
| Montgomery (24-7) | 13 | Victorville Silverado (21-3) | 4 | 71-62 | |
| Granite Hills (26-7) | 14 | North Hollywood Campbell Hall (16-12) | 3 | Â 48-45 | |
| V | Mar Vista (13-14) | 11 | Santa Monica St. Monica (23-4) | 6 | Â 65-34 |
| Santa Barbara Bishop Diego (23-4) | 13 | Blythe Palo Verde (21-10) | 4 | Â 53-40 |
