2023-2024 Boys Week 9: Carlsbad-Montgomery Rematch for Championship

 Scores through Friday, February 23, are included below.  A playoffs wrap-up will appear later along with pairings for the Southern California regionals.

No. 1 Carlsbad will try to reverse a 63-55 loss in December to  No. 3 Montgomery when the Lancers and Aztecs meet in the San Diego Section Open Division championship Saturday at U.C. San Diego.

Carlsbad defeated 5 La Jolla Country Day, 77-65, and Montgomery won a raucous 56-39 decision at 2 St. Augustine in last night’s Open Division semifinals.

The Aztecs from the South Bay traveled well.  They contributed a large portion to the crowd of at least 2,000 persons in the St. Augustine gym and then coach Ed Martin’s team jumped to a 13-0 lead, never to be headed.

It was 38-20 deep into the third quarter when the Saints began hitting some shots and went on a 16-2 run.  It was 40-36 when a basket by the Saints at the buzzer was overruled  by a preening lead official who played to the Montgomery crowd by derisively raising his arms to let the visitors know he had waved off the basket.

The game, physical from the opening tip, took on a “no blood, no foul” perception, and grew heated in the fourth quarter.

The Saints, who missed several point blank shots under the rim, were involved in a scramble for the ball, bodies went down, a punch was thrown, and a Saints player and Montgomery player were ejected.

Montgomery regrouped, went on a 11-0 run, and closed out coach Mike Haupt’s Saints, who, as an Open Division team, automatically will be back at it in Southern California Regional play next week.

An amusing sidelight to the evening was when Aztecs coach Martin briefly engaged his assistant coach in a shouting match.  A longtime Martin observer said the scene was not unusual.

See below for all scores and championship sites.

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