The Sierra Canyon boys basketball team is trending in the right direction.
After a shaky start to the season, the Trailblazers have found some solid footing as they try to make another Open Division championship run.
Bronny James scored 22 points on 8-14 shooting and grabbed five rebounds to lead Sierra Canyon to an impressive 66-55 come from behind victory against Wheeler of Georgia on Saturday night at USC’s Galen Center.
“Bronny was great tonight,” Sierra Canyon head coach Andre Chevalier said. “Bronny has been a great senior leader this year.”
Ashton Hardaway scored 18 points and five-star junior wing Isaiah Elohim added 10 points for Sierra Canyon, which trailed 16-6 after one quarter. The 21-point turnaround was a season best for the Trailblazers.
“Just very proud of the boys for the way they fought through and never gave up,” Chevalier said. “We battled back as a team and made the plays we needed to down the stretch.”
A key sequence came with just under two minutes remaining. The game was tied 53-53 and Hardaway drilled a 3-pointer. James came up with a steal and layup for a five-point advantage.
Sierra Canyon dug itself a 10-point hole in the first quarter before trailing 29-21 at halftime. The Trailblazers settled in trying to slow down Isaiah Collier and Arrinten Page, both headed to USC.
The tide turned in the third quarter. The Trailblazers chipped into the lead. Hardaway scored 11 points in the quarter.
Sierra Canyon finally went ahead 48-47 with 5:20 remaining tanks to a pair of Osiris Nalls free throws. The Trailblazers surged ahead 53-49 on a nice putback by Noah Williams before Wheeler tied it up, setting up Hardway and James.
Chevalier earned his 393rd victory and Sierra Canyon now turns its attention to Loyola and Crespi this week before an MLK, Jr. day game against Columbus of Florida in Massachusetts.