La Habra senior Acen Jimenez continues to impress with his scoring, which includes 36 points in a win over Canyon in a Crestview League boys basketball game last week.
What makes him even more valuable, said La Habra coach Aaron Riekenberg, is Jimenez’s contribution to the Highlanders’ matchup zone defense. The 6-foot-1 senior point guard has had to play like a bigger player because of the season-ending knee injury to 6-4 teammate Javi Nash.
“For the past three years Acen has been at the top of our matchup zone,” said Riekenberg, meaning that Jimenez generally was stationed at the top of the key. “But with the injury to Nash and our lack of depth, Acen’s had to play every spot on the floor in our defense. He plays at the top, but sometimes we have to put him in the middle.”
Jimenez, who will begin attending Dartmouth in the fall, has squared off against Crean Lutheran’s 6-11 Chadrack Mpoyi and Canyon’s 6-7 Pierce Haugen.
La Habra is tied with Crean Lutheran for first place in the Crestview League with both teams 3-1 in league. Canyon and Cypress are next at 2-2 each.
La Habra’s Acen Jimenez (24), right, led all players with 36 points, while Josh Desatoff (13), left, scored 16 points and Aaron Wilson (1) made a clutch steal in the final seconds of the Highlanders’ 57-54 victory over Canyon in a Crestview League game Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (Photo by Lou Ponsi)Jimenez last week scored 19 points with five rebounds and three assists in a 71-65 nonleague loss to Servite, scored 27 points with 10 rebounds and four assists in a 61-54 nonleague win over Sonora and scored 35 points with five rebounds and three assists in a 57-54 Cresview League win over Canyon.
“The kid’s a dream player,” Riekenberg said.
NOTES
• La Habra and Sonora were Freeway League rivals for decades until recent releaguing split the two teams — with La Habra going to the Crestview League and Sonora remaining in the Freeway League. The schools kept the rivalry going last week with a nonleague game that the Highlanders won 61-54 in the sold-out gym at La Habra. “We’re going to keep this thing rolling,” Riekenberg said. …
• Troy beat Esperanza 75-73 last week in a North Hills League game. It was Esperanza’s third loss of the season. The North Hills League has a three-way tie for first place – Brea Olinda, Esperanza and Troy are all 3-1 in the league. …
• Los Alamitos had a great week last week, getting three Sunset League wins — over Edison, Fountain Valley and Newport Harbor — and a 73-70 nonleague win over St. Francis on Saturday in the Rolling Hills Prep/State Preview Classic at North Torrance High. Griffins coach Nathan Berger said the team’s top contributors for the week were Tyler Lopez, who scored 25 points against St. Francis, Riley Bowers, Joseph Ojeda and Isaiah Williamson. Los Alamitos has won six in a row since a 78-77 league loss to Corona del Mar. The Griffins play at Corona del Mar on Wednesday. …
• Crean Lutheran junior guard Hunter Caplan is 83 of 187 on 3-point shots this season. …
• Among the many other big games this week in Orange County basketball: Tuesday, Esperanza and Brea Olinda and Crean Lutheran at Cypress; Wednesday, San Clemente at Tesoro and St. John Bosco at JSerra; Friday, Crean Lutheran at Canyon, Cypress at La Habra, Estancia at La Quinta and Villa Park at El Dorado. …
• The 31st Nike Extravaganza is Friday and Saturday at Mater Dei. Tickets can only be purchased through GoFan.co. Friday’s schedule includes a girls game, Mater Dei vs. Bishop Gorman at 6 p.m. There’s also this boys game Friday: Mater Dei vs. St. Mary’s (Arizona), which has 6-11 senior Cameron Williams who signed with Duke. Saturday’s nine-game schedule starts with Damien vs. San Juan Hills at 9 a.m., includes Servite vs. Los Alamitos at 3 p.m., and concludes with Bishop Gorman vs. Crean Lutheran at around 9 p.m.
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