La Habra boys basketball knocks off San Juan Hills in Gary Raya Classic ...Middle East

PLACENTIA — The La Habra boys basketball team continued its hot start to the season with a 69-55 win over San Juan Hills on Friday night in the Gary Raya Classic at El Dorado High.

The Highlanders (8-1), ranked No. 8 in Orange County, will face the tournament host, El Dorado, in the championship game Saturday at 3 p.m.

La Habra was led by Acen Jimenez, who scored a team-high 27 points, including four 3-pointers, and Josh Desatoff who added 13 points, with three 3-pointers.

“I’m really proud of the boys,” Highlanders coach Aaron Riekenberg said. “You know, we got a lot of new faces, two freshmen, but other guys that just really haven’t played at the varsity level that much. Josh Desatoff has been with us for two years, but coming off injuries. So, you know, they’re still building good habits, but I’m really happy with how they’re executing on defense, and I just love how they’re sharing the ball.”

La Habra raced to a 35-18 lead at halftime with Jimenez, a senior who is committed to Dartmouth, scoring 19 points in the first half.

The Stallions (5-3) were led by Rocco Jensen, who scored 27 points with six 3-pointers, and Nicholas Francik, who chipped in 12 points.

San Juan Hills coach Jason Efstathiou was missing several key players, but Francik kept it close with his post play in the first quarter and Jensen caught fire from long range in the third period.

Jensen knocked down four shots from beyond the arc as the Stallions cut a 22-point deficit to 12 late in the third.

“They got two players that can really fill it up, 4 (Kamran Aziz) and 24 (Jensen), and I felt like we did a great job against both of them,” Riekenberg said. “(Aziz) we kept under wraps, and then 24 (Jensen) was incredible, but those shots were from the volleyball line. You know, from so deep that it’s like, it’s hard to get on my guys about that.”

The Highlanders responded with a 9-0 run to end the third quarter and pushed their lead back to 21 points, 59-38.

“It was huge, they were making some adjustments defensively, really trying to face guard Acen, and Jensen kept hitting shots, but I’m so proud of just the way they answered back,” Riekenberg said. “They didn’t slow down. They kept pushing the pace. They kept executing against their zone, and didn’t have to call a timeout to try to draw things up.

“The boys just played our game, and that was huge, because they got momentum. I think they cut it to 12. And so for us to answer back and close the quarter that way was, you know, says a lot about where we’re headed.”

La Habra also got nice contributions from their freshmen players, Aaron Wilson and Derek Soloway. Wilson scored nine points and Soloway had eight points.

Riekenberg is high on Wilson’s potential.

“He might be one of the best, you know, just on-ball defenders I’ve ever had in this program,” Riekenberg said. “He is so crafty, and then offensively, he just plays at his own pace. Doesn’t get sped up, and for a freshman to be playing that way, it’s just really, really impressive.”

Related Articles

Hence then, the article about la habra boys basketball knocks off san juan hills in gary raya classic was published today ( Saturday 06/12/2025 - 09:13 AM ) and is available on The Orange County Register ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.

Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( La Habra boys basketball knocks off San Juan Hills in Gary Raya Classic )

Also on site :

• Iraq coach says World Cup can help ‘change perception’ of country
• STAG INDUSTRIAL TO REPORT FIRST QUARTER 2026 RESULTS
• Religious Cult Responsible For Horrific Child Sex Abuse Is The Basis Of Netflix’s ‘Trust Me: The False Prophet’