LA HABRA – La Habra’s goal before its boys basketball game against Cypress was to qualify for the playoffs.
After the game, that goal switched to winning a league championship.
The Highlanders beat Cypress 60-57 on Friday in a Crestview League game at La Habra High.
The win locked up a CIF Southern Section playoff berth for La Habra. The Highlanders are 5-1 in the five-team Crestview League. They are tied with Crean Lutheran for first place.
The top three finishers in the league are automatic qualifiers for the CIF-SS playoffs that begin Feb. 11. The playoff brackets will be released Feb. 7.
La Habra, No. 7 in the Orange County Top 25, has two league games remaining. They play at Crean Lutheran on Tuesday and at home against Canyon on Feb. 3.
The Highlanders beat Crean Lutheran 69-56 on Jan. 9 at La Habra High.
“We put us in a position where we should finish in the top three,” said La Habra coach Aaron Riekenberg. “But now we want to go win league.”
Orange County No. 9 Cypress is 2-4 in league and likely out of playoff contention. The Centurions’ two remaining league games are at home against Canyon on Friday, Jan. 30, and at Foothill on Feb 3.
La Habra had to scramble to win Friday’s game.
Cypress outscored La Habra by 10 points in the third quarter to carry a 43-42 edge into the fourth quarter.
La Habra senior guard Acen Jimenez made a fallaway jump shot near the free-throw line to give the Highlanders a one-point lead.
Highlanders junior guard Richard Gonzales made a 3-pointer from the corner for a 49-45 lead.
La Habra senior Noah Poppin made a 3 that pushed the La Habra lead to 57-51. Poppin was an All-Orange County and All-CIF offensive lineman for the Highlanders’ football team that won a CIF Southern Section championship in the fall.
Highlanders freshman Josh Desatoff made a 13-foot jumper off of a fine pass from Jimenez with 30 seconds remaining for a 59-53 lead.
Cypress senior Gavin Kroll made his third 3-pointer of the second half to reduce the Centurions’ deficit to 59-57.
La Habra senior Damien Ceballos made a free throw with 14 seconds remaining to make it 60-57.
In the remaining time, Cypress missed two 3-point shot attempts.
“Nothing is easy in the Crestview League,” said Riekenberg, hoarse and relieved.
Jimenez, who will go to Dartmouth, scored 18 points with four assists. He went into the game averaging 27 points, but was somewhat stymied by Cypress’ box-and-one defense that focused on him.
Desatoff scored 13 points including three 3-point baskets. Gonzales scored 11 points with three 3s.
Gov, an All-County selection last season, scored 12 points with six rebounds. Kroll scored 12 points with seven rebounds.
A halftime ceremony honored La Habra’s 2025 CIF Southern Section championship football team, the school’s eighth CIF-SS football title, all under Coach Frank Mazzotta. The banner hanging on the gym wall was unveiled to show it had been updated to include “2025’ on the list of years the Highlanders have been CIF-SS champions.
“Poppin obviously doesn’t have a basketball body,” Riekenberg said. “But he’s one of the smartest kids I’ve ever had play for me. He can really shoot the ball and that was a huge bucket when we needed it.”
The assembled football players led La Habra’s hearty student section.
“The environment here was amazing,” Jimenez said. “I love playing in this atmosphere.”
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