Bronny James returns but Notre Dame wins big in Mission League tournament showdown: Updated report
Bronny James was back, and his return couldn't come soon enough for the Sierra Canyon (California) boys basketball team.
But it wasn't nearly enough to contend with the red hot and host Notre Dame-Sherman Oaks Knights on Wednesday night.
Per the Los Angeles Daily News, Gonzaga signee Dusty Stromer had 21 points, Duke commit Caleb Foster added 20 and Lino Mark chipped in 14 as the Knights (20-8) hammered Sierra Canyon 88-61 in a Mission League playoff semifinal.
Dusty Stromer (4) had a combined 43 points in two wins over Sierra Canyon in the last week. File photo: Brian Kimoto
James, sidelined since Jan. 18 with a knee injury, led Sierra Canyon (20-7) with 19 points and Noah Williams added 10.
But the Trailblazers were without 5-star junior Isaiah Elohim, who injured his ankle on Friday in a 66-62 loss to Notre Dame at Pauley Pavilion. He was in a walking boot on Wednesday.
With the win, the Knights play in the Mission League tournament finals Friday against nationally-ranked Harvard-Westlake, a 56-48 winner over St. Francis-La Canada.
Notre Dame, trying to find its groove all season, seems to have found it with five straight wins and 10 of 12 with its only losses to the state's top two teams, Corona Centennial (69-60) and Harvard-Westlake (85-78 in double OT).
Sierra Canyon will now wait to see if it is invited to the Southern Section's Open Division playoffs, or play in a lower division.
With James out, Sierra Canyon went 3-2 in its five previous games and fell from the national rankings. The son of LeBron James was selected to the McDonald's All-American game last week.
The team lost much-anticipated showdowns with No. 15 Harvard-Westlake (Calif.) and formerly-ranked Notre Dame (Calif.), the latter of which was played at Pauley Pavilion on the campus of UCLA and broadcasted on national television.
Fans can watch a replay of the game on the NFHS Network.
