Mission Prep basketball makes late run to go to CIF finals. Here’s who else moved on

Mission Prep’s boys basketball team has battled through struggles all season long — and on Tuesday they had to muster all of their fortitude to fend off a smothering trap defense, clawing back from a halftime deficit to beat Hoover of Fresno.

The Royals (12-17) won 67-56 in front of a packed home gym. Fans roared at the final buzzer. Mission Prep moves on to the CIF-Central Section Division 2 final against Dinuba High on Friday at 8 p.m. at Fresno’s Selland Arena.

Meanwhile, two local girls’ soccer teams also will be heading to the finals, Mission Prep and Arroyo Grande.

Down 31-23 at halftime after facing a double-digit deficit early in the contest, the Royals basketball squad found its groove in the third quarter with the hot hand of Luke Jacobson. Jacobson went on a tear, burying four 3-pointers, a couple of them banked in, electrifying the home fans, to mount the comeback.

“It just seems fitting from everything that’s happened this year,” Jacobson said. “And you know, we’re trying to put another banner on the wall. It’ll be the first one in 20 years.”

Jacobson said: “It’s a privilege playing here at Mission over the past for years and this is what I work for, and what my team’s worked for. I’m just stoked with a packed gym and great atmosphere.”

How they did it

After Hoover forced several turnovers in the first half using a full-court trap defense and Mission Prep struggled to find its shooting touch, the second half was a stark contrast as the Royals broke the press and converted open looks.

“It was on a scouting report going in,” said Brayden Mott. “If we controlled our turnovers, we knew we were going to win that game. And the first half we didn’t, and that’s why we were losing. The second half, I don’t remember many times that we turned it over. ... Last year, we were a game away from this. And it’s just been all of our dreams since we’re a little kids and it’s just surreal.”

Jacobson, a 6-foot-7 senior who has committed to be a preferred walk-on at Marquette University, finished with a game-high 17 points, and Brody Miller, a 5-foot-8 junior guard, had a career-high 15 points.

Junior point guard Jayden Nozil also fueled the offense with hard-line drives to the basket in the second half after sitting out much of the first half with foul trouble. Nozil finished with 16 points.

In addition to pushing through the press, the Royals contained the Patriots’ offense with solid rotational defense and limiting second chance rebounds.

Mission Prep Head Coach Terrance Harris said his team had to relax and trust the game plan.

“We got a little sped up (early on),” Harris said. “It’s their game. When we were able to slow down and play under control, that’s our game.”

“I’m so proud of these men for staying connected,” said Harris. “It’s been a year. We’ve had a lot of downs for a long stretch, but this team showed great perseverance, determination, some trust and some heart. And I just I’m so proud of the effort that they’ve continued to put in.”

Harris added: “Hard work doesn’t always get rewarded in the ways that we want it to, but I wanted so desperately for them to have an opportunity to play for a championship because I believe they’re champions. And here we are with an opportunity.”

What’s next

The No. 2 Royals move on to face the No. 10 seed in Dinuba (28-3, 10-0 West Yosemite League).

Jacobson said that it will take “a lot of studying, a lot of focus and getting ourselves right to win and bring it home.”

Harris, who has coached in CIF final games four times in his 18-year run with the Royals, is looking for his first title victory.

The Royals suffered injuries to key players earlier in the season, including Roman Benedetti, who tallied 11 points on Tuesday, and some tough losses early in the season, but Harris said that his team knows how to bounce back.

Benedetti said: “I heard (Dinuba) is good, but I think we have enough so if we just stay together, I think we’ll win.”

“These young men have faced it all,” Harris said. “And they’ve found a way to fight through that adversity. So they know what they’re capable of.”

The Royals last hung a CIF boys basketball title banner in 2004.

“It’s going to take the same perseverance, same trust in each other, same connectivity,” Harris said. “That’s what got us here. We’ve arrived here because of what we’ve done over the course of the season. We have to stay principled, stay true to who we are and keep doing the things that got us here.”

The game will be streamed on the NFHS Network with announcers Brian Stanley and Kevin Hitchen, Mission Prep’s athletic director, on the call.

With the finals berth, the Royals also earned a bid in the state CIF tournament.

Atascadero boys basketball falls to North

On the road in Bakersfield, the No. 13 Greyhounds (15-14, 5-3 Ocean League) lost 64-56 to No. 1 North in the Division 3 semifinals.

Atascadero was led by sophomore guard Shea Buckley, the team’s top scorer during the season, who had 19 points. Mason Degnan added 13 for Atascadero.

“We played our hearts out and we executed the game plan exactly how we wanted to do it,” said Atascadero Coach Augie Johnston. “They just had some players step up and make some big plays down the stretch in the fourth quarter that kind of gave them a big enough lead to close out the win. But we did exactly what we came to do and just couldn’t get the stops in the fourth quarter.”

Johnston said the team had strong senior leadership and a crop of standout sophomores as well.

“We didn’t know what to expect, but as things got going, we saw that we did have a good team and the amount of growth that we saw with the guys over the course of the whole year was just incredible,” Johnston said. “It’s probably the most improvement I’ve ever seen in a group since I started coaching here at Atascadero.”

Johnston said while they’ll lose some key seniors to graduation, “the future is very bright”

Mission Prep, Arroyo Grande girls soccer heads to finals

Two local girls soccer teams will be heading to CIF-Central Section final games after big wins on Tuesday. No. 6 Mission Prep (12-7-5, 3-1-4 Ocean) won 2-0 over No. 2 Bishop Union High (16-1) in Division 4.

“We had to travel six hours for that game and we’ll be playing in the finals on Friday in Fresno,” said Hitchen.

Hitchen said Sophia Longman scored on “a deep ball from just inside the big box over the goalie’s head into the back of the net.”

And Sarah Connors assisted with a cross from about midfield that looped near the goal and freshman Mckenzie Gordon headed in the pass for the second score, said Hitchen, who watched the game on the livestream.

The Royals face No. 5 San Joaquin Memorial in Fresno at 6 p.m. Friday

No. 7 Arroyo Grande (11-8-2) beat St. Joseph 2-0 to move on to face No. 1 Independence (19-5-2), of Bakersfield, in Division 2.

Olivia Hunsicker scored and Kendall Merlo converted on a penalty kick.