Brentwood Hoops Out of State Playoffs

Prior to the start of the CIF state tournament, Brentwood School point guard Drew Cabral said that no matter what happened moving forward, this season would be seen as a success.

The Eagles' complete body of work can now be assessed and yes, it was a campaign to be proud of. Coach Charles Solomon's squad found itself facing a big deficit early in Saturday's Southern California Regional Division IV quarterfinal against Gardena Serra and couldn't recover, falling 91-45 to see its season finally come to an end.

Brentwood (22-10) had upset seventh-seeded Fresno San Joaquin Memorial 53-44 in the first round of the 16-team bracket Wednesday, but it could never get on track against the Cavaliers (29-3), who upset defending champion Los Angeles Windward in triple overtime in the Southern Section Division 4AA final.

Saturday's game resembled the Eagles' 66-29 loss to Alpha League rival North Hollywood Campbell Hall in the Southern Section Division 4A finals Feb. 29 in Anaheim. That time, the Vikings jumped on Brentwood early and never relinquished their lead. In this one, Serra raced to a 10-2 advantage and gradually built its lead, outscoring the Eagles in every quarter.

There were plenty of bright spots this season for Brentwood: an eight-game winning streak to start the season, the Inglewood Tournament championship, beating Chatsworth in the Public vs. Private Extravaganza in January and last Wednesday's triumph over Memorial.

Brentwood missed the state playoffs last winter after falling to Ojai Villanova Prep in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 5AA playoffs.

Serra hosts third-seeded Windward (29-4) in the regional semifinals Tuesday. The winner meets either No. 1-seeded La Jolla Country Day, the San Diego Section Division IV champion, or No. 4 Playa del Rey St. Bernard, last year's Divison V state finalist.

Score by Quarters

1

2

3

4

Final

Brentwood

17

9

7

45

26

16

91