On a night honoring JuJu Watkins, perhaps the school’s all-time winningest athlete, the Sierra Canyon boys basketball team did its alma mater proud by edging Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 78-74 in a Mission League game at Chatsworth on Friday.
The game was broadcast live on ESPN2, and the host Trailblazers relished the opportunity to showcase their skills on the national stage and show why they deserve to be ranked among the nation’s best.
Brandon McCoy led the way with 21 points, including several dunks, Brannon Martinsen scored 18, North Carolina’s Maximo Adams had 17 and Jordan Mize added 12 for Sierra Canyon, which trailed 33-28 at halftime.
Mize’s 3-pointer capped a 9-0 run early in the third quarter.
Sierra Canyon, ranked No. 1 in the Southland by The Times, won its 10th straight game since its only loss to Forestville (Md.) Bishop McNamara on Dec. 6 at the Capital City Showcase in Washington, DC.
NaVorro Bowman Jr. had a game-high 36 points, including a desperation half-court layup that pulled the Knights (13-6, 0-2) to within 55-50 entering the fourth quarter. He had 14 points in the first quarter, 21 by halftime and sank six threes. Zachary White added 14 for No. 6 Notre Dame, which looked to bounce back from a four-point loss to unranked Loyola in the league opener.
JuJu Watkins became the first Sierra Canyon athlete to have his jersey retired during a halftime ceremony during Friday night’s Mission League basketball game in Chatsworth.
(Steve Galluzzo/For The Times)
Watkins’ No. 12 jersey was retired in a moving halftime ceremony, making her the first Pioneer to be so honored. The 2021-22 California girls basketball player of the year is now a star at USC.
“What makes JuJu special is not what she did, but how she did it,” Sierra Canyon girls coach Alicia Komaki said. “She gave her heart to this place, she left her legacy and this is a reminder of her excellence.”
Mize hopes his the jersey will one day hang from the rafters of the gymnasium.
“We talked about it being a big game and a big crowd,” he said. “I knew it was very important for JuJu, so I can’t let her down. We did it, but I think we’re still getting better.”
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