HOLIDAY CLASSIC: Brandon, Bulldogs rout Pioneers

With her team leading by 38 points less than two minutes into the third quarter Monday, Centennial girls basketball coach Karen Weitz sent five subsitutes to the scorer’s table.

By the time the quintet actually got into the game, the Bulldog lead was 48.

It was that kind of night for Centennial in its own Las Vegas Holiday Classic.

Karina Brandon scored 15 points, and the Bulldogs routed Canyon Springs, 67-20 in a quarterfinal. Centennial (15-1) will meet Reno in a semifinal at 11:40 a.m. Tuesday with the winner facing either Liberty or West Torrance (Calif.) in the championship at 3:30 p.m.

“The people who come off the bench for us lately have been just as consistent as our starters,” said Weitz, whose team led 50-12 less than two minutes into the third quarter in a game that had a continuously running clock in the second half.

There wasn’t another whistle for almost four minutes, and the Bulldogs’ starters left the floor with a 65-17 lead.

Weitz asked the five substitutes to work on ball-handling for most of the rest of the game.

Brandon, the team’s only senior, had 10 of her points in the first quarter as Centennial grabbed a 23-6 lead. She also had four rebounds and two assists in the first quarter.

“The good thing with Karina is we can play her at a post, but we can also play her as a two or three (wing) and know she will get the job done,” Weitz said. “We have confidence that we can play her anywhere.”

Jayden Eggleston added 14 points, and Tanjanae Wells scored 13 for Centennial.

Alexia Thrower had six points for Canyon Springs (7-4), which played without two starters due to illness and injury.

Centennial 73, Schurr (Calif.) 48 — Justice Ethridge scored 16 points, and the Bulldogs used a 43-24 spurt in the middle quarters to top the Spartans in the first round of bracket play.

Pam Wilmore and Eggleston each had 13 points for Centennial.

Alicia Aguirre led Schurr with 16 points.

Reno 57, Palo Verde 34 — Raelani Kerr came off the bench to score 17 points and help the Huskies top the Panthers in a quarterfinal.

Paulina Silcox led Palo Verde with eight points.

Liberty 37, Troy (Calif.) 31 — Paris Strawther had 17 points, and the Patriots advanced to the semifinals by hitting free throws.

Nancy Caballero added eight points for Liberty, which made just four field goals in the first three quarters and finished 21 of 28 from the free-throw line.

Cori Okada led Troy with 13 points.

Canyon Springs 52, Quest Academy 46 — Alexia Thrower had 17 points to lead the Pioneers by the Knights.

D’Licya Feaster added 11 points for Canyon Springs.

Brianna Osorio had 13 points for Quest Academy.

Liberty 70, Desert Pines 23 — Kealy Brown scored 22 points to help the Patriots rout the Jaguars in the first round of bracket play.

Strawther and Caballero each added eight points for Liberty, which led 36-10 at the half.

Jordan Bailey had nine points for Desert Pines.

Quest Academy 55, Schurr (Calif.) 45 — Osorio poured in 23 points as the Knights topped the Spartans in a consolation game.

Jenise McKnight added 10 points for Quest.

Aguirre led Schurr with 13.

Bonita (Calif.) 51, Desert Pines 41 — Taylor Riggs scored 17 points to lead the Bearcats by the Jaguars in a consolation game.

See’Airrah Evans-Collins had 15 points, and Bailey scored 13 for Desert Pines.

Palo Verde 55, Valley 23 — Silcox scored 12 points, and the Panthers used a 20-7 second-quarter run to open a 31-12 halftime lead on their way to a win over the Vikings in the first round of bracket play.

Marcie Goldberg added 11 points for Palo Verde.

Eimainei Thomas-Palmer and Jezuel Pollins each had six points for Valley.

Palos Verdes (Calif.) 38, Valley 21 — Anna Der had 13 points to lead the Sea Kings by the Vikings.

Juleanna Tella led Valley with five points.