Aliso Niguel’s rally isn’t enough in Division 3 boys basketball final

ONTARIO – Aliso Niguel’s scouting report on their opponent Saturday was to zero in on Murrieta Mesa’s Fabian Ruiz.

Murrieta Mesa had much more going for it than just Ruiz.

A variety of Murrieta Mesa players made shots at crucial times  as Aliso Niguel lost, 65-58, to the Rams in the CIF Southern Section Division 3 boys basketball championship game Saturday at Toyota Arena.

Aliso Niguel (24-9) made a valiant comeback effort in the fourth quarter. The Wolverines trailed the Rams (23-10) by 17 points going into the final quarter. Two free throws by Miles Iribarne with 2:50 remaining sliced the Murrieta Mesa lead to 58-51.

They could get no closer than that.

It is Murrieta Mesa’s first CIF-SS boys basketball championship. Murrieta Mesa had not even qualified for the CIF-SS boys basketball playoffs before this season. The school opened 18 years ago.

The season continues for both teams next week in the CIF Southern California Regional playoffs that begin Tuesday. The regional brackets will be released Sunday.

Aliso Niguel, which went into the game on a 12-game winning streak, got off to a good start, taking a 5-0 lead. Murrieta Mesa went on their first of a series of runs, this one a 9–0 run for a 9-5 lead.

Aliso Niguel committed four turnovers in the quarter to put itself in a 19-12 hole going into the second quarter.

Murrieta Mesa came out firing in the second quarter. Andrei Aguilera and Jagger Saul made back-to-back 3-pointers to grow the Rams’ lead to 25-12.

“They started making shots,” Aliso Niguel coach Keith Barnett said of the Rams. “They started getting around us and they started doing a really good job of attacking the paint.”

Murrieta Mesa did not stop there. Luke Siefkin, one of five Murrieta Mesa players to make a 3 in the first half, fired one in from behind the arc to make it 35-14, a 21-point lead that was the largest of the half. That second quarter included another 9-0 run for the Rams who had a 38-33 lead at halftime.

The Rams ballooned their lead to 23 points, 49-26, in the third quarter and carried a 53-36 advantage into the fourth quarter.

Aliso Niguel senior Jayden Mysin said the Wolverines faltered defensively.

“We just let them get too many easy ones,” Mysin said. “We didn’t take them out of their rhythm.”

Jayden Mysin scored nine points in the fourth-quarter rally as the Wolverines outscored the Rams 22-12 in the quarter.

“My guys showed a lot of determination,” Barnett said. “That’s who they are. That first half wasn’t reflective of how we’ve been the last four or five weeks.”

Mysin finished with a team-high 18 points. Wyatt Richmond and Collin Tjin scored 10 points apiece for Aliso Niguel.

Jagger Saul led Murrieta Mesa with 18 points. He made two 3-point baskets and was one of five Rams who made 3-point shots. Luke Siefkin made two of their 3-pointers.

Murrieta Mesa was 22 for 45 from the field, for 49 percent.

Aliso Was 17 for 43, 40 percent.