Crean Lutheran basketball wins showdown with JSerra for Division 1 title

ONTARIO – It was the Orange County boys basketball matchup many had waited for.

Crean Lutheran has been No. 2 in the county rankings all season, behind Santa Margarita. JSerra has been No. 3 all season.

They had not played each other this season, until Saturday in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship game.

Crean Lutheran senior guard Nick Giarusso made the big plays down the stretch to help the Saints beat the Lions, 59-52, at Toyota Arena.

The Saints were hanging on to a two-point lead, 47-45, midway through the fourth quarter. Giarusso scored inside to make it 49-45.

Earl Bryson, who led JSerra with 21 points, scored to cut the Lions’ deficit to two points again, 49-47. JSerra’s Hunter Frates made a 3-point basket from the corner to put the Lions on top, 50-49, with 2:25 to go.

Crean Lutheran 6-11 senior Chadrack Mpoyi scored off of a lob pass from Bryce Coleman, was fouled and made the free throw to get the lead back for the Saints, 52-50.

Bryson put in a layup to tie it 52-52. Giarusso made a 3-pointer from the top of the key for a 55-52 Crean Lutheran lead.

Mpoyi went up to intercept a JSerra cross-court pass attempt at the other end. Giarusso was fouled on the Saints’ following possession and made both free throws to move the Crean Lutheran lead to 57-52 with 47 seconds remaining. Giarusso added two more free throws with eight seconds to go to furnish the 59-52 final score.

JSerra coach Keith Wilkinson was impressed by Giarusso, who was at Oaks Christian last year.

“Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time moments,” said Wilkinson, who played at USC and professionally overseas.

Giarusso has been a pass-first player all season, a role he has been happy to fill with Mpoyi and 6-7 Jacob Majok as inside scoring options and Hunter Caplan among Orange County’s better 3-point shooters.

“Just making the right play,” Giarusso said. “That’s how it’s been all season. If I have to step and make a basket, I can do that.”

Giarusso and Mpoyi scored 14 points each for Crean Lutheran. Kaplan scored 13, including three 3-point baskets, and Caden Jones scored 10 points.

Bryson led JSerra with 21 points. Jaden Bailes scored 12 points.

Bryson was 8 for 14 from the field, but his teammates were 11 for 36.

Crean Lutheran shot 51 percent from the field.

It is the third CIF-SS boys basketball championship for the Saints, who previously won section titles in 2018 and 2021.

Crean Lutheran won this one in Austin Loeb’s first season as the school’s coach. He was promoted from an assistant coach to head coach when his predecessor, Nate Klitzing, departed to coach at Orange Lutheran, Klitzing’s alma mater.

Both teams have qualified for the CIF Southern California Regional that begins Tuesday. The regional brackets will be released Sunday afternoon.