FULLERTON – JSerra’s Godschoice Eboigbodin started strong, making all seven of his shots in the first quarter of the Lions’ boys basketball game Wednesday against Mater Dei.
“It just kept going,” Eboigbodin said. “It was fun.”
He kept going until he exited the game with 46 points as JSerra beat the Monarchs 87-66 in the third-place game of the Trinity League Tournament at Hope International University.
The gave JSerra (19-12) third place in the six-team Trinity League. The top three finishers in the league are automatic qualifiers for the CIF Southern Section playoffs that begin next week. The playoff brackets will be released Saturday at noon.
Mater Dei (17-14) is the league’s No. 4 team. The Monarchs, who have not missed the boys basketball playoffs since Gary McKnight became the school’s coach in 1982, could get into the playoffs as an at-large team.
JSerra went 2-1 in the first-ever Trinity League boys basketball tournament. The Lions beat Servite in the first round and lost to Santa Margarita in the semifinals.
Mater Dei went 1-2, with a win over Orange Lutheran and a loss to St. John Bosco.
Eboigbodin, a 6-6, 245-pound junior forward, scored all of his points from within 5 feet of the basket. He was 21 of 24 from the floor.
He was 7 for 7 in the first quarter and 4 for 4 in the second quarter, plus 2 for 2 at the free-throw line in the second quarter.
Eboigbodin made his first two shots in the third quarter before his first miss. He scored nine points in the third quarter and 13 in the fourth.
He also had 17 rebounds.
Eboigbodin has been on the JSerra varsity basketball team since his freshman year. He was a reserve player as a sophomore. Eboigbodin was a starting defensive end on the JSerra football team this season, his first season playing football for the Lions.
He missed a few weeks of this basketball season because of a knee injury.
JSerra coach Keith Wilkinson enjoyed Eboigbodin’s big night.
“I’m so happy for him,” Wilkinson said. “He’s finally getting his legs under him here in February, which is good for us.”
JSerra lost big to Santa Margarita, 84-56, in Tuesday’s semifinals.
“Last night (Tuesday) was really bad for us,” Eboigbodin said. “We stayed locked in and wanted to finish up right.”
Senior guard Jaden Bailes scored 17 points for JSerra including three 3-point baskets. Lions sophomore forward Ryan Doane scored 12 points.
Mater Dei junior guard Richie Ramirez scored a team-high 21 points. Monarchs senior Luke Barnett scored 20 points with five 3-points.
JSerra rocketed to an 11-2 lead and never trailed. The Lions took a 21-15 lead into the second quarter, led 46-42 at halftime and 69-61 at the end of three quarters.
JSerra is No. 16 in the most recent CIF-SS rankings of the Southern Section’s 516 boys basketball teams. That likely means that JSerra will be in Division 1 when the playoffs begin.
The first round of the playoffs is Feb. 11 in Divisions 1-9 and Feb. 13 in the Open Division.