La Mirada falls short of reaching the state basketball playoffs, although they secure a victory in the CIF-SS Open Division Boys Basketball Playoffs.
In a thrilling game that went down to the wire, La Mirada High School's basketball team showcased their fighting spirit in the CIF Southern California Regionals. The Matadores, who participated in the Open Division for the first time in school history, needed a win to secure a spot in the regionals.
Despite a valiant effort, La Mirada High came up just short, losing to JSerra High in a series of tie-breaking procedures. The game, played on February 27, 2025, saw the Matadores shoot over 50% from the field, with King-Riley Jones contributing a season-high 17 points and four rebounds, and Gene Roebuck scoring 23 points and grabbing three rebounds. However, it wasn't enough to overcome JSerra High, who won the tiebreaker based on point differential.
The tie-breakers for advancing in the CIF Southern California Regionals Open Division Boys Basketball playoffs are not explicitly detailed in the search results. Common CIF tournament rules suggest that tie-breakers typically follow a hierarchy of head-to-head competition results, record against common opponents, points allowed or points differential, and, if necessary, a coin toss or random draw. However, the specific rules for the CIF SoCal Open Division Boys Basketball Regional playoffs tie-breaking procedure were not found in the provided search results.
The Matadores, who finished the season with a record of 25-7, played four road games in the playoffs. They lost to Harvard-Westlake, Notre Dame High/Sherman Oaks, and Santa Margarita, but La Mirada's Head Coach, Oronoz, expressed pride in the team's fighting spirit, particularly in their close losses to Notre Dame and Santa Margarita.
Julien Gomez, a University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley commit, had a season-low four points in the game against JSerra High. Along with La Mirada High, JSerra High also advanced to the Southern California Regionals. The loss marked the first time La Mirada High lost consecutive games during the playoffs.
Despite the disappointing end to their season, the Matadores can take pride in their historic run in the Open Division and their fighting spirit that was on full display in the CIF Southern California Regionals.
The local sports community is discussing La Mirada High School's thrilling loss to JSerra High in the CIF Southern California Regionals' Open Division Boys Basketball playoffs. In anticipation for future local sports events, community members look forward to learning about the tie-breaking procedures for such competitions.
