ONTARIO — A refuse-to-lose mentality by the Roosevelt boys basketball team Saturday evening led to moment of redemption.
Roosevelt head coach Stephen Singleton holds up the championship trophy after defeating Notre Dame in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game at Toyota Arena in Ontario on Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025. Roosevelt defeated Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 74-67 in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Notre Dame’s Tyran Stokes, right, reacts after scoring during the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game against Roosevelt at Toyota Arena in Ontario on Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025. Roosevelt defeated Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 74-67 in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Roosevelt’s Myles Walker drives to the basket as he is defended by Notre Dame’s Zachary White during the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game at Toyota Arena in Ontario on Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025. Roosevelt plays Sherman Oaks Notre Dame in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Notre Dame’s Tyran Stokes slam dunks on a breakaway during the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game against Roosevelt at Toyota Arena in Ontario on Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025. Roosevelt defeated Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 74-67 in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Roosevelt’s Brayden Burries, left, and Notre Dame’s Josiah Nance, right, battle for a loose ball during the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game at Toyota Arena in Ontario on Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025. Roosevelt defeated Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 74-67 in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Roosevelt’s Brayden Burries, left, and Notre Dame’s Josiah Nance, right, battle for a loose ball during the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game at Toyota Arena in Ontario on Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025. Roosevelt defeated Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 74-67 in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Notre Dame head coach Matt Sargeant speaks with an official as they play Roosevelt during the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game at Toyota Arena in Ontario on Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025. Roosevelt plays Sherman Oaks Notre Dame in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Roosevelt head coach Stephen Singleton directs his team against Notre Dame during the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game at Toyota Arena in Ontario on Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025. Roosevelt defeated Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 74-67 in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Roosevelt head coach Stephen Singleton celebrates with his players after defeating Notre Dame in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game at Toyota Arena in Ontario on Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025. Roosevelt defeated Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 74-67 in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Rossevelt’s Issac Williamson drives to the basket as Notre Dame’s Zachary White defends during the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game at Toyota Arena in Ontario on Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025. Roosevelt plays Sherman Oaks Notre Dame in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Roosevelt’s Myles Walker drives to the basket as he is defended by Notre Dame’s Caleb Ogbu during the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game at Toyota Arena in Ontario on Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025. Roosevelt plays Sherman Oaks Notre Dame in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Notre Dame’s Angelino Mark drives towards the basket as Roosevelt’s Cameron Anderson defends during the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game at Toyota Arena in Ontario on Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025. Roosevelt defeated Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 74-67 in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Roosevelt head coach Stephen Singleton celebrates with his players after defeating Notre Dame in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game at Toyota Arena in Ontario on Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025. Roosevelt defeated Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 74-67 in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Roosevelt players and coaches celebrate after defeating Notre Dame in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game at Toyota Arena in Ontario on Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025. Roosevelt defeated Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 74-67 in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Roosevelt players and coaches begin to celebrate in the final seconds enroute to defeating Notre Dame during the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game at Toyota Arena in Ontario on Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025. Roosevelt defeated Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 74-67 in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Roosevelts Jackson Haggins, left, celebrates with teammates after defeating Notre Dame in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game at Toyota Arena in Ontario on Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025. Roosevelt defeated Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 74-67 in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Roosevelts Jackson Haggins, left, celebrates with teammates after defeating Notre Dame in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game at Toyota Arena in Ontario on Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025. Roosevelt defeated Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 74-67 in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Roosevelt head coach Stephen Singleton is congratulated by his coaches as he goes to accept the championship trophy after defeating Notre Dame in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game at Toyota Arena in Ontario on Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025. Roosevelt defeated Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 74-67 in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
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Roosevelt head coach Stephen Singleton holds up the championship trophy after defeating Notre Dame in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game at Toyota Arena in Ontario on Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025. Roosevelt defeated Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 74-67 in the CIF Southern Section Open Division boys basketball championship game. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
More than a year has passed, but thoughts of last year’s loss to Harvard-Westlake in the CIF Southern Section Open Division has final remained fresh in the minds of the Mustangs. Roosevelt used that moment as motivation throughout the current season to earn another opportunity at championship glory.
Roosevelt led for a majority of Saturday night’s Open Division championship game against Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, but things started to slip away at the start of the fourth quarter. This time, however, the Mustangs had the answers down the stretch and walked away with a 74-67 victory at Toyota Arena.
Brayden Burries and Myles Walker scored 19 points apiece to lead the way for Roosevelt, and Issac Williamson finished with 15 points for the Mustangs.
“We knew this was going to be a battle tonight,” Roosevelt coach Stephen Singleton said. “Notre Dame is a great team. We saw them earlier this year (in December in the championship game of the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas)… Our guys are so resilient and continue to believe in themselves, and they were able to make history history for Roosevelt High School by winning our first Open Division championship… I’m extremely proud of these young men.”
Roosevelt (32-2) won the previous matchup, as well, but Notre Dame led 27-12 after the opening quarter in Vegas. And the Knights (26-7) started strong again Saturday evening, taking an 11-5 led with 3:36 remaining in the opening period. The early run forced Singleton to use his first timeout of the game.
To no surprise, Roosevelt used its defense to turn things around. The Mustangs forced Notre Dame into seven turnovers in the first period and converted the miscues into 10 points. Dominic Copenhagen and Walker drained bookend 3-pointers to highlight an 11-0 run that give Roosevelt a 16-11 advantage.
Notre Dame kept things close, thanks in large part to Zachary White, who scored nine of his 15 points during a span of 3 minutes in the second quarter.
Roosevelt knocked down three more 3-pointer in the second quarter and led 37-32 at halftime despite Burries only scoring two points in the opening half. Walker and Williamson picked up the slack for the Mustangs, scoring 21 between them in the opening half and combining to knock down four 3-pointers.
Burries picked things up when he returned from the locker room, scoring 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting during the third period to keep Roosevelt in front.
“They were loading up on me at the start of the game and things weren’t going my way,” Burries said of his slow start Saturday night. “I was forcing some shots early, so I had to just starting getting the ball to my teammates… In the second half, I felt like I had to flip a switch and be a little more aggressive.”
Notre Dame kept the score close by getting to the basket. The Knights finished the game with an overwhelming 40-20 advantage for points in the paint. Norte Dame was very efficient when it kept possession. The Knights shot 68.8 percent from the field through three quarters and finished at 59.6 percent.
“We don’t shoot a lot of 3s. We attack the basket pretty relentlessly on purpose,” Notre Dame coach Matt Sargeant said. “We talk about wanting to get as many high-quality shots as we can, and the highest-quality ones are layups and free throws. And I felt were were able to take advantage by doing that.”
Notre Dame closed the third period on a 6-0 run and took a 55-54 lead when Tyran Stokes scored on the team’s first possession of the fourth quarter.
Roosevelt regained the lead with a 7-0 run, capped by a 3-pointer by Burries. But Stokes scored seven points to keep Notre Dame within three points.
The Mustangs were clinging to a 67-64 lead when Williamson lined up and knocked an 3-pointer from behind the NBA line with 1:36 left on the clock.
“That was Issac moving off the ball and Myles finding him,” Singleton said of the shot that came after a timeout. “I learned my lesson last year against Harvard-Westlake. I made a set play and we turned it over. From that moment on, I said I’m just going to let the greatness of these guys come through.”
Roosevelt had no trouble with depth perception in the larger arena, as the Mustangs made 11 of 21 from 3-point range. Walker knocked down 5 of 9.
Jackson Haggins and Walker each sank a pair of free throws over the final 32 seconds to seal the victory. But business still remains unfinished, as the Mustangs now set their sights on winning a CIF State championship. Roosevelt led a lead slip away in last year’s regional final at Harvard-Westlake.
“(Tonight) was a step in the right direction,” said Burries, who also had eight rebounds. “We’re going to celebrate this one and get back at it (next week).”
Stokes, widely considered the top junior player in the nation, had a double-double with game highs of 21 points and 13 rebounds while adding five assists. Lino Mark and NaVorro Bowman scored 11 points apiece for the Knights, who also will begin play in the CIF State Open Division playoffs next week.
“I’m really proud of these guys and I’m excited to go to state,” Sargeant said.
