Mateo Trujillo’s hot shooting leads Rolling Hills Prep to playoff win over Oaks Christian
TORRANCE — Mateo Trujillo started Wednesday’s game in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs by hitting his first 3-pointer for Rolling Hills Prep.
He added two more in the first half and knocked down all three free throws he got for being fouled while shooting a 3-pointer.
The senior guard finished with 25 points, made seven of the 10 3-pointers he attempted, as he led Rolling Hills Prep to a 76-62 win over Oaks Christian at North Torrance High.
“That’s what he did for us last year, especially in the playoff run,” RHP coach Harvey Kitani said of Trujillo. “That’s what we were looking for all year. It’s a great time to get hot.
“With Mylo (Murphy) being able to get in there and take some pressure off of him, it frees him up a little bit. When he’s hitting like that, it puts us in another level.”
RHP (21-6) will be on the road for Friday’s second-round game against Corona del Mar.
The Huskies scored the first eight points of the game and led 18-4 at one point in the first quarter. The lead continued to grow in the second quarter, with RHP taking a 49-24 lead into halftime.
Oaks Christian (22-6) made a move to start the third quarter, opening with a 10-0 run. The Huskies eventually slowed the charge and took a 61-43 lead into the fourth quarter.
Trujillo, who missed one 3-pointer in the first half, missed two in the second, both were up against the shot clock.
“They were leaving me open and my teammates were finding me,” said Trujillo, who was the Daily Breeze Player of the Year last season. “Offensive rebounds, second-chances, (defensive) breakdowns, my teammates were just getting me the ball and I was open.”
Trujillo added six assists and five rebounds. Nick Welch Jr. had 15 points and eight rebounds, Casey Palmer finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds and Mylo Murphy had 11 points.
Oaks Christian guard Isayah Garcia went down firing, finishing with 23 points and made six 3-pointers.
“We were fortunate they were missing some shots,” Kitani said. “They had some open looks. I think they were 0-4 or 0-5 from the get-go, so we’ll take that.”
The Huskies advanced to the CIF-SS Division 2AA final last season, losing to St. Anthony. This season, they finished the regular season No. 23 in the CIF-SS computer rankings, securing a spot in the Division 1 field.
“Every game, there’s no guarantee winner,” Kitani said of the Division 1 bracket. “There’s so much parity, so now we have one day to get ready (for Corona del Mar).”