MidValleySports.Com

By Tim Peterson

(Rosemead) – Rhys Anderson scored 26 points and the defense did the rest to lead Rosemead to a 44-33 win over South El Monte Friday night and into the CIF Division 5A Finals.

The Panthers took the lead mid way through the second quarter and maintained it the rest of the way.

Rosemead jumped out to a 5-0 lead to open the game and still led 9-5 at the end of the first quarter. South El Monte went on 7-0 run to open the second quarter to go up 12-9. But Rosemead regained the lead and never looked back.

Anderson, who was hot throughout, scored six points in the second quarter and had 13 in the first half as Rosemead took a 19-14 lead into the break.

Rosemead then scored the first six points of the third quarter to go up by 11 and South could never recover.

Rosemead led by ten points at 31-21 after three and remained in control in the fourth. Anderson hit a big three for the Panthers in the fourth and scored nine points in the quarter to help keep South El Monte at bay.

The Eagles were never able to get anything going offensively. They made only 3 of 14 shots from three-point range and also missed several easy shots in and around the paint. In the first three quarters South was held to single digits before scoring 12 in the final period.

Trinidad Marquez led the team with 11 points but he was the only Eagle in double figures. Eli Lopez and Nathan Oros each had eight and Tony Aguilar added four.

“Our kids have bought in this whole layoff run with defense. It’s a simple old school man-to-man the way I was taught back in 1983,” said Rosemead head coach Sonny Hayes.

For Rosemead Preston Huynh had seven and Davy Aung and Sheldon Vuong each scored four. Anderson had 26 of the 44 total points.

This is the first time in school history that Rosemead has advanced to the CIF championship game in basketball. Arroyo beat Saddleback 60-58 in the other Division 5A Semi-Finals bracket to set up a Finals showdown between the Mission Valley League rivals.

“Everything is historical and everything is player earned. I have nothing to do with this. I give all the glory to God,” Hayes said.

S 05 09 07 12 33

R 09 10 12 13 44

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