SOLANA BEACH — Francis Parker broke open a close game with a huge third-quarter run and went on to beat Santa Fe Christian for the third time this season, this time 71-52 before a standing-room-only crowd at SFC in the Open Division semifinal in a clash of Coastal League rivals.
The gym was so crowded that fans were three-deep on the baselines and children sat cross-legged in front of the bleachers.
Francis Parker plays Victory Christian at 5 p.m. Saturday at Frontwave Arena for the title. All eight teams in the Open Division advance to the Southern California Regionals, with pairings announced Sunday.
“Never had a team play better in a big game than this,” said Parker coach Mason Biddle. “That second half was wild.”
Tied at the half, No. 4-seeded Parker (21-9) outscored top seeded SFC (26-4) 42-23 in the final 16 minutes. Columbus Palmer led the way for the Lancers with 23 points, 11 coming in the third quarter.
Tavid Johnson finished with 20 points and eight rebounds.
“That’s CIF Player of the Year stuff,” Biddle said.
Ezekiel Walker kept Parker in the game early with three blocked shots. He finished with 11 points, nine in the second half, and seven rebounds.
“I’ve never been on a team that played better in a big game,” Johnson said. “And it wasn’t just me, it was everyone. Columbus was great. Ezekiel was a monster on the boards and defensively. And our role players brought great energy.
“This was about beating SFC three times; it was about winning a semifinal game and playing for a championship. I’m so looking forward to playing at Frontwave Arena.”
Dax Hall led SFC with 27 points, giving him 1,939 career points. He also had six rebounds and blocked a pair of shots. Jarius Bolden had seven rebounds for the Eagles.Tied at 18, Parker went on a 9-0 run in the middle of the second quarter to take a 27-20 lead.
But SFC finished the half on a 9-2 run with Caden Doucette hitting a corner 3-pointer to the score at 29 at the break.
In the first game at SFC, Parker led by 13 at the half and went on to a 63-60 win. Johnson had 17 points and nine rebounds. Kai Jones had 18 points and Columbus Palmer added 10. The Lancers made 7 of 12 3-point shots and outrebounded SFC 23-13. Hall led all scorers with 25. Caden Doucette cadded 18, but the Eagles were 12 of 29 on 3-point attempts.
In Game 2 at Francis Parker, the Lancers led by one at the half and won 63-56. Johnson finished with 14 points before fouling out. Jones had 21 points and Palmer 18. Once again, Parker outrebounded SFC 30-22. Hall had 26 for the Eagles and Chase Othick 20. But SFC went 5 for 25 on 3-point attempts.