{"id":161606,"date":"2026-02-03T07:48:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T07:48:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/161606\/"},"modified":"2026-02-03T07:48:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T07:48:15","slug":"millikan-boys-basketball-sinks-long-beach-poly-with-3-pointers-to-win-moore-league-title-press-telegram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/161606\/","title":{"rendered":"Millikan boys basketball sinks Long Beach Poly with 3-pointers to win Moore League title \u2013 Press Telegram"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Millikan\u2019s<\/p>\n

Millikan\u2019s Joseph Wicker gets off a shot over Long Beach Poly\u2019s Nana Ofoegbu in a Moore League game at Long Beach Poly High School in Long Beach on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Millikan\u2019s<\/p>\n

Millikan\u2019s Quali Giran drives on Long Beach Poly\u2019s Nana Ofoegbu in Moore League play at Poly High School in Long Beach on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Millikan\u2019s<\/p>\n

Millikan\u2019s Quali Giran maneuvers around Long Beach Poly\u2019s Khalen Shepard in Moore League action at Poly High School in Long Beach on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Long<\/p>\n

Long Beach Poly senior center Jonas Oware takes a jump shot against Millikan in Moore League play at Poly High School in Long Beach on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Millikan\u2019s<\/p>\n

Millikan\u2019s Quali Giran drives against Long Beach Poly\u2019s Jayden Ganther in boys basketball at Poly High School in Long Beach on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Millikan<\/p>\n

Millikan senior guard Joseph Wicker (3) helped lead the Rams to a 66-57 win over Long Beach Poly to clinch the Moore League title outright at Poly High School in Long Beach on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Long<\/p>\n

Long Beach Poly senior center Jonas Oware scores a basket against Millikan in Moore League play at Poly High School in Long Beach on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Long<\/p>\n

Long Beach Poly senior center Jonas Oware secures a rebound against Millikan in Moore League action at Poly High School in Long Beach on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Millikan\u2019s<\/p>\n

Millikan\u2019s Quali Giran connects on a fourth quarter shot over Long Beach Poly\u2019s Jakobi Oware in Moore League action at Poly High School in Long Beach on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Millikan<\/p>\n

Millikan junior Christian Parron collects a rebound in Moore League action against Long Beach Poly at Poly High School in Long Beach on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Long<\/p>\n

Long Beach Poly sophomore guard Jayden Ganther connects for two points on a second quarter jumper against Millikan in Moore League play at Poly High School in Long Beach on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Long<\/p>\n

Long Beach Poly head coach Shelton Diggs calls out a play during action against Millikan at Long Beach Poly High School on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Millikan<\/p>\n

Millikan head coach Stephon Price yells out during his team\u2019s Moore League clinching win over Poly at Long Beach Poly High School on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Millikan\u2019s<\/p>\n

Millikan\u2019s Quali Giran shoots over Long Beach Poly\u2019s Jakobi Oware in Moore League action at Poly High School in Long Beach on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

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Millikan\u2019s Joseph Wicker gets off a shot over Long Beach Poly\u2019s Nana Ofoegbu in a Moore League game at Long Beach Poly High School in Long Beach on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

LONG BEACH \u2014 The Millikan boys basketball team seemingly could not miss from 3-point range.<\/p>\n

The Rams\u2019 shooting barrage was led by Joseph Wicker, who scored a game-high 27 points and made 7 of 8 shots from beyond the arc in the Rams\u2019 66-57 victory over Long Beach Poly in the Moore League on Monday night.<\/p>\n

The victory clinched the league title for the Rams (21-6 overall). It is their first league championship since 2020.<\/p>\n

Millikan moved to 11-0 in the Moore League with one league game remaining. Poly (18-9) dropped to 9-2 in league and will finish second in the standings.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an unbelievable feeling,\u201d Millikan coach Stephon Price said. \u201cI\u2019m speechless right now because we worked so hard. We fought through all the adversity, all the hate, all the naysayers, everything and we did it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Rams shot 72% from beyond the arc and made 13 3-pointers.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter that first one went down, the rim just got way bigger,\u201d Wicker said. \u201cI just knew it was going to be a great game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Millikan defeated Long Beach Poly 61-51<\/a> at home on Jan. 16.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve just been waiting,\u201d Wicker explained. \u201cWe circled this on our calendar and knew this was going to be a tough one because we played them twice and the second time is always the hardest time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rams senior guard Jeremiah Hunt scored 16 points and grabbed five rebounds. Freshman guard Quali Giran had 13 points and seven assists.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very exciting to be able to win the Moore League as a freshman but the job is not finished,\u201d said Giran, who believes his team can win a CIF-SS championship.<\/p>\n

Wicker, Hunt and Giran combined to score all 30 of Millikan\u2019s points in the first half.<\/p>\n

Junior forward Isaac Hagens led Poly with 15 points. Senior guard Nana Ofoegbu scored 12 points and senior guard Kamarie Smith had 11 points. Senior center Jonas Oware, who signed with Yale, contributed a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.<\/p>\n

Both teams will earn automatic playoff berths as the league\u2019s top two teams. Millikan will likely be slotted into the Division 1 bracket.<\/p>\n

Giran tweaked his knee with 7:31 left in the first quarter. He returned at the 5:02 mark and got on the scoreboard with a putback to go up 12-7 in the first.<\/p>\n

Wicker\u2019s second 3-pointer made it 15-9 with 1:41 left in the first. Hagens\u2019 basket cut it to 15-11 going into the second quarter.<\/p>\n

Giran\u2019s corner 3-pointer pushed Millikan\u2019s lead to 25-19. Senior guard Khalen Shepherd\u2019s leaning jumper, Smith\u2019s pull-up and Shepherd\u2019s 3-pointer put the home team up 26-25 late in the second quarter.<\/p>\n

Wicker\u2019s deep 3-pointer put the Rams back up 28-26.\u00a0Giran\u2019s fastbreak layup made it 30-26. Jackrabbits sophomore guard Jayden Ganther\u2019s jumper cut it to 30-28 with less than 10 seconds to go in the first half.<\/p>\n

Millikan led 30-28 at halftime. Wicker scored 16 points in the first half, including four 3s.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew he was due for one of these last couple of games,\u201d Price said. \u201cIt\u2019s really been a confidence booster for him. He found his stroke and I\u2019m glad it showed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ofoegbu\u2019s layup cut it to 47-45 late in the third but he was injured on the play. The senior point guard returned early in the fourth.<\/p>\n

Wicker sliced through the defense and scored in the paint to put Millikan up 49-47 heading into the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n

Senior guard Jalen Stewart, who scored all seven of his points in the fourth quarter, put the Rams up 51-47 early in the fourth.<\/p>\n

Wicker\u2019s 3 pushed it to 54-47.\u00a0Hagens made 1 of 2 free throws to cut it to 54-48.<\/p>\n

Hunt\u2019s corner 3-pointer extended Millikan\u2019s lead to 59-50.<\/p>\n

Jonas Oware\u2019s layup made it 62-53 with 1:38 to go.<\/p>\n

Sophomore forward Jakobi Oware\u2019s steal and fastbreak dunk cut it to 64-57 with 37.2 seconds left.<\/p>\n

Poly had to foul five times in five seconds to get to the bonus with 20.2 seconds remaining on the game clock. Giran calmly drained both free throws to secure the 66-57 victory.<\/p>\n

Millikan 2029 Quali Giran, 2026 guard Joseph Wicker and coach Stephon Price on Millikan\u2019s 65-57 victory over Long Beach Poly to win the program\u2019s first Moore League boys basketball title since 2020. @qualigiran2029<\/a> @Jowick2026<\/a> @coachstephprice<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/FmNlHDS4ff<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) February 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

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