Grant boys basketball outlasts Chatsworth’s Aljiah Arenas in City playoff victory

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VAN NUYS — In the same high school gym where his father played, Chatsworth freshman Alijah Arenas did everything he could to will his team to victory in a City Section Division I quarterfinal matchup against Grant.

Arenas, the son of three-time NBA All-Star and Grant alum Gilbert Arenas, scored 14 points in the fourth quarter before fouling out with four minutes remaining in the game.

The freshman totaled 30 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, but it wasn’t enough to bring the Chancellors back after the Lancers went on a 3-point barrage in the third quarter, sealing the 85-73 win Friday night.

Grant alumni packed the gym tonight. Here’s Grant head coach Tarek Abdelsameia with Gilbert Arenas, Howard Levine (Arenas’ coach at Grant) Asatur Bagaryan (Arenas’ HS teammate and current assistant) and Rashad Winston (Arenas’ HS teammate) posing in front of the trophy case pic.twitter.com/rmeh7r1op7

— Dan Lovi (@LoviSports) February 11, 2023

Grant is one step closer to reaching the Division I City final for the second straight year. The Lancers will face Granada Hills, 61-59 winners over Palisades, in the semifinals next Friday.

Trailing by 11 at halftime, Grant’s accurate shooting and suffocating press turned the tide. The Lancers outscored Chatsworth 30-5 in the third quarter, giving them a double-digit advantage they did not relinquish the rest of the way.

“I think we weren’t playing to our potential in the first half. We did a better job of making a cut to the middle in their zone, we hit a couple shots and we started swarming in our press,” Grant head coach Tarek Abdelsameia said. “They decided at halftime if they wanted this to be their last game or play next Friday.”

Grant hit 11 3-pointers total, with a handful of them coming in the third quarter. Byron Mendez led the way with five made 3-pointers, finishing with 27 points. Anthony Minnoy and Dashuan Maron-Gains added two 3-pointers apiece.

Jaylen Jones, who had a team-high seven rebounds to go along with nine points for Grant, was the main catalyst in the crucial third quarter. With his team trailing, Jones scored in the paint and was fouled, completing the three-point play. He immediately stole the ball and found Mendez for a bucket, giving Grant and its home crowd the spark it needed.

“We’ve always felt that we’re 12 deep. We feel comfortable playing 12 guys,” Abdelsameia said. Anthony [Minnoy] came off the bench in the second quarter and kind of held us offensively. We have that are very selfless. They understand at the end of the day it’s the scoreboard that matters.”

Arenas put his skills on display in the first half, utilizing his passing talent and smooth shooting ability to help build a comfortable lead for his team in the first 16 minutes of action.

Arenas from downtown, his second 3-pointer is the game @Tarek_Fattal pic.twitter.com/znzJbQgJRE

— Dan Lovi (@LoviSports) February 11, 2023

Whether it was grabbing a defensive rebound and going coast-to-coast for the score, one of his four made shots from beyond the arc, or finding his teammate for an open look, the freshman showed why he is one of the most highly-touted young players in Southern California.

“He’s grown so much, figuratively and literally since the summertime. He’s so advanced basketball-wise,” Chatsworth coach Dax Grooms said about Arenas. “This game will be locked in his mental and he’ll learn from it and next time he’ll be ready for it. He plays so under control and calm even though he’s moving fast, it’s amazing. He’s calculating everything in his head. His computer calculates things so fast. He’ll get back to work and get better.”

Jeremiah Nance added 12 points, eight of which came in the first quarter, and Drew Gore totaled eight points and 10 rebounds for Chatsworth.