Basketball: Final week of regular season has some big games ahead

It’s the final week of the regular season in high school basketball, and the top teams need to win out to solidify their seedings for next week’s playoffs. There’s also league titles still to be decided.

In the City Section, all eyes will be on Friday’s Western League finale between Westchester and host Fairfax. Fairfax has a one-game lead over the Comets in the league standings and would secure the No. 2 seed in the City Section Open Division playoffs with a win. If Westchester wins, the seeding committee could end up flipping the two.

In the Marine League, Washington takes another crack at Narbonne on Wednesday at home. Both are likely for the Open Division. El Camino Real will host likely No. 1 seed Birmingham, which can clinch an outright West Valley League title on Wednesday. Crenshaw and Dorsey are battling for the last Open Division playoff spot and need to win out this week.

Two of the City Section’s top girls’ teams, Fairfax and Palisades, play Monday afternoon at Palisades.

In the Southern Section, Sierra Canyon is expected to take over as the No. 1 team ahead of Chino Hills when the section’s latest coaches’ poll is released on Monday. That means the Trailblazers can clinch the No. 1 seed for the Open Division playoffs with a win at home on Thursday against either Crossroads or Windward in the Gold Coast League championship game.

Santa Ana Mater Dei is ranked No. 3 and will need to get past Santa Margarita on Tuesday in a home Trinity League game. Chino Hills, after losing for the first time on Saturday, will need to get healthy. It will be interesting to see if LiAngelo Ball (ankle injury) is held out this week to rest.

In girls’ basketball, Windward will host Sierra Canyon on Friday night to determine the Gold Coast League champion. Long Beach Poly and Etiwanda have emerged as the Open Division favorites.

Playoff pairings will be announced on Sunday in the Southern Section and on Saturday in the City Section.

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