Marina boys' basketball falls to Foothill in CIF Division 2AA playoffs

Marina's bench feels the pain of a 75-58 loss to Foothill in a CIF Southern Section Division 2AA playoff game on Tuesday.

By Scott FrenchSpecial Contributor

Feb. 16, 2022 4:56 PM PT

The Marina High School boys’ basketball team rallied from an early deficit to take a lead into halftime and then extend it as the second half began in its CIF Southern Section Division 2AA playoff clash Tuesday night with visiting Foothill, but the Vikings had no response when the fourth-seeded Knights turned things around.

All-CIF point guard Cruz Billings took command after the break as Foothill (26-2) switched to a smaller group that quickened the pace and started hitting from outside, pulling away to a 75-58 victory to advance to the quarterfinals and close the No. 13-ranked Vikings’ campaign.

The Knights made 18 of 30 shots after the break, including seven of 14 three-point tries, to outscore Marina 49-28 and romp to their 17th win in 18 games since a Dec. 11 tournament loss to Edison. Foothill set up a showdown Friday at No. 5 San Bernardino Cajon (22-3), a 63-58 victor at Santa Clarita Saugus.

Marina's Michael Carabine walks back to the bench as Foothill's bench celebrates a 75-58 win on Tuesday.

Kenji Duremdes, a 6-foot-2 post often battling against players four and five inches taller en route to 23 points and six rebounds — both game-bests — was a force inside as Marina (20-10) used a 29-13 run from the final moments of the first quarter through the first couple of minutes in the third to open a 35-28 advantage in front of a raucous crowd.

It wasn’t enough, ultimately, as the Knights hit their first six attempts of the half — including two three-pointers from Carlo Billings and another from Tyler Ammann — to take a brief lead before Duremdes restored Marina’s advantage, then raced through a 16-1 tear to end all suspense the first minute and a half of the final period.

“We didn’t make too many open shots that we usually make in the second half,” said Marina coach Nick Racklin, whose team hit nine of 15 shots in a 22-point second quarter and just 13 of 43 the rest of the game. “That’s really the game. And [Foothill] went small, with four guards or almost five guards, gave them an extra shooter out there. Good on them for doing that.”

Marina's Eric Hodgkins looks to pass the ball under the hoop under pressure from Foothill's Braedyn Benhard.

Four Knights scored in double digits, led by Cruz Billings’ 18 points. The 5-foot-8 senior, key to Foothill’s quick attack, kept the ball moving, hit three three-pointers and twice sprinted through the key — bobbling and recovering the ball in stride on one of the runs — for easy baskets.

“He works really hard, and his work ethic throughout the years shows up late in these games,” Foothill coach Yousof Etemadi said. “He’s a fighter and he’s kind of the heartbeat of our team, and everybody rides with him, and we all believe in each other. We go as he goes.”

Carlo Billings, Cruz’s younger (but taller) brother, scored 17 points, Michael Mazurie added 15 points — and lost two after hanging on the rim (and picking up a technical foul) following a dunk at the end of the third quarter — and Jacob Horton pitched in with 10 points, all in the second half.

Marina's Kenji Duremdes goes up for a shot against Foothill's Braedyn Benhard during a CIF Division 2AA playoff game.

Robert Aguirre scored 14 points for Marina, with a three-pointer at the end of the second half to make it 30-26 and another 78 seconds into the second half to provide the seven-point edge.

The Knights quickly erased it, going ahead as Carlo Billings picked off an Aguirre pass meant for Duremdes under the basket and took it the distance for a 42-41 lead. Duremdes, agile and effective inside all night, quickly restored Marina’s advantage, but Mazurie scored inside from Horton’s feed, then hit a three, and the Vikings never got closer than five after that.

“We played a great first half, I thought, and we actually didn’t play a bad fourth quarter,” Racklin said. “But the third quarter, it’s kind of been getting us all year.”

Marina's Kylle Magdangal moves the ball up court under pressure from Foothill's Aidan Roman on Tuesday.

Two three-point plays at the start of the fourth quarter — Carlo Billings and Mazurie adding plus-ones after scoring inside — and Ammann’s second three pushed the advantage to 14 points. Racklin pulled his starters with 2:14 to go, the first time any of them left the court, and the deficit reached 20 before Michael Carabine ended the game with a three-pointer.

“Our guys have been in a lot of tough games, and they know how to win,” Etemadi said. “And tonight, what more can you ask. Great environment, two great teams. I love Nick — he’s a good friend of mine — and his guys are ready to play. We were just a better team. That’s all it was tonight.”