Two minutes remained in the Boys D1 regional final, and Roosevelt's Jemarl Baker glided coast-to-coast through the Centennial defense for a key bucket to give his team a 56-54 lead. A Tyler Goodlow floater extended Roosevelt's advantage to four, and it seemed they had all momentum. With Centennial on the ropes, UCLA commit Jalen Hill (19 points) needed to make a play to salvage his team's chances.
Instead, Centennial turned the ball over, leading to a Matt Mitchell (35 points) slam. After a few free throws later, Roosevelt was headed to Sacramento thanks to a 68-65 victory.
"I will definitely be at the Roosevelt graduation, because I can't wait to see Matt Mitchell graduate, he killed us all five games," Centennial head coach John Giles said when asked about the Roosevelt star. The two times matched up five times this season, and Roosevelt prevailed in every meeting.
"We're just elated to have this chance to go play for a state championship in Sacramento," Roosevelt head coach Stephen Singleton said.
To begin the third, Centennial held on to a tight 38-36 lead. The athleticism of both teams was on full display, with several future D1 college players gracing the floor. Centennial's Isom Butler (12 points) got to the hoop at will, however a Baker led Roosevelt run made the score 48-46 as the final quarter of play drew close.
Jalen Hill was aggressive from the tip, converting on several baskets to give Centennial a quick start. Roosevelt put together a run early, however Centennial responded well and tied the score at 16 after one.
Roosevelt played great team defense throughout the second quarter, but began to turn the ball over on the offensive end. Centennial capitalized and snatched a three point lead, leading 33-30 heading into the break.
