Millikan, Los Alamitos girls basketball advance in CIF-SS 1AA playoff action

Not only did the Millikan Rams (19-9) take a CIF-SS Division 1AA first-round game in dominant fashion at home, topping Warren 90-57, but they also eaed head coach Lorene Morgan her 500th win as coach, all at Millikan.

“It’s great to have all of the wins for Millikan,” Morgan said after the game. Her parents Bob and Elaine (94 and 93 years old, respectively) came down from Lake Tahoe to see their daughter become the 25th winningest coach in Califoia. Morgan, now in her 28th year at Millikan, is the only current coach in the area with 500 victories.

Millikan opened the game with an 11-0 run and never looked back. The Rams scored 33 points in the first eight minutes as senior Kaylin Ellis and junior Tyler Frierson both scored a game-high 18 points. Millikan senior guard Esther Franks added 13 points. Warren senior Janeane Heandez led the Bears (4-22) with 12 points.

Millikan will be on the road Saturday for the second round against the winner of the Arcadia/Culver City game.

LOS ALAMITOS 68, JSERRA 34 >> The Griffins were on cruise control against JSerra in an easy win in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 1AA playoffs.

“Those are almost the tougher ones, because you’ve got to keep your kids focused,” said Griffins coach Rich Alvarez. “I thought our girls did a good job of staying with it.”

Los Al was dialed in from the start, taking a 7-0 lead and widening that to 14-3 before JSerra was able to convert its first field goal. The strength of the Griffins is their stellar backcourt, the talented freshman/senior tandem of Cailyn Crocker and Dani Iwami.

Crocker is one of the best frosh players anywhere, and she flashed her talent with some nice no-look assists, finishing with 18 points, seven rebounds, and three assists.

“She’s a special player,” said Alvarez, who wasn’t surprised that the ninth grader stepped up in her first-ever playoff game. “She lives for the big game, this is where she’s going to be best.”

Dani Iwami, who has signed a scholarship to Hawaii Pacific, and was outstanding as well, particularly as a disrupter in the Griffins’ press. Iwami finished with 13 points and four assists.

Los Alamitos (22-5) will advance to the second round, with a Saturday game against the winner of Lynwood and Wilson.

DOWNEY 59, RANCHO CUCAMONGA 26 >> The Vikings will travel to second-seeded Valencia on Saturday for a second-round game.

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BISHOP MONTGOMERY 89, LAKEWOOD 47 >> The Lancers’ season ended on the road at Bishop Montgomery.

JJ Fiddler contributed to this report.

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