Mission Prep falls short 46-42 in CIF title game. But Royals are moving on to state tourney
After a difficult regular season, Mission Prep’s boys basketball team turned things around in the CIF-Central Section Division 2 playoffs to go on an inspired run.
But their hopes to bring home a CIF-Central Section Division 2 title at Fresno’s Selland Arena fell just short in a 46-42 loss to Dinuba, a school located about 30 miles south of Fresno.
“I told these guys that the final score doesn’t say a thing about who they are as a team or as men, what they’ve accomplished all year long,” said Mission Prep Coach Terrance Harris. “By bouncing back through every difficult thing that they’ve experienced says a lot more about who they are than the final score today.”
The Royals (12-18) reversed a regular season that was marred by injuries, winning nine of their last 13 and recording three straight home wins to reach the final after assembling a healthier late season roster led by Roman Benedetti, Jayden Nozil, Brody Miller and Luke Jacobson.
In a game livestreamed by NFHS Network with Brian Stanley and Kevin Hitchen on the call, the Royals were led by Benedetti’s 19 points. Jacobson and Nozil each added eight points and Miller tallied six.
Mission Prep appeared poised for a big title win while holding a seven-point lead in the third quarter. But Dinuba clawed back and buried a three-pointer at the buzzer to pull within one at 32-31 going into the final eight minutes.
Unable to penetrate the Emperors’ zone defense effectively much of the contest, Mission Prep still was within range after junior Brody Miller’s 3-pointer pulled them within one in the final minute.
But unable to secure a Dinuba missed free throw down the stretch, the Royals gave the Emperors (29-3) another shot on the line, and Dinuba went up three after two converted free throws with about 25 second left in the game.
Some last-ditch 3-point attempts to tie the contest by Miller and Nozil fell short, and Dinuba shortly thereafter celebrated in front of a packed area with many green-shirted fans who came out in full force to cheer on the top seed.
“We didn’t finish the game the way that we had hoped to, but I’m still very proud of these young men,” Harris said. “(Dinuba) had a couple of big shots and got a really huge rebound off the free throw. Then we had a couple of good looks that just didn’t go down.”
Harris said that Dinuba showed why they lost only three games all season, winning many close ones for a reason.
“That’s the way the game goes,” Harris said. “Somebody is going to be hurting at the end.”
Harris has had a successful 18-year coaching run with the Royals, reaching CIF section title games five times, but he’s still looking for his first championship win.
With the berth in the final game, Mission Prep moves on to the CIF state championship tournament, playing on the road against Diamond Ranch (22-9), of Pomona, on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Mission is ranked No. 14 and Diamond Ranch is No. 3 in the Division 4 bracket.
This story was originally published February 23, 2024 at 11:39 PM.
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