Bryce James' Sierra Canyon Falls to Brayden Burries & Roosevelt in a closely contested playoff game

Pool play for the 2025 CIF Southern Section Boys' Basketball Championships Open Division playoffs continued on Thursday as Bryce James and the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers tried to keep their season alive. However, the team faced five-star Brayden Burries and the Roosevelt Mustangs in a closely contested game. In the end, the Mustangs edged out the Trailblazers with a 65-64 victory.

The game went down the wire, with Brayden Burries sinking two crucial free-throws to give Roosevelt the lead. Bryce James, Sierra Canyon's premiere sharpshooter, attempted a three-pointer but failed to score, with the Mustangs winning the thriller. Burries led Roosevelt with a double-double performance of 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Myles Walker added 17 points for Roosevelt, which capped off a comeback win against Sierra Canyon in front of a sold-out home crowd. Meanwhile, junior Maximo Adams led Sierra Canyon with 19 points, while Bryce Cofield added 18. Gavin Hightower was the third Trailblazer with double digits with 14 points, but their efforts were not enough.

“We had to come together and have fun,” Brayden Burries told the LA Times after that big win.

Burries even got some praise from Sierra Canyon coach Andre Chevalier.

“He’s able to score on every level,” the Sierra Canyon coach told the LA Times. “He’s very strong around the rim with great instincts.”

Tough rematch for Brayden Burries and Roosevelt as Brandon McCoy Jr. and St. John Bosco await

Next up for Brayden Burries and the Roosevelt Mustangs will be a team they have defeated before, the St. John Bosco Braves. However, during the Classic at Damien event last December, the Braves' star player, No. 2-ranked junior Brandon McCoy Jr., was out with an injury. Roosevelt narrowly won that game, escaping with a 56-55 win in overtime.

The rematch is scheduled this Tuesday, with St. John Bosco eager to avenge their December defeat to the Mustangs. With one of the best high school guards back in the lineup, the Braves will be much more dangerous than ever.

The winner will move on to the 2025 CIF Southern Section Boys Basketball Championships Open Division final, where they will face No. 1-ranked junior Tyran Stokes and the Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) Knights. The Knights defeated the No. 1 seed Harvard-Westlake to top Group A and secure their place in the final on March 1.