Olympian falls to St. Ignatius in Holiday Classic American Division final

Throughout the 35th annual Torrey Pines Holiday Classic, Olympian took on a David-vs.-Goliath mentality, relishing its role as an underdog.

That mindset has helped the Eagles earn a spot in Tuesday’s American Division Championship at St. Augustine High School, where they faced St. Ignatius College Preparatory of San Francisco, the seventh-ranked team in California according to MaxPreps.com.

The Eagles fell 76-57, and were forced to settle for runner-up honors.

St. Ignatius’ size proved to be the difference. All five starters are 6-foot-3 or taller, and it proved to be too much for the Eagles.

“We kind of know what we’re dealt with because we’re small,” Olympian coach Marty Ellis said. “I don’t think a lot of people knew we were going to go this far because we are this small.

“When you play a team like that, that’s why they’re the No. 7 team in the state. They pass the ball very well. They have great size. They make the extra pass. They do the right things.”

St. Ignatius (9-0) led 24-9 in the second quarter before senior Matthew Huertas knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner for Olympian (10-4).

Senior Jordan Walker, who scored 22 points in the one-point semifinal victory against Hayward Moreau Catholic on Monday, scored just five points in the first two quarters before turning on a switch.

He scored the final eight points and 17 of the team’s 18 points of the third quarter for a team-high 39 points.

“He works on his game every day,” Ellis said of Walker, who was named to the all-tournament team. “I tell him all day, he’s got the green light, blue light, whatever light. Hard work usually pays off. He knows what he can get at any given time.”

Walker made seven shots from beyond the arc, both in pull-up fashion and step-backs. He also hit all eight of his free throw attempts.

“I basically live in the gym with my dad. We always work out,” said Walker, who scored at least 20 points in four of his five Holiday Classic games. “We always get shots up before games and sometimes even after the game. Our regime is really strict and direct. It also helps that Coach believes in me as well because without trust, I wouldn’t be able to shoot half the shots I’m shooting.”

Senior Steele Labagh had a team-high 13 points for St. Ignatius. Senior Raymond Whitley had 11 points and was named tournament MVP for the American Division.

Olympian went 4-1 in the Holiday Classic, starting with a win over Carlsbad on Tip-Off Night.

“I think we would be competing, but I didn’t think what the wins and losses would be,” Ellis said. “Competing is something that we do, something that we know.

“This (tournament) was going to be a test for us. So, now we (learned we) can compete with anybody. It’s a matter of what we’re going to get out of it collectively.”

Ellis will next take his team to Palm Springs, where Olympian will face Torrance on Friday and Rancho Mirage on Saturday. Next after that: a Jan. 6 game against No. 6 Madison.

In other games at Saints:

No. 3 Cathedral Catholic 66, No. 6 Madison 56: Freshman Anthony Ali Nayab and seniors Seimir Roberson and Charlie Barajas all scored 15 points to hold off a pesky Warhawks team in the American Division consolation championship.

The Dons (9-4) trailed 46-39 in the third quarter before making their comeback.

Sixth-ranked Madison (12-2) was led by senior Braylon Lucas, who drilled seven 3-pointers on the way to a game-high 27 points. Senior Eli Stevens also added 13 points for the Warhawks.

No. 1 Santa Fe Christian 73, Murrieta Mesa 55: Santa Fe Christian ended its run in the Holiday Classic on a high note, outscoring Murrieta Mesa 37-23 in the second half in the American Division fifth-place game.

Senior Dax Hall had 23 of his game-high 33 points in the first half. Senior Jaden Hitipeuw added 12 points as the Eagles improved to 15-1.

Junior Kingston Saul scored a team-high 15 points for the Rams (6-7), while juniors Kian Hendricks and Jagger Saul each scored 13 points.