Trinity Knights boys’ basketball had its CIF playoff run end in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.
The top-seeded El Segundo Eagles took down the Knights, 66-52, in the CIF Division 5AA quarterfinals.
The Eagles (22-9) had more height and length with some solid outside shooters, giving the Knights (23-8) a tough assignment on defense.
El Segundo took over the game in the second quarter, but Trinity answered right back in the third, as the Knights cut a 10-point deficit to two. The Eagles kept finding ways to score and got some key stops in crunch time to secure their spot in the CIF semifinals and state tournament.
“They’re a great team so credit to them, but we were right there,” said Knights coach Dan Hebert in a phone interview. “I think what stung the most was how close we were. We felt really good about the rest of the way if we got that one, so we were pretty heartbroken.”
El Segundo was led by senior Shane Biscaya, who led the team with 17 points and six rebounds.
Trinity’s all-time leading scorer Lucas Spring finished off his Knights’ career with 19 points, seven rebounds and a pair of steals.
Knights point guard Cy Mitchell also played well and added 16 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Spring, a four-year varsity starter, will now depart from the team alongside Conrad Alderson, Noah McWilliams and several other seniors. Hebert took over the boys’ basketball program four years ago, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and remembers this group coming in as freshmen during the less-than-ideal circumstances.
“We were practicing outside because of COVID and pulling cars up at night to have lights outside while trying to keep a 6-feet distance on a basketball court,” Hebert said. “It was just a wild time and a lot of those guys have grown a lot since then, as basketball players and men.”
Hebert is proud of the season his team put together as Trinity was just one win away from 24 wins, which has been done just once in program history.
“I’m just so proud,” Hebert said. “We played some tough games at the end and the Westminster game, we won that close of a game, this one we lost and it was close. I’m just proud of our whole year and what we were able to do and the product we put out there was real. I’m proud of the guys for having fun.”
Trinity’s team will look a little different next season, with some key starters departing. However, Hebert believes the team gained momentum from this season and the returners will now be able to drive the Trinity bar even higher.
“It feels especially that way because of the senior guys that came in with me,” Hebert said. “It really feels like we’ve established our culture and who we want to be. I think the baton is being passed to Cy, Noah Phillips and the rest of our guys. They know what to expect and what to set the standard for.”
