In the team’s senior night celebration at Valencia High School, the Lions defeated the Crescenta Valley Falcons, 69-47, as Legacy Christian extended its winning streak to three games.
“It was a good solid win for our guys,” Legacy Christian head coach James Mosley said. “We knew it was going to be a good competitive game for us … I felt like in the second half, we were really able to kind of adjust to what they do defensively in terms of us playing defense.”
After winning by a combined 7 points in the previous two games, the Lions pulled away for the 22-point victory over the Falcons, which provided much-needed relief for Mosley.
Two players Mosley counted on to make that happen were sophomore guards Matthew Burton and JR Mosley, both of whom combined for 41 points.
Burton, who recorded 21 points along with three steals, was a two-way leader for the Lions. Mosley said the ball movement from the guard helped facilitate the offense.
“I think our ball movement and our cohesiveness, especially in the second half, really, really created some rhythm for those guys to kind of perform well,” he said.
JR Mosley had an all-around performance as the guard tallied 20 points with four assists and five rebounds.
Coach Mosley added that Burton and Mosley play up to the standard he likes because of the leadership roles they have within the team and example they need to set on a nightly basis.
“A part of being a leader is performing at a high level, and I thought they were both very efficient, and they played really well,” he said. “And there were some factors in terms of creating for others but also scoring. So, proud of their growth in a game where they looked very comfortable.”
Senior forward Xzavier Miller was third on the team in scoring as he finished the game with 14 points along with six rebounds.
With the win, the Lions improved to a 17-9 overall record and have two games remaining in their freelance schedule.
Coach Mosley and the Lions are hoping to finish the year strong and boost their resume for an at-large bid for the CIF playoffs.
But until the final game, Mosley is preparing for his team to just win and focus on getting better should they earn a bid.
“I think we have good energy. I think we’re settling into this, you know, this time of year is, you know, as you get toward the end of the season and all those things, wins don’t just happen,” he said. “But we really got to keep getting better and guys got to be challenged … so just staying sharp, but then also just kind of taking it upon ourselves as individuals, to find ways to get better and be better to help the team continue to perform at a good level.”
The Lions play again on Saturday against the Maranatha Minutemen in the Nick Sherman Legacy Classic hosted by Maranatha High School of Pasadena, with tip-off scheduled for 8:30 p.m.
