The Legacy Christian Lions were already riding some serious momentum after wins over Canyon of Anaheim and the Valencia Vikings in the previous few games.
But the Lions are riding a three-game winning streak into the last quarter of their season following a 69-56 win in the Pierce College Showcase over the Mira Costa Mustangs, one of the top teams in the region.
“It’s a very exciting win, very encouraging for our guys and program,” said Legacy Christian head coach James Mosley. “We were excited for the rest and the opportunity of a team with Mira Costa’s pedigree.”
The Mustangs entered the matchup against the Lions as the 21st ranked team in the Southern Section, according to the Jan. 6 computer rankings provided by High School on SI that determines where teams will be seeded once the playoffs arrive.
The Lions are 88th, the second-highest ranked team in the Santa Clarita Valley behind Valencia, who are ranked 86th.
Mosley stated the win is a huge telling sign of the growth the program has achieved not just this season, but the previous few years as the Lions look to make a name for themselves in the Southern Section.
“We wanted to be a school that is committed to developing athletes but also creating opportunities for them to try to play at the next level,” he said. “We’re smaller in terms of our numbers. We really pride ourselves on the development of athletes, but also in order to create opportunities, you got to play some tougher competition.”
In the win, sophomore guard JR Mosley had an all-around performance with 30 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals.
“JR Mosley did a great job. He showed leadership and found that balance of being aggressive and scoring, but also, you know, sharing the ball and creating,” coach Mosley said. “He’s working hard on his shooting ability to score the ball and put pressure on the defense. But also, he started defending the best player on the other team, really did a great job.”
Xzavier Miller was second on the team in scoring with 16 points and tallied eight rebounds while Mathew Burton contributed with 14 points and three steals.
“With Miller’s size and athleticism, he was able to get into the paint, did a great job, rebounding, and just playing with force,” coach Mosley said. “As well as Mathew Burton, he took the challenge defensively and just had some beautiful layups and we just showed our ability to move the ball and be cohesive and play together.”
The Lions now hold a 13-8 overall record and begin a two-game road trip against the Highland Hall Hawks of Northridge on Friday and the Palisades Dolphins on Saturday.
Mosley believes the team has the opportunity to finish the season stronger and get better as the team looks to finish its season improving on its strengths.
“Every time we step from the floor, we know what our strengths are, and we want to play to those strengths,” he said. “We’re always focusing on the big picture, it sounds cliche, but taking one game at a time, one practice at a time, and trying to figure out how to improve and be the best you can be.”
