Eastvale Roosevelt boys basketball team goes cold at Hoophall Classic in loss to Gonzaga College Prep

Eastvale Roosevelt couldn’t carry its momentum across the country in an elite national boys basketball showdown Monday at the Army National Guard Hoophall Classic presented by Spalding.

With freezing temperatures in Springfield, Mass., the top-ranked Mustangs also went cold from behind the 3-point arc during the last three quarters in Blake Arena, making only one of their final 14 attempts, and Gonzaga College Prep from Washington D.C. also relied on a significant rebounding margin to secure a 73-55 victory.

Eastvale Roosevelt (23-2) had its 19-game winning streak snapped, enduring its first setback since a 67-64 loss Nov. 30 against Brennan High of Texas at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest hosted by Duncanville.

Christian Gurdak, a Virginia Tech commit, was selected the most valuable player of the contest after producing 11 points and 18 rebounds for the Eagles (17-2), who held a 45-22 advantage on the boards.

Isaac Williamson scored 15 points and Brayden Burries added 14 points, six rebounds and four steals for Eastvale Roosevelt, which faced a two-point halftime deficit and trailed 51-43 entering the fourth quarter.

Eastvale Roosevelt boys basketball | Photo courtesy of Eastvale Roosevelt

Burries scored the first basket of the fourth quarter, but Gonzaga College Prep responded with six unanswered points and maintained control the rest of the way.

Williamson made a layup to cut the deficit to 64-51 with 2:51 remaining, but the Eagles scored nine straight points during a 75-second span to build their biggest advantage of the contest.

Alex Touomou had 17 points, Derek Dixon scored 14 points, William Harper added 12 points and Nykolas Lewis contributed 11 points and 10 assists for Gonzaga College Prep, which won its sixth in a row since a 66-63 loss Jan. 3 to Harvard-Westlake in the Hoophall West Bracket at the Nike Tournament of Champions featuring Hoophall West at Highland High in Arizona.

Myles Walker produced nine points, six assists, five rebounds and four steals, with Jackson Haggins also scoring nine points for Eastvale Roosevelt, which made only four of 25 3-point field goals overall.

The Mustangs are scheduled to compete Thursday in a Big VIII League matchup against Corona, before another showdown against an out-of-state opponent Saturday, facing Bishop Gorman from Las Vegas (15-4) at the Nike Extravaganza XXX at Mater Dei.