REDONDO BEACH – One month ago, the Redondo Union High boys basketball team was involved in a tight battle down the stretch against Basha High from Arizona at the Nike Tournament of Champions and the Sea Hawks came through in the clutch to secure a one-point victory and the Saguaro Bracket title.
With another championship opportunity presented Tuesday night to host Redondo Union against rival Mira Costa, this time it was the Mustangs who rose to the occasion to force a share of the Bay League crown.
Eneasi Piuleini scored seven consecutive points in the final 90 seconds and fellow senior Jacob De Armas sank the deciding free throw with six seconds remaining to help Mira Costa rally from a late six-point deficit and secure a dramatic 69-68 victory that snapped the Sea Hawks’ 12-game winning streak.
The Mustangs (25-3, 7-1), who endured a 76-64 loss Jan. 17 against Redondo Union (23-3, 7-1) at Mira Costa, earned a share of their third league title in the past four seasons.
Mira Costa faced a 23-point, third-quarter deficit in the first meeting, before rallying to get as close as 63-58 with 3:10 remaining.
The Mustangs trailed by a 67-61 margin with 1:50 left in Tuesday’s rematch, before Piuleini took over, finishing with 12 of his team-high 20 points in the final quarter.
Piuleini made a layup to close the deficit to four points with 1:30 remaining, then after Redondo Union was called for a 10-second violation by not advancing the ball past half court, the Mira Costa senior guard knocked down a 3-pointer from the right wing to pull the Mustangs to within 67-66 with 75 seconds left.
Piuleini gave Mira Costa its first lead since midway through the opening quarter when he connected on a 12-footer along the right baseline to grab a 68-67 advantage with 38 seconds left.
After sophomore Chris Sanders – who led the Sea Hawks to a 62-61 victory Jan. 4 against Basha at the Nike Tournament of Champions by converting a three-point play with 12 seconds left – was unsuccessful Tuesday on a pair of free-throw attempts with 23 seconds remaining, Redondo Union forced a Mira Costa turnover to regain possession.
Redondo Union boys basketball team | Photo courtesy of Redondo Union
Chace Holley, a junior guard who scored 15 points, sank one of two free throws for the Sea Hawks with 13.8 seconds left to tie the score at 68-68.
De Armas, who scored eight of his 10 points in the second half, made the first of two free-throw attempts to give Mira Costa the advantage.
After De Armas missed his second free throw opportunity, Redondo Union got the ball to senior Brayden Miner for an uncontested 3-pointer on the right wing, but the shot caromed off the left edge of the rim as time expired.
Miner had connected on four 3-pointers and finished with 14 points for the Sea Hawks, who received a team-high 19 points from senior Hudson Mayes, as well as junior SJ Madison contributing 14 points.
After grabbing a nine-point lead following the first quarter, Redondo Union scored 14 unanswered points in the second and held a 35-24 halftime advantage.
Mira Costa still trailed by a 53-45 margin entering the fourth, before the late heroics by Piuleini stunned the home crowd at Redondo Union, which had a 22-game league winning streak halted following a 66-47 setback to the Mustangs in 2023.
Bryson Bryker had 14 points and fellow senior Luke Hammerschmidt scored 12 points, with McCarthy Bedner adding seven points for Mira Costa, which snapped a four-game losing streak against the Sea Hawks since that victory two years ago.