Roosevelt guard Brayden Burries #5 fouls Centennial guard Kai Patton #0 in a Big VIII League boys basketball game in Eastvale on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Roosevelt guard Myles Walker #2 and Roosevelt guard Issac Williamson #12 fight for the ball with Centennial’s Josh Agbo #11 in a Big VIII League boys basketball game in Eastvale on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Roosevelt and Centennial benches clear after some pushing in a Big VIII League boys basketball game in Eastvale on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Roosevelt guard Brayden Burries #5 goes up for a dunk against Centennial in a Big VIII League boys basketball game in Eastvale on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Centennial head coach Joshua Giles argues calls with an official in a Big VIII League boys basketball game in Eastvale on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Roosevelt guard Brayden Burries #5 dunks over Centennial CJ Richardson #4 in a Big VIII League boys basketball game in Eastvale on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Roosevelt guard Issac Williamson #12 is fouled by Centennial guard Kai Patton #0 in a Big VIII League boys basketball game in Eastvale on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Centennial Jayden Yim #3 is defended by Roosevelt Christian Benjamin #10 in a Big VIII League boys basketball game in Eastvale on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Roosevelt guard Myles Walker #2 makes the leaping save of the ball against Centennial in a Big VIII League boys basketball game in Eastvale on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Centennial Jayden Yim #3 celebrates his three pointer against Roosevelt in a Big VIII League boys basketball game in Eastvale on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Roosevelt guard Myles Walker #2 celebrates his three pointer against Centennial in a Big VIII League boys basketball game in Eastvale on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Centennial Tariq Iscandari #12 shoots a three pointer against Roosevelt in a Big VIII League boys basketball game in Eastvale on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Centennial Josh Agbo #11 shoots overRoosevelt guard Brayden Burries #5 in a Big VIII League boys basketball game in Eastvale on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Centennial and Roosevelt players battle for the loose ball in a Big VIII League boys basketball game in Eastvale on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Roosevelt guard Myles Walker #2 celebrates a three pointer against Centennial in a Big VIII League boys basketball game in Eastvale on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Roosevelt guard Brayden Burries #5 crashes to the court fighting for a rebound against Centennial in a Big VIII League boys basketball game in Eastvale on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Centennial guard Kai Patton #0 is fouled by Roosevelt guard Brayden Burries #5 in a Big VIII League boys basketball game in Eastvale on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Centennial guard Karter Butler #5 picks himself up after being fouled by Roosevelt in a Big VIII League boys basketball game in Eastvale on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Centennial forward Jaidyn Smith #10 pulls down a rebound against Roosevelt in a Big VIII League boys basketball game in Eastvale on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Roosevelt head coach Stephen Singleton in a Big VIII League boys basketball game in Eastvale on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Centennial cheerleaders yell where’s your ring at Roosevelt cheerleaders in a Big VIII League boys basketball game in Eastvale on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Centennial guard Karter Butler #5 scores as Roosevelt Christian Benjamin #10 defends in a Big VIII League boys basketball game in Eastvale on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) From left Roosevelt’s Christian Benjamin #10, guard Myles Walker #2, guard Issac Williamson #12, guard Cameron Anderson #1 and guard Brayden Burries #5 after the beaches cleared against Centennial in a Big VIII League boys basketball game in Eastvale on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Show Caption1 of 23Roosevelt guard Brayden Burries #5 fouls Centennial guard Kai Patton #0 in a Big VIII League boys basketball game in Eastvale on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Expand EASTVALE — Brayden Burries and Myles Walker posted impressive offensive numbers during Thursday’s Big VIII League showdown against Centennial. But the most important number for the Mustangs on this night might have been zero. Roosevelt turned up the defensive pressure and held the Huskies scoreless during the second period, part of an 18-0 run that turned a close game into a runaway. Burries scored 28 points and Walker added 23 as Roosevelt prevailed 78-52 and locked up the No. 1 seed for the upcoming league tournament. The Centennial boys basketball program has had a few rough quarters over the years, but rarely, if ever, have the Huskies finished one with a goose egg. “Our guys, when they want to lock in, can play a high level of defense,” Roosevelt coach Stephen Singleton said. “We just tightened up the screws a bit.” Centennial (10-14 overall, 2-1 league) played Thursday’s game without its top scorer, junior guard Isaiah “Slim” Rogers, who was sidelined after suffering a concussion. But the Huskies landed some early punches, as Jayden Yim and Josh Agbo combined to knock down five 3-pointers in the opening quarter. Walker made sure Roosevelt (23-1, 4-0) kept pace, sinking his first four 3-point attempts to help give the Mustangs a 20-19 lead by the end of the period. “This is a big rivalry game with a lot of emotions, and I came ready to play,” said Walker, who drained 8 of 13 shots overall and 5 of 7 from 3-point range. That’s when Roosevelt clamped down. Centennial missed all seven of its shots from the field in the second period and also turned the ball over six times. “I think we gambled too much on defense in that first quarter,” senior guard Issac Williamson said. “We stayed locked into our roles and turned it around.” Centennial coach Josh Giles was proud of his team effort throughout the night, but also praised Roosevelt’s defense for making it difficult to score points. “Roosevelt is really good defensively, especially with anticipation and jumping into the lanes,” Giles said. “And they can do it the entire length of the court because they are fast enough to recover. We have a young team, many of them playing against Roosevelt for the first time. It was a learning experience.” Roosevelt made only 5 of 15 shots in the second quarter, but it was still enough for the Mustangs to take a double-digit lead into the locker room at half. The Mustangs threatened to seal the deal in the third quarter, but Tariq Iscandari hit back-to-back 3-pointers late in the period to keep Centennial close. Walker’s final 3-pointer of the evening gave Roosevelt a 57-38 lead heading into the final quarter. That’s when Burries stepped up and closed the show. Burries, the reigning IE Varsity Player of the Year, went 5 for 5 from the field down the stretch and scored 13 points in the period to cap another big night. “I found a mismatch and took advantage of it,” Burries said of his big finish. “I got a few good looks and also found my teammates for some open shots.” The teams combined to make 21 of 48 shots from behind the arc Thursday night. Roosevelt was 11 of 23 from distance, while Centennial was 10 of 25. Agbo and Yim finished with 18 and 12 points, respectively, to lead the way for Centennial. Jaidyn Smith added a game-high 14 rebounds for the Huskies. There was a skirmish between players on both sides midway through the fourth quarter that moved toward the visiting bleachers. School administrators and on-site security were able to break things up before it got totally out of hand. The officials handed out a few technical fouls and the game resumed. Related Articles High School Sports | Yucaipa boys basketball team rallies past Cajon, takes sole possession of first place in the CBL High School Sports | Bella Medina’s 3-pointer at the buzzer lifts Moreno Valley girls basketball team past Rancho Christian High School Sports | Prep Football Notes: Lakeside hires 23-year-old to take over struggling program High School Sports | Inland girls athlete of the week: Natalie Rodriguez Romero, Citrus Hill High School Sports | Inland boys athlete of the week: Jake De Corte, Ontario Christian Roosevelt is the No. 1 team in the Maxpreps.com national rankings, which does not include prep schools. The Mustangs will put that ranking on the line Monday afternoon, when they square off against No. 4-ranked Gonzaga (Washington. D.C.) at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass. That could be an important result come playoff time. Harvard-Westlake, ranked No. 2 in the section behind Roosevelt, edged Gonzaga 66-63 in a showcase game Jan. 3. “We just have to go out there and execute and keep playing our game.” Burries said. “If we can go out and do all those things, I think we will be alright.”