Top-Seeded Crenshaw Opens Against San Diego Section Champion Poway

The state high school basketball tournament gets under way tonight, with the opening round in five boys’ and five girls’ divisions.

Crenshaw, the City Section 4-A champion, is top-seeded in the boys’ Division I of the Southern California region. The Cougars (21-2) will play San Diego Section champion Poway at Cal State Dominguez Hills at 7:30.

Second-seeded Manual Arts (24-1), the defending state champion which lost to Crenshaw, 85-72, in the City championship game last Friday night, received an at-large bid and will play Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley (24-4) at Saddleback College.

Fremont (25-3), the City 3-A champion, will travel to play to Long Beach to play Millikan (25-6), the Southern Section 5-AA Division champion and No. 3-seeded team.

“I feel that we can do some business since we are not looked at as a threat,” Fremont Coach Sam Sullivan said. “We can surprise some teams.”

In the girls’ Division I, Inglewood Morningside, the Southern Section 5-AA champion, is the No. 1-seeded team. Washington, the City 4-A champions, is seeded No. 4.

The Southern California semifinals will be held Thursday with the finals Saturday. Title games in the boys’ and girls’ Division I, II, and III will be at the Sports Arena beginning at 11 a.m. Division IV, and V games will be played at Cal State Dominguez Hills beginning at 2:30 p.m.