Crean Lutheran boys basketball too big, too strong for Canyon

IRVINE – Shorthanded, yet too tall.

Crean Lutheran’s boys basketball team played Tuesday night without 6-foot-7 forward Jacob Majok, but the Saints did have 6-11 Chadrack Mpoyi.

Mpoyi scored 25 points, many of those on gym-shaking dunks, as Crean Lutheran overwhelmed visiting Canyon 80-54 in the Crestview League opener for both teams.

Crean Lutheran, No. 2 in the Orange County Top 25, improved to 15-5 overall. No. 6 Canyon is 11-7.

Majok, a 6-7 senior who signed with UC Riverside, did not play because he is recovering from an ankle injury.

As Mpoyi said, Majok, who averages nine points and seven rebounds a game, is not easily replaced.

“Jacob was our MVP last year,” said Mpoyi, who signed with Minnesota. “He’s our leader, our captain.”

Mpoyi and 6-3 junior guard Hunter Caplan took charge in Majok’s absence.

Mpoyi shot 12 of 15 from the floor – one of his misses was a 3-point attempt – and Caplan was 6 of 7 on 3-pointers for 20 points. Caplan also had six assists.

Crean Lutheran’s Nick Giarrusso, a 6-5 junior wing, had nine rebounds and 10 assists. Saints senior Will Malual scored nine points with seven rebounds and also was a forceful defensive presence.

Crean’s quick inside-outside offense kept Canyon defenders scrambling.

“That was our focus for this game,” Mpoyi said.

Crean Lutheran dominated early. Taking advantage of Canyon’s seven turnovers in the first quarter, the Saints flew to a 21-1 lead. They took a 23-5 advantage into the second quarter.

Canyon is famous for its spirit, so of course the Comanches cut into their deficit. They outscored Crean 23-17 over a period that started in the first quarter and carried over into the second quarter. They trimmed the Saints’ lead to 11 points, but could not get closer.

The score was 38-24 at halftime.

In the third quarter Mpoyi, who averages 14 points a game, scored 11 points and Caplan made a pair of 3s to keep Crean Lutheran comfortably ahead. It was 59-40 going into the fourth quarter.

The Saints stretched the lead to 30 points in the final quarter.

Caplan, who averages 16 points a game, said getting Mpoyi more involved is a growing emphasis for Crean’s offensive structure. And, Caplan added, Mpoyi can offer more for the team.

“Even when he’s not scoring,” Caplan said, “just his impact of being here on the court. You see the dunks, his rebounding. And his defense, that’s another story.

“He makes all of our jobs way easier.”

The CIF Southern Section computer-created power rankings, which will determine the teams for each playoff division at the end of the regular season, have Crean Lutheran at No. 8 overall. Last season, the top 10 teams in the rankings were placed in the Open Division.

Canyon is No. 45 in the CIF-SS power rankings.

Senior guard Tate Dohrmann led Canyon with 15 points.

Crean Lutheran’s next game is a league game Friday at La Habra.

Canyon’s next game is a league game Friday at Foothill.

Also coming up for Canyon is a nonleague game at Intuit Dome on Monday against Esperanza.