COC Basketball

In the last tune up before conference play begins next week, Canyons (10-4) women’s basketball put the exclamation point on a strong non-league schedule by claiming the Husky Classic Tournament championship last night in East Los Angeles.

The Cougars overcame a poor shooting night by both teams to narrowly edge Mission, 80-79. Another double-double for Hannah Green, scoring 21 points while pulling down a season-high 27 rebounds. COC will begin their march toward a Western State Conference title Wednesday, January 6, at Santa Monica.

Consistency has been lacking in the early going for the Canyons (5-7) men’s team. The Cougars went cold (36% shooting as a team) against Orange Coast, falling 74-56 in front of the home crowd in the Cougar Holiday Classic.

Victor Nwaba led all scorers with 26 points in the loss. COC will join the women’s team on the road at Santa Monica, January 6, to open the conference schedule.

Santa Clarita High School Boys Basketball

Several teams are still making their way through holiday tournaments.

Canyon (9-4) is showing strong in the Santa Barbara Holiday Classic, winners of two straight after defeated Bishop Diego, 59-42 yesterday. Tonight the Cowboys take on the tournament hosts’ Santa Barbara in the late game. Tip-off is at 7:30 pm.

Moving on to the Hart Holiday Classic where both Golden Valley continues its impressive tournament run to the final by dismantling Grant, 76-49. The Grizzlies enter the Final on a five-game winning streak.

Santa Clarita High School Soccer

Both Hart teams took the pitch for the finals of the Hart Soccer Showcase today and both defended home-field with late game heroics.

The girls’ final was an all-SCV affair between Saugus and Hart, concluding 1-0 with a late winner from Sarah Lindborg.

Hart (6-3-4) is unbeaten in its last five matches, and has one last tune up next Monday (1/4) against Cleveland before Foothill League play begins.

Following the nail-biter of the girls Final, the boys’ Final between Hueneme and Hart was just as competitive, deadlocked at nil-nil and needing extra time to sort out a winner.

Hart’s own Niall Shaffery delivered, lifting the Indians with a golden goal to win the tournament, 1-0.

It was a great way to tie a bow on the 2015 year for the Indians’, whose final preparation for the Foothill League season is next week on the road to La Canada (1/8).

The Canyon (4-4-3) girls’ team had two matches yesterday competing in the Los Tacos Tournament, drawing the first game and getting narrowly beaten in the second.

The Cowboys scored goals on either side of the half to draw, 2-2, with Flintridge Prep; however, they fell in the afternoon match to Flintridge Sacred Hart, 1-0.

In other girls non-league action, Valencia has a trip to Harvard-Westlake this evening. Kickoff is at 5:15.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Plan B for the Dodgers’ pitching staff is in full swing after Zack Greinke’s departure to the Diamondbacks left the front office scrambling. Today, LA signed a different veteran left-handed starter to a multi-year contract.

Scott Kazmir has pitched all over California, and after stints with the Angles and Athletics, he’s back in the LA market. Kazmir signed a three-year, $48 million deal to join Clayton Kershaw and the other lefties in the Dodgers rotation.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers are in Boston tonight for what should be a memorable game at the TD Garden in Kobe’s farewell to one of the biggest rivalries of his career.

Both teams come into this game with two of the youngest rosters in the NBA and in rebuilding mode, a far cry from the Finals’ battles Kobe and Co. grew accustomed to in the early part of the decade.

Lakers fans looking for some good fortune can note that LA has won seven of nine against the Celtics, and generally compete well at TD Garden.

Tip-off for the greatest rivalry in basketball is at 4:30 pm.