One More Time: Redlands Adventist Academy Boys Basketball in CIF Finals

The chant remains the same – only the number has been changed.

The Redlands Adventist Academy boy’s basketball team officially changed their game-ending chant to “One more game!” Friday afternoon, as the Bulldogs upset Boron, 48-44, in a CIF 6A semifinal game at Boron.

With the victory, the Bulldogs advance to their first CIF title game in school history. They will meet the winner of Friday night’s Padre Pio-Arshag Dickranian game on Friday, March 4 at Mater Dei High School’s Meruelo Athletic Center in Santa Ana.

Unlike their other playoff games this season, this one was not a rout. In fact, RAA had to battle back in the fourth quarter and make some clutch shots in the final minutes to maintain the victory.

After going back and forth, leading by seven, then trailing by six – all in the second half – the Bulldogs’ Kamaal Thomas’s 15-foot jumper tied the score, 42-42, with two minutes left in the game.

That was followed by a steal from RAA’s Tino Mkorombindo, who pushed the ball up court and fed to Mikeal Anderson for the layup and a lead they would not relinquish. Key free throws by Anderson down the stretch sealed the win.

“It was intense. I’m drained,” RAA coach Jason Hinkle said. “There were a lot of runs and lead changes.”

RAA had a slight 20-19 halftime lead and jumped out to a 31-24 lead in the third quarter. Hinkle said the Bulldogs stepped up their defense and got a lot more fast breaks and easy baskets.

Boron went on its own run, closing within two, 33-31, at the end of the third quarter. The Bobcats opened the fourth quarter with an 8-0 run and their biggest lead of the game, 39-33.

Hinkle said RAA traveled well and kept his team motivated and surprised. With parents, teachers and students, there were about 60 RAA fans in a packed Boron gym. “It was so loud, I couldn’t hear myself talking. But when we won, everybody from the school came and mobbed us on their court. It was unbelievable.”