Arleta senior Emiliano Lopez’s storied high school career came to a heartbreaking close as his 16th seeded Mustangs buckled against top seeded Granada Hills’ relentless defense. From the opening tip, the Highlanders smothered Arleta’s shooters, never allowing them to find their rhythm. Granada Hills head coach Jonathan Bent, who had previously coached Lopez’s older brother, was determined to neutralize him. While the Highlanders initially slowed Lopez down, his signature crafty drives proved nearly impossible to contain for long.

However, the real story of the night was Granada Hills’ suffocating defense, which turned every Mustang possession into a battle. Arleta head coach Jason Hill searched for answers, freely substituting in hopes of finding the right combination. It never came. The Highlanders forced turnover after turnover, rattling the Mustangs with their intensity. Still, true to their identity, the Mustangs refused to back down. Hill’s calm presence on the bench instilled a never-say-die attitude, and Arleta fought hard until the final buzzer.

Granada Hills set the tone early, using their size advantage to control the paint. Senior Julius Washington and junior Mateo Ochoyan each swiped steals in the opening minutes, leading to fastbreaks. However, the top-seeded Highlanders started a bit overconfident, missing easy finishes—including a dunk attempt—which allowed Arleta to briefly take a 6-5 lead.

Visibly frustrated, Bent refocused his squad and they responded immediately. Washington found junior Rafael Masumyan in the post for an easy bucket, reclaiming a 7-6 lead that the Highlanders would never relinquish. Senior Quion Williams and junior Kristapor Kedikian dynamic play on both ends of the court propelled a well-balanced Granada Hills squad to close the quarter on an 18-6 run and secure a commanding 23-12 advantage.

The second quarter belonged to Masumyan. The 6’5” forward dominated in the paint, scoring 14 of Granada Hills’ 22 points in the frame. Meanwhile, the Highlanders’ defense tightened its grip, disrupting even skilled ball handlers like junior Luke Dizon.

Senior sharpshooter Joaquin Corleto briefly gave the Mustangs hope, draining two deep threes. However, Arleta’s offense stalled when Lopez picked up his third foul and was forced to sit with 5:41 left in the half. The Lopez-less Mustangs struggled and limped to a 45-21 halftime defecit.

Showcasing why he’ll be playing at the next level, Lopez came out firing with controlled aggression in the third quarter. He weaved through defenders for tough finishes, pulled up for smooth midrange jumpers and even knocked down a three-pointer, reminding everyone that he couldn’t be stopped. Lopez poured in 14 of Arleta’s 22 points in their most productive quarter of the night.

Unfortunately for the Mustangs, Granada Hills’ offense was just as potent and much more balanced. Washington and Masumyan continued to score at will, while sophomore Jaysen Zaragoza came off the bench to bury two corner threes.

When Masumyan capped off the quarter with a buzzer-beating 30-footer to make it 68-43, it was crystal clear this wasn’t Arleta’s night. Despite knowing the eventual outcome, Lopez never let up in the fourth, attacking the rim with the same determination that he had in the first. He went out on his own terms—doing what he did best.

With the game well in hand, Bent turned to his bench, allowing his competent reserves to close out the dominant 89-56 victory.

Dogged all night, Lopez finished with a game high 29 points, hitting 10-17 from the field and 8-12 from the charity stripe. Chased everywhere he went, Corleto finished 3-8 from the field for 12 points. Hill spoke of his seniors after the game, “These seniors, they played hard all year. Through adversity they battled every game. It was a privilege being in division 1 and (his Mustangs) deserved that. This last game doesn’t reflect the season.” The Mustangs finished 17-9 (9-3).

The Highlanders proved why they’re so highly regarded, delivering a well-rounded performance on both ends of the court. Offensively, Masumyan was incredibly efficient, shooting 11-for-13 from the field and leading the team with 28 points, while also protecting the paint with 10 rebounds. Williams commanded the floor with poise, contributing 14 points, 7 assists, and 3 steals. Kedikian (7 assists) and Achoyan also reached double figures in points, highlighting the offensive depth of this defense-minded squad.

Granada Hills also has a no-nonsense leader in Bent who gets his Highlanders to buy-in defensively: “We pride ourselves in knowing what the other team is going to do. When we got to the things we wanted to do defensively, I thought we turned them over quite a bit. But we still had some moments and lapses where (Corleto) got some clean looks – we didn’t want to give him anything – and (Lopez) is very crafty, he got going there. So, we’re not trying to play a score, we’re trying to play good basketball. And we’re trying to get these guys to understand that the process is so much more important than the result. The process is how you obtain the result. We’ll get in there tomorrow and watch some film. We’ll try to clean up our mistakes and get ready for the next one.” The next one is Saturday, February 22nd @ 7:00 P.M. Granada Hills hosts No.9 Gardena (who upset King Drew 36-33) in the Division 1 Quarterfinals.