In most respects, Thursday night’s 106-93 win over Pleasant Grove (Utah) was a relatively average night on the hardwood for the Chino Hills Huskies. No zany, SportsCenter Top 10-worthy moments. Few memorable dunks. More missed 3-pointers than most teams are used to shooting in a given game. They reached 100 points with relative ease, something they’ve done 50 percent of the time they’ve stepped on the court since the start of the 2015-16 season.
Chino Hills senior LiAngelo Ball puts up a shot during the Huskies’ 50th consecutive victory.
There have been plenty of memorable moments over the last year and a half. Chino Hills has hoisted tournament trophies, celebrated regional and state titles. Just this week, sophomore point guard LaMelo Ball got a shoutout from Steph Curry and made it on ESPN with a calm, cool and collected halfcourt 3-pointer he called that would have made Babe Ruth blush.
Together, they all add up to 50 consecutive wins since the start of last season. On its own, it may not be incredibly noteworthy. Plenty of high school basketball teams over the years hit the mark, or even manage to surpass it. The record, according to MaxPreps, is 159 winning nights in-a-row by Passaic (N.J.) way back in 1919-25.
Instead, it’s the way they win, and continue to do so, each and every night. The Huskies ended last season the undisputed top team in the country after playing one of the roughest schedules imaginable. They won in blowouts in games expected to be close, pulled out thrillers against their best competition by a single point, eventually leading to a state title.
Defending that state championship would be ideal, teammates said, but only because it’s a byproduct of what they love most. It’s not the trophies or the 15 minutes of fame on ESPN. It’s pure and simple winning.
“We don’t worry about (the streak). We just wanna come out and work hard every game and just get the W,” senior LiAngelo Ball said. “This has been great, and I just want it to stay like this too. Win, win, win.”
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For LiAngelo, the second of the three, now famous, Ball children all blessed with the same video game skills and fearlessness, the streak began when he was given a chance to solely carry Chino Hills to the promise land and failed in the title game on March 27, 2015, the team’s last loss.
That 2014-15 season started marred in forfeiting nine wins due to an ineligible player. Despite the ugly record, the Huskies fought their way to the state Division 1 championship game against San Ramon Valley, where down the stretch in a bitter battle, then-junior Lonzo Ball, the team’s catalyst, fouled out, leaving the savior duties to LiAngelo.
“It came down to me to help us win, and we ended up losing,” he said. “Ever since then, I knew I had to get better.”
LaMelo Ball attempts to score.
Sitting in the stands as an eighth grader at the time, the youngest brother, LaMelo, knew the team needed a change if it were to reach its full potential.
“That year, they weren’t known as winners. It was just a different mindset,” he said.
Last year, Lonzo wowed even the tepid high school basketball fan, averaging a triple-double, truly earning the full-ride scholarship to UCLA he already had in his back pocket. His do-it-all dominance on the court was one of the best all-around games high school basketball has seen in some time and likely will see for a while.
With him in full form, the Huskies were unstoppable, on their way to their 35-0 record and the state Open Division title.
Chino Hills Onyeka Okongwu dunks the ball against Woodcreek on Wednesday, December 28, 2016 during the Rancho Mirage Holiday Invitational at Rancho Mirage High School.
Somehow, with him now leading one of college basketball’s best shows, the act in Chino Hills still lives on with the two younger Balls, along with the supporting cast of Elizjah Scott, Onyeka Okongwu and cousin Andre Ball – all of whom have been playing together recreationally for years.
“It’s family, it’s real fun, and we’re doing the favorite thing we love to do, which is basketball,” LaMelo said.
Their breakneck style of play – a stifling press defense, followed by a quick-strike offense that deals primarily in 3-pointers and dunks – is rare in the high school game, or ever. Their precision, which only comes from intense dedication to honing their craft, makes it possible. Their ability to replicate it against the nation’s best 50 times in a row is laudable.
But the love for winning, that pure, uncontrollable desire and focus to win every single time they step out on the court is what makes this streak impressive. LiAngelo could only have as many as 20 games left in his high school career. LaMelo, that plus two more seasons.
Chino Hills and Woodcreek basketball action on Wednesday, December 28, 2016 during the Rancho Mirage Holiday Invitational at Rancho Mirage High School.
Neither of them plan on losing any time soon.
“I like every game. I just love playing basketball,” LiAngelo said. “Every game is fun for me.
“This isn’t difficult at all. We don’t look at it as pressure. We just look at it as a challenge. We want to come out and beat the other team by a lot.”
Championship game
What: Title game in the open division of the Rancho Mirage Holiday Invitational
Who: Chino Hills vs. Sheldon
When: 9 p.m. Friday
Where: Rancho Mirage High School
Photo gallery: Chino Hills v Woodcreek at Rancho Mirage Holiday Invitational
