Rumors of their demise have been greatly exaggerated.

“People gave us up for dead, didn’t they?” said St. Augustine High School boys basketball coach Mike Haupt.

The Saints, ranked No. 10 in San Diego, proved Tuesday they’re very much alive, racing to a 10-point halftime lead and beating No. 7 Mission Bay 60-56 in a key first-round Western League game.

The victory was far from easy. Mission Bay turned the ball over inbounding to start the second half and Lincoln Grogan hit a 3-pointer and was fouled, then followed with a 3-pointer and hit a pair of free throws as the Saints opened a 19-point lead just 72 seconds into the third quarter.

The Bucs cut the deficit down to nine by the start of the fourth quarter as the Saints, who had just four first-half turnovers, turned the ball over six times in the quarter.

And St. Augustine’s advantage was only three points with 1:20 to play.

But Jaden Bales, who had just four points through three quarters, scored nine in the fourth quarter, including seven straight free throws down the stretch.

He also had a key rebound that led to free throws.

“I like the pressure,” said Bales, an All-CIF player last year. “Pressure situations come with the job.

“Nobody said this would be easy and it wasn’t early in the season. We were only together for a few days. But now we’ve come together. The team chemistry is there.”

Grogan, a transfer from Mater Dei Catholic, led the Saints with 18 points. He scored nine in the third quarter.

“Playing with these guys has been more fun than I thought,” said Grogan, who became eligible at the Christmas break. “The guys, the staff have been very welcoming. We’re playing together now, playing as a team.”

The win is the fifth in a row for the Saints (8-12, 3-0). Mission Bay (13-6, 1-2) has lost two in a row and three of its last four.

Anthony Etheridge added 10 points for the Saints, all in the first quarter.

Bales led the Saints with eight rebounds, while Drew Parker had seven points and six rebounds. Manny Cortez had four points and six rebounds, while Pai Polamalu had eight points and six rebounds.

Mission Bay’s Caleb Newton led all scorers with 27 points, including nine in the fourth quarter. Pablo Balderas had nine points while Clay Grebing led the Bucs with eight rebounds and five points.

With illness and injuries, St. Augustine has only had its full lineup for three practices.

“And our schedule has been incredibly tough,” said Haupt.

The Saints have played Eastvale Roosevelt, the No. 1 team in California; No. 5 San Francisco Archbishop Riordan; No. 6 Los Angeles Windward and No. 42 North Hollywood Campbell Hall and No. 43 Downey St. Pius X-St. Matthias.

They’ve also played five of San Diego’s top 10 teams: No. 3 Carlsbad, No. 5 Olympian, No. 6 Cathedral Catholic, No. 8 Santa Fe Christian and No. 9 Mission Hills. St. Augustine’s opponents are a combined 236-120.

Mission Bay hasn’t exactly taken the easy route, either. The Bucs have played Stockton Lincoln, the No. 7 team in California; No. 11 Sacramento Inderkum; and Carlsbad, Torrey Pines and Cathedral Catholic.

Mission Bay’s opponents are a combined 186-125.

Originally Published: January 21, 2025 at 7:50 PM PST