In a Top 20 matchup and key game in the WCAL race, St. Ignatius (11-3, 4-0) led for much of the night and held off a second half Mitty (10-4, 3-1) run to win 57-45.
St. Ignatius closed the first half on a 7-2 run after Mitty junior Caeden Hutcherson picked up his third foul. The Wildcats pushed the lead to 11 points to start the third quarter before a 16-4 Mitty run gave them one of their two brief leads of the night. The Wildcats used a 10-2 fourth quarter run to put the game away.
Guards lead the way for the Wildcats
St. Ignatius has a strong backcourt with junior Raymond Whitley (18 points) and senior Vince Crisp (16 points). Whitley, No. 9 in the 2026 class rankings, is a physical guard who plays under control and finishes well against contact. Crisp is a 6-foot-3 guard who plays well without the ball, knocked down a couple of threes and adds some length on the perimeter.
St. Ignatius had the inside advantage
The Wildcats are a bigger team with senior Connor Lewis, junior Ty Landers and freshman Alex Moore, who came off the bench and gave quality second half minutes. The 6-foot-8 Moore finished with eight points in competing well on both ends without fouling and showing good hands. He is one to track in the 2028 class.
Hutcherson held in check
The 6-foot-5 Hutcherson carries a big offensive load for Mitty with his ability to create space off the bounce. He struggled with his mid-range and three point shot on Friday, but finished with eight points, three rebounds and two assists. His passing skills were the highlight in operating from the top of the floor. He also got into the paint and finished for a first quarter dunk. Hutcherson is ranked No. 6 in the 2026 rankings.
2026 Joseph Seifu plays well in the loss
Mitty junior Joseph Seifu has potential at 6-foot-5 with the ability to make plays inside and outside. He is usually undersized on defense guarding other team’s bigs, but he competed really well against the Wildcats and went for a team high 15 points.
St. Ignatius closed the first half on a 7-2 run after Mitty junior Caeden Hutcherson picked up his third foul. The Wildcats pushed the lead to 11 points to start the third quarter before a 16-4 Mitty run gave them one of their two brief leads of the night. The Wildcats used a 10-2 fourth quarter run to put the game away.
Guards lead the way for the Wildcats
St. Ignatius has a strong backcourt with junior Raymond Whitley (18 points) and senior Vince Crisp (16 points). Whitley, No. 9 in the 2026 class rankings, is a physical guard who plays under control and finishes well against contact. Crisp is a 6-foot-3 guard who plays well without the ball, knocked down a couple of threes and adds some length on the perimeter.
St. Ignatius had the inside advantage
The Wildcats are a bigger team with senior Connor Lewis, junior Ty Landers and freshman Alex Moore, who came off the bench and gave quality second half minutes. The 6-foot-8 Moore finished with eight points in competing well on both ends without fouling and showing good hands. He is one to track in the 2028 class.
Hutcherson held in check
The 6-foot-5 Hutcherson carries a big offensive load for Mitty with his ability to create space off the bounce. He struggled with his mid-range and three point shot on Friday, but finished with eight points, three rebounds and two assists. His passing skills were the highlight in operating from the top of the floor. He also got into the paint and finished for a first quarter dunk. Hutcherson is ranked No. 6 in the 2026 rankings.
2026 Joseph Seifu plays well in the loss
Mitty junior Joseph Seifu has potential at 6-foot-5 with the ability to make plays inside and outside. He is usually undersized on defense guarding other team’s bigs, but he competed really well against the Wildcats and went for a team high 15 points.
