LA HABRA — Scoring has not been a problem for the Canyon boys basketball team so far this season.
Canyon coach Nate Harrison and his Comanches can thank Brandon Benjamin for that.
Benjamin scored a game-high 30 points, just 3.4 points below his season average, to lead the Comanches to an 85-77 victory over Murietta Valley in a pool play game of the North Orange County Championships Wednesday at Sonora High School.
The Comanches (5-2), who are ranked No. 6 in Orange County, will play Etiwanda in a tournament semifinal at 6 p.m. Friday.
Etiwanda defeated Sonora, 52-37, in another pool play contest Wednesday.
Benjamin, a University of San Diego commit and Orange County Player of the Year as a sophomore, played his freshman and sophomore seasons at Canyon, transferred to Mater Dei for his junior year and returned to Canyon for his senior year.
With Benjamin back in the lineup, the Comanches are averaging 79.5 points per game, up from last season’s average of 59.1.
“Brandon is so good,” Harrison said. “He can score when it’s time to score, but he’ll pass when it’s time to pass. He just does everything and he makes everybody so much better. You’re going to hear it all here, but he’s the best player in Orange County. We just love playing with him.”
Benjamin scored 23 of his 30 points in the first half and demonstrated his versatility in the first quarter.
The forward’s dunk, one of three dunks for him in the game, gave the Comanches a 17-12 lead.
Benjamin then scored off his own steal, was fouled and hit the free throw to give Canyon a 20-15 lead.
He scored on a tip-in off of a teammate’s miss and pulled down an offensive rebound and scored off of a teammate’s missed free throw to put the Comanches up 37-23.
“It’s definitely a different style of play (at Canyon), a different system,” Benjamin said. “I think coach Nate understands my game the best. I think he’s helped me learn how to play with the team and also get self-control on my own. He’s taught me a lot and I think coming back here is definitely a better move for me and my development.”
Benjamin also said Harrison has helped him mature off the court, to become a better person and a better leader.
The 6-foot-5 senior also passed off to open teammates, including Staf Yilmazturk, who finished with 25 points, nine coming on 3-pointers.
“Credit to Staf, who came out really sharp shooting the ball,” Harrison said.
While Canyon stayed comfortably ahead for most of the contest, the Comanches were never at a point where they could totally put the game away until the final minutes.
A pair of dunks from Benjamin late in the fourth sealed the victory.
“They did a great job staying in the game,” Harrison said of the Nighthawks (6-2). “We just couldn’t shake them. I thought they did a really nice job. We’ve got to guard a little better.”
