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5-star SG Alijah Arenas sets single-game scoring record at The Classic at Damien

Wg0vf-nP_400x400by:Keegan Pope•12/28/24•

bykeeganpope

2026 guard Alijah Arenas (photo credit - USA Basketball)
(Photo Credit: USA Basketball)

A day after being outdueled by 2026 five-star Jason Crowe Jr. in The Classic at Damien, five-star shooting guard and Chatsworth (Calif.) star Alijah Arenas made sure that didn’t happen twice.

The nation’s No. 4 overall recruit in the 2025 class scored a record-breaking 56 points for the Chancellors, who ultimately fell 93-87 to Prescott (Ariz.) in overtime. His performance was a new tournament record, breaking Crowe’s mark of 55 points set a day earlier in their matchup.

Arenas, the son of former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas, scored 34 points in that game but struggled early on from the field, missing his first 11 shots. He had no such trouble in this one, but was matched nearly bucket for bucket by Prescott senior guard Uriah Tenette, who scored 54 points.

Down 78-76 in the waning seconds, Tenette hit a running floater to tie the game and send it to overtime, where Prescott scored 15 points in the extra period to pull away.

In the loss, Arenas showed off his scoring prowess at all three levels, shirking double-teams and hitting multiple 3-pointers, along with an array of mid-range jumpers and layups.

Scout’s Take on Alijah Arenas

Earlier this year, Arenas reclassified to the Class of 2025, where he ranks as one of the top-five players in the nation. Prior to that, he was one of the elite 2026 prospects nationally, and On3 Director of Rankings Jamie Shaw wrote this about him:

“In July, playing up at the 17u level with the Compton Magic program on the Adidas 3SSB Circuit, he averaged 21.4 points on 48.0 percent shooting from three on 4.1 attempts per game. Per Synergy, Arenas averaged 1.016 points per possession in helping lead his team to the Circuit’s Final Four.

… Arenas, while missing some time this summer with injury, also had a strong showing at the USA Basketball U17 Training Camp. While he ultimately did not make the team, he was one of the final players cut, showcasing some impressive scoring chops at multiple levels along the way. The Chatsworth (CA) High guard has a developed scoring acumen with the requisite positional size as he continues to move forward in level.”