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SoCal High School & Prep Report

Pat McKinney: San Diego Semifinals
Results and Final Schedule--(March 7, 1998)

We've already apologized to everyone for being remiss in covering the San Diego Hoop scene this last week, what with everything that's been going on in the Southern Section and LA City Section playoffs, including the finals this weekend. So in order to make up for it, here are all the results from the games played on March 4 in San Diego's semifinals. The finals were played last night in most instances (in fact I think all of them were played yesterday) and we'll have the results as soon as Pat McKinney sends them to us. Pat maintains the great USDHS Don's Basketball website, and in conjunction with SoCalHoops is brining you the San Diego playoff and hoop news in general. Paul Smith's Helix High site also covers the Helix team, and also provides some great information on the San Diego scene in general. Visit them both. Now for the Semifinal results and the final matchups.

San Diego Hoop News
Semfinal Playoff Action

By Pat McKinney
USDHS Don's Basketball website

Division I

Rancho Buena Vista Eliminated

League Foe Bounces #1 Seed From Playoffs

It was the third meeting of the season for North County rivals Rancho Buena Vista and Rancho Bernardo, as the teams split the first two. RB broke through in the rubber match and sent the co-Palomar League champ packing. The teams were ranked #3 and #4 in the County for most of the season before a late fall by RB, but they more than made up for it in this Division I semifinal at Mira Mesa High School. And it was not close, thanks to a balanced attack from Ranch Bernardo. RB used a 16-9 second quarter to spring to a 30-20 halftime lead and held it in this 52-42 victory. RB had four in double figures, led by Rei Rivera's 16. Senior guard Tewuan Farris added 12 and 6'6 Junior Bill Bloom followed with 11 points, 12 rebounds, and two blocks. Most important, Senior Jeff Fletcher scored 10 and held RBV star Aaron Abrams, averaging 22.7 points a game, scoreless in the first half and six for the game. CJ Fellars scored 17 for RBV, but RB was too much in this one.

The second semifinal featured #2 seed Helix and #3 Poway and was marked by a lack of judgment from the other co-Avocado League champ. Well aware they were out of timeouts, Poway called one in the final seconds anyway, allowing Ron Johnson to convert four free throws and put the game out of reach. William Waggoner scored 26 for Helix and Johnson added 12 as Helix advanced with a 61-56 win. Poway led 31-30 at the half and Poway went up by two after three before Helix spurted to a 20-13 fourth quarter to seal it. Joe Mann scored 20 in his final game before suiting up for SDSU.

Here are the scores and highlights for the remaining divisions:

Division II

#4 Point Loma 61, Ramona 39. The dream ended for upstart Ramona (13-15) in a rout after they beat #1 seed Serra in the quarters. Point Loma went up 22-12 in the first and never looked back. Point Loma was led by 13 from Doug Croffet. The team moved down a division this year despite playing in the Division I final last season.

#2 Oceanside 68, #3 Eastlake 64. It took overtime for Oceanside to beat an Eastlake (21-7) team trying to make the final after moving up from Division III. Willie Maiden led Oceanside with 14, including six in the extra period. The final is the first for Oceanside since 1987, when a pretty good basketball (CIF player of the year) and football player, Junior Seau, played there.

Division III

USDHS 81, Clairemont 43

The shooting was not outstanding, but the Dons and Ronnie McMillan were all over the boards. USDHS started Seniors Luke Walton, David Abramowitz, McMillan, Carlos Cong, and Sophomore Kam Walton. Clairemont countered with this lineup:

Joe Kastorff, 5'9 Jr. G
Sean Tower, 5'10 So. G
Victor Lewis, 6'1 Sr. F
Darrell Scott, 6'0 Sr. F
Adam Veasey, 6'5 Sr. C.

The Dons immediately went out to a 9-3 lead and were forcing turnovers. Abramowitz found McMillan inside on a sweet look to push it to 11-3. Clairemont responded by playing roughhouse inside defense and launching a barrage of threes. Nasir Qadiri came off the bench for Clairemont and knocked down a couple of threes. McMillan, however, was everywhere, finishinng the first with 14 points and 8 boards as the Dons went up 23-14.

The teams felt each other in the second and Clairemont starting hitting its threes. The game remained pretty much even as USDHS took a 40-29 halftime advantage.

The physical nature of the game really began to wear on the much smaller Clairemont team and it showed in the second half. Uni began forcing turnovers, running, and displaying its formidable passing game. In turn, Walton, Abramowitz, and McMillan got into the act, finding the open man. Luke threw down a dunk off the break to push it to 57-36 with 2 left in the third.

Then things got ugly...

For whatever reason, Clairemont ran completely out of gas in the final 10 minutes. Luke hit a 3 to make it 63-41, then the Dons forced turnover after turnover after turnover. Two minutes later, it was 75-43 and the bench was in. Clairemont would not score again and watched as Kam threw one down on the put back. The final quarter ended with USDHS outscoring Clairemont 21-2 and finishing any hope they might have had.

McMillan led the Dons with 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists. Luke chipped in 18 points and blocked four shots. Abramowitz scored 8 to go with 8 assists and did not turn the ball over once. Chris Walton finished with 9 and Kam with 8 as the Dons pulled down 23 offensive rebounds. Nasir led Clairemont with 15 and Tower added 11 as their team finishes their season 10-13.

We like to think it was because Saint Augustine knew what was waiting for them, but Saints was less than impressive in their game against #3 Madison. To set the table, Madison's post defense is less than awe-inspiring and they featured one player who seemed more interested in talking to the crowd and the other players than hooping it up. Despite these factors, Saints was unable to put away this team who struggled to 10 wins, settling for a 66-57 victory.

Granted, Saints is without Terrence Terrell, who did not play in the last Uni/Saint's game and appears to be gone, but some disturbing trends surfaced. First, Saints did not seem capable of hitting shots outside of 10 feet. Thanks to a porous defense, they were able to get lots of layups, but trouble awaits. They sank one, maybe two, legitimate jumpers the entire game and fired a couple of nasty backboarders through the hoop. Fortunately, Andre Porter is a skilled point guard who made some tough shots and pulled his team through.

Saints opened up 18-9, but let Madison back in behind some good shooting from Junior Tommy Wright and Matt Jones. Nick Lackman was the story, however, as his drives kept Madison in and almost gave them a shot at the win. At 6'3, he was Madison's biggest player and he played the point almost the entire game. A physical player, he endured several dives from Saints' defenders and kept Madison in it. Saints led 30-25 at the half and took an early third quarter lead, going up to double digits. Madison cut it back to five, but would not get closer. Vastly undermanned, they fought hard and fell short but they came awfully close. Saints may have a lot to think about as they enter Friday's final with USDHS.

Porter led Saints with 21 and Jim Hill added 16 in the victory. Lackman led all scorers with 23 and really gave his team a chance in this one.

Division IV

#1 Lincoln 74, #4 Coronado 51. The Western League runner-up managed only a 27-23 halftime lead, but took apart the Islanders (17-8) with a 27-6 third quarter. Anthony Watts scored 15 and pulled down 10 rebounds for Lincoln. Tre Henderson added 12 and Rod Cooksey 10. Lincoln will play Bishop's in the final, a team that knocked them out in the first round last year. When asked if he was eager for a rematch with Bishop's, Watts replied, "It doesn't matter. I feel sorry for whoever has to play us if we're on our game."(!) We'll see...

#2 Bishop's 60, #3 Christian 58. Bryan Leshaw (6 points) sank the 6 footer with three seconds to go to advance the defending champ to the final. Nick Booker led Bishop's with 21 but Todd Brown kept Christian (23-4) in it with 29. The game was close all the way until Leshaw decided it.

Division V

#1 Horizon Christian 80, #4 Santa Fe Christian 32. Horizon rolls on as 11 players scored in the victory. A 22-4 second quarter game them a 37-11 halftime advantage and ended it. Horizon will cruise to a Division V state title, but the best team in San Diego? Not close.

La Jolla Country Day 47, #3 Francis Parker 45. Another upset for the 7th seed LJCD as they gain the finals and the right to be schooled by Horizon. Rashawn Allen (16 points) drained the three as time expired to send Parker (14-10) home.

Here is the schedule for Friday's Finals, all played at Cox Arena on the SDSU campus:

Division V: #1 Horizon (24-2) vs. La Jolla Country Day (15-13), noon

Division IV: #1 Lincoln (19-5) vs. #2 Bishop's (22-7), 2 pm

Division III: #1 USDHS (21-4) vs. #2 St Augustine (18-9), 4 pm

Division II: #4 Point Loma (18-8) vs. #2 Oceanside (20-8), 6 pm

Division I: #4 Rancho Bernardo (25-8) vs. #2 Helix (25-4), 8 pm

Come early and stay late as the action will be outstanding. For the first time in a while, all of the boy's finals are being played on the same day. If you can't make it, tune in to Cox Cable Channel Four for coverage of all of the games. See you there!