1990-91: Christian Girls Almost Go All the Way.

Christian star Tiffany Stutz played with a re-injured ankle in the state championship game after the underdogs from El Cajon mounted a late-season run through the San Diego Section and state Division V playoffs.

Erik Meek of San Pasqual, headed for Duke University, averaged  30.18 points, a figure topped only by Tony Clark’s 30.3 in 1987-88 and 43.1 in 1989-90.

BOYS PLAYOFFS

(seeds in italics)

DIVISION I

FIRST ROUND

1 Poway 94, Granite Hills (5-20).

2 San Diego 73, Patrick Henry 45 (7-18).

The Cavers, victims of the Dreaded Administrative Glitch, which forced them to forfeit 16 victories because of a player’s residential ineligibility, “improved” their record to 3-19.  Competitively they were 18-4.

Rancho Buena Vista 67, Mount Miguel 49 (15-10).

San Dieguito 60, Bonita Vista 58, OT (14-9).

Matt de la Pena buried a three-pointer with 10 seconds left in regulation and scored the only points in the extra session.

3 Fallbrook 79, Montgomery 42 (7-18).

4 Morse 69, Hilltop 35 (12-14).

Southwest 82, Mira Mesa 68 (15-11).

Mt. Carmel 74, Chula Vista 63 (14-13).

The game had been postponed for a day because of a power failure in the Mt. Carmel gymnasium.  Dana Pope supplied the juice for the Sundevils with 23 points.

QUARTERFINALS

1 Poway 68, San Dieguito 58 (15-12).

Rancho Buena Vista 62, 2 San Diego 54 (3-20).

Mt. Carmel 54, 4 Morse 53 (17-11).

Robert Treahy was playing club volleyball when Coach John Marincovich informed Treahy that if he wanted to switch to basketball he would have to finish out this season to be considered for a position in 1991-92.

Treahy’s free throw with 12 seconds left was the difference as the Sundevils beat the favored Tigers.

3 Fallbrook 69, Southwest 47 (17-10).

SEMIFINALS

Rancho Buena Vista 55, 3 Fallbrook 53 (20-10).

Poway 57, Mt. Carmel 39 (20-8).

The Sundevils were scoreless…zero, zip, nada…in the fourth quarter.

CHAMPIONSHIP

1 Poway 70, Rancho Buena Vista 50 (15-14).

After a 10-year hiatus, Doug Wealch had returned to Poway and coached a champion, before 6,225 persons in the Sports Arena.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL QUARTERFINALS

4 Poway 72, 5 Manual Arts (L.A. City, 23-5) 66.

Kyle Milling had 23 points and 23 rebounds and Bill Rarity added 23 points for the Titans who outscored the Toilers, 32-8, from the free throw line.

Manual had manufactured at least 100 points in 12 games but Poway advanced with tough, physical defense.

The Titans’ victory was only the second by a San Diego Section team against a D-I, regional opponent since the state tournament resumed in 1981-82. Poway did it in 1985-86 against Pasadena Muir.

SEMIFINALS

1 Fremont (L.A. City, 32-1) 44, 4 Poway 41 (21-7).

The Titans trailed, 42-41, with 30 seconds left and had two chances to take the lead at Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson.  They were scoreless the last 2:45.

“We escaped one,” said Fremont’s Antoine Dent, who led all scorers with 12 points. The Pathfinders ranked No. 8, in the U.S.

“They’re a very good team,” Fremont Coach Sam Sullivan said of the Titans to Jim Trotter of The San Diego Union.  “They’re very disciplined and well-coached, like I knew they’d be.  I think we got a little lackadaisical.”

D-II

FIRST ROUND

San Pasqual 73, University City 49 (12-10).

Six-foot, 10-inch Erik Meek bombed the Centurions with 41 points and 23 rebounds, shooting 15×22 from the floor and 11×13 from the free-throw line. U.C. mourned teammate Ian Krebs, who had passed away in his sleep two weeks before.

1 El Camino 92, El Cajon Valley 50 (7-18).

Grossmont 70, Monte Vista 58 (16-9).

2 Torrey Pines 102, Castle Park 46 (9-15).

3 Valhalla 80, Hoover 67 (12-10).

4 Helix 70, Vista 68, 2 OT (9-16).

—Derrick Henry rescued an offensive rebound and banked in a follow shot for the Highlanders’ third win against no losses in extra sessions.

—Henry’s shot followed a short stint on the bench, at which he got the word from Coach John Singer.  “His game is going to the offensive boards and he wasn’t doing that,” said Singer.

Serra 80, El Capitan 49 (8-14).

Carlsbad 56, Sweetwater 47 (21-6).

The 1989-90 D-I champion exited, compliments of the 11-times-defeated Lancers, whose Calvin Coleman held 22-point scorer Melvin Rushing to seven points.

QUARTERFINALS

San Pasqual 70, 2 Torrey Pines 59 (21-8).

“If we shoot like we did tonight, we’ll win it all, because Meek will dominate anyone inside,” said Golden Eagles coach Tom Buck, after Erik Meek scored 26 points and had 14 rebounds.

1 El Camino 81, Grossmont 69 (16-9).

4 Helix 57, Carlsbad 49 (15-12).

Valhalla 78, Serra 56 (16-7).

SEMIFINALS

El Camino 90, Helix 67 (20-6).

San Pasqual 79, Valhalla 55 (21-9).

CHAMPIONSHIP

San Pasqual 73, 1 El Camino 70.

Fourteen of Erik Meek’s 33 points and seven of his 17 rebounds came in the final quarter

“I told myself it was time to do something,” said Meek.

“He made the big-time shots,” said El Camino coach Ray Johnson, whose defense forced Meek away from the basket for off-balance jump shots.  “If he misses, we get every rebound and it’s a different story.”

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

QUARTERFINALS

3 San Pasqual 79, Irvine Woodbridge (Southern, 21-11) 71.

Erik Meek scored 39 points, pulled 9 rebounds, and blocked six shots against the Southern Section runner-up. The Golden Eagles led, 45-26, at halftime.

5 El Camino 71, 8 Bakersfield Foothill (Central, 14-15) 61.

The Wildcats made the most of their 390-mile-roundtrip to the South end of the San Joaquin Valley, especially Jeff Reeves, whose 23 points included five, three-point baskets.

SEMIFINALS

2 Tustin (Southern, 28-4) 85, 3 San Pasqual 61 (20-8).

“They just had to much quickness for us,” said San Pasqual coach Tom Buck, whose team’s 1-3-1 zone defense in the second quarter was exploited by the Tillers, who scored on 10×13 shots in a 22-8 run that led to a 39-23 halftime lead.

1 Artesia (30-2, Southern) 53, 5 El Camino 40 (23-6).

Ed O’Bannon had graduated to UCLA but younger brother Charles led a lineup of three sophomore starters and one junior.

El Camino took an 8-4 lead but that quickly became a 10-8 deficit.  The Pioneers never looked back.

–Tustin surprised Artesia, 51-36, in the division finals.

D-III

FIRST ROUND

La Jolla 80, West Hills 67 (1-19).

QUARTERFINALS

1 Kearny 84, La Jolla 55 (3-20).

2 University 56, Rancho Bernardo 38 (4-17).

First-year Rancho Bernardo scrapped to a 27-27 halftime tie with the 18-5 Dons.

3 Ramona 95, Santana 58 (7-15).

4 St. Augustine 84, Madison 70 (12-11).

SEMIFINALS

1 Kearny 79, 4 St. Augustine 57 (14-12).

3 Ramona 80, 2 University 62 (19-5). 

“Alfonso is Alfonso.  He makes me a good coach,” said Ramona’s Al Schaffer.  The subject of the coach’s praise was Alfonso de la Nuez, who scored nine consecutive points at the start of the fourth quarter as the Bulldogs opened a 15-point lead.

CHAMPIONSHIP

3 Ramona 73, 1 Kearny 55.

“We’ll pay for the new nets,” shouted Ramona coach Al Schaffer when told by officious honchos that the Bulldogs could not take part in a traditional cutting down:  “Each player gets one snip.  And the coach gets the last snip.”

Huh?

Three “menacing” security guards at downtown Golden Hall were determined to apparently save Hall management the $3 cost of replacing the nets, according to Tom Shanahan of the Evening Tribune.

“The guards took their defensive position by posting up in a triangle form under the basket,” Shanahan wrote.  Wiser heads prevailed and Ramona was able to take part in the ceremony.

Alfonso de la Nuez, an exchange student from Madrid, Spain, who was supposed to return home after his junior year but stuck around, led the Bulldogs with 21 points that included five three-pointers.

The championship was the first for Ramona since it won the last of four Class 1-A titles in 1972-73.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

QUARTERFINALS

7 Kearny 73, 2 Lemoore (22-6, Central) 71, OT.

Darnay Scott’s 22 points, including eight in the fourth quarter, six on offensive put- backs, led the Komets from a 10-point deficit.

Kearny’s Ali Nayab stole the ball and passed to Demetrious Brown, whose layup gave the Komets the lead for good in overtime.

5 Costa Mesa Estancia (26-5, Southern) 84, 4 Ramona 68 (20-6).

Playing at home, Ramona fell behind, 45-27, at halftime.  The Bulldogs outscored the Eagles, 41-39, in the second half as Alfonso de la Nuez closed his American basketball career with 24 points.

SEMIFINALS

3 Pomona (24-6, Southern) 72, 7 Kearny 52 (24-7).

Kearny didn’t help itself, missing 12 of 17 free throws.

D-IV

QUARTERFINALS

Mountain Empire 79, 3 Holtville 74.

Coronado 4 Imperial, no score.

SEMIFINALS

1 Lincoln 104, Coronado 49 (6-20).

2 Clairemont 77, Mountain Empire 68 (13-11).

CHAMPIONSHIP

1 Lincoln 68, 2 Clairemont 54.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL QUARTERFINALS

3 Lincoln 71, 6 Easton Washington (21-7, Central) 67.

“I was thinking, ‘Los Angeles,” sophomore point guard Archie Robinson told writer Tom Shanahan after Robinson’s two free throws clinched the victory.  “My teammates were saying, ‘Come on, Archie, send us to L.A.’”

Cal State Dominguez Hills, where the Hornets would play next, is located in  Los Angeles suburb Carson.

1 Oxnard Santa Clara (26-4, Southern) 76, 8 Clairemont 44 (12-13).

SEMIFINALS

3 Lincoln 107, 6 Santa Maria St. Joseph (25-4, Southern) 89.

A  290-mile, six-hour drive, a nine-player roster, and Archie Robinson’s five, first-half three-pointers, worked against the host Saints, who may have inspired the 5-foot-5 Robinson.

“Their team was laughing when Archie was introduced,” said Hornet coach Ron Loneski.

SEASON LEADERS

Unofficial, some scorers and totals  missing or incomplete

FINALS

 1 Oxnard Santa Clara (28-4, Southern) 68, 3 Lincoln 55, 21-10.

By winning, Santa Clara positioned itself to bid third straight state championship, which it lost to Hayward, 62-45.

D-V

FIRST ROUND

Francis Parker-Lutheran, no score.

Tri-City 58, Calexico Vincent Memorial 54 (18-8).

Marian 71, Borrego Springs 28 (7-10).

4 The Bishop’s 77, Victory Christian 38 (1-16).

Santa Fe Christian 55, Calvin Christian 51 (11-12).

QUARTERFINALS

2 La Jolla Country Day 87, Francis Parker 54 (5-19)

1 Christian 92, Santa Fe Christian 67 (10-15)

4 The Bishop’s 53, Marian 47, OT (14-14).

Calipatria 59, Tri-City 49 (15-10).

SEMIFINALS

Calipatria 72, La Jolla Country Day 64 (17-5).

1 Christian 57, 4 The Bishop’s 42 (19-5).

CHAMPIONSHIP

1 Christian 57, Calipatria 43.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

QUARTERFINALS

1 La Canada Ribet (29-2, Southern) 75, 8 Calipatria 54 (21-7).

6 Arcadia Rio Hondo (26-2, Southern) 61, 3 Christian 51 (22-6).

The Patriots lost the nightcap of a doubleheader with the Kares’ boys and girls teams at Valhalla.

GIRLS PLAYOFFS

DIVISION I

FIRST ROUND

1 Poway 73, Mount Miguel 15 (4-12).

Mira Mesa 62, Bonita Vista 43 (9-12).

Southwest 65, San Diego 41 (5-18).

4 Fallbrook 56, Hilltop 36 (8-16).

3 Granite Hills 67, Orange Glen 37 (5-20).

Christina Adams scored 27 points, including seven from beyond the three-point arc.

Rancho Buena Vista 62, Morse 44 (6-15).

San Dieguito 62, Chula Vista 47 (10-15).

2 Mt. Carmel 69, Montgomery 22 (8-17).

QUARTERFINALS

1 Poway 68, San Dieguito 58 (15-12).

2 Mt. Carmel 68, Mira Mesa 34 (11-15).

4 Fallbrook 59, Southwest 52 (16-6).

3 Granite Hills 84, Rancho Buena Vista 45 (13-13).

SEMIFINALS

1 Poway 50, Fallbrook 37 (18-10).

2 Mt. Carmel 93, Granite Hills 73 (20-8).

CHAMPIONSHIP

1 Poway 55, 2 Mt. Carmel 41 (21-3).

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

QUARTERFINALS

5 Chino (29-4, Southern) 62, 4 Poway 53 (26-2).

D-II

FIRST ROUND

Escondido 46, Monte Vista 40, OT (15-9).

Freshman Truc Huynh scored 24 points, including five in overtime.  “She played the game of her (very young) career,” said Cougars coach Lori Becker.

San Pasqual 60, Vista 32 (12-12).

2 Carlsbad 57, Grossmont 26 (6-14).

1 El Cajon Valley 90, Serra 45 (7-16).

Heidi Holm led the 24-1 Braves with 28 points. Sister Heather had 20.

University City 53, Helix 32 (10-11).

Torrey Pines 49, San Marcos 43 (12-12).

Point Loma 62, Mar Vista 23 (10-12).

Castle Park 61, Mission Bay 36. (11-12).

QUARTERFINALS

1 El Cajon Valley 89, San Pasqual 57 (19-3).

Heather Holm had 27 points, Monica Krakes 20, and Julie Woodley 13 points and 10 rebounds.

2 Carlsbad 61, Escondido 38 (14-10).

Torrey Pines 39, 3 Point Loma 38 (24-3).

4 Castle Park 63, University City 47 (20-5).

“Nobody ever gives the South Bay (teams) any respect…all those North County and East County schools.  We’re going to represent the South Bay,” said the Trojans Christina Murguia, to writer Buster Olney.

Murguia accentuated the point with 28 points, 25 rebounds, 11 assists, and four blocked shots, although the losing Centurions geographically were not North or East but more or less Central.

SEMIFINALS

2 Carlsbad 69, Torrey Pines 43 (16-12).

1 El Cajon Valley 60, Castle Park 53  (23-5).

Heather Holm scored 23 of her 30 points in the second half and buried a three-point shot with 1:28 remaining to break a 53-53 tie.

Braves coach Bob Holm, Heather’s father said of Heather’s attempt to Buster Olney of The San Diego Union: “If my old man was on the bench I don’t know if I would have had the guts to shoot it.”

“We beat them if we don’t get the fouls (three starters fouled out in the last five minutes),” said Castle coach Chuck Mills.  “I think if we’d play them tomorrow we’d beat them.”

CHAMPIONSHIP

1 El Cajon Valley 55, 2 Carlsbad 42.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

QUARTERFINALS

7 Ventura (24-4, Southern) 71, 2 El Cajon Valley 67 (27-2).

5 Carlsbad 54, 4 Reedley (20-6, Central) 44.

SEMIFINALS

1 Brea Olinda (31-1, Southern) 61, 5 Carlsbad 47 (24-3).

D-III

FIRST ROUND

Ramona 45, West Hills 42 (8-16).

QUARTERFINALS

2 Kearny 60, Our Lady of Peace 47 (9-14).

Twins Shelli (22 points, 14 rebounds) and Melissa (22 and 13) Krause led the Komets.

1 Santana 62, Ramona 43 (3-19).

Desiree Weiman scored 30 points, giving her a career total of 1,022, No. 6 all-time in the San Diego Section.

3 Rancho Bernardo 58, La Jolla 31 (7-11).

4 University 48, Madison 32 (12-11).

SEMIFINALS

Kearny 39, 3 Rancho Bernardo 38 (18-5).

Santana 60, University 44 (11-12)

CHAMPIONSHIP

1 Santana 46, 2 Kearny 36 (19-8).

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

QUARTERFINALS

3 Santana 70, 6 Costa Mesa Estancia (20-10, Southern) 62.

4 Playa del Rey St. Bernard (25-6, Southern) 59, 5 Kearny 30 (20-9).

SEMIFINALS

6 Lompoc 65 (24-3, Southern), 3 Santana 58 (23-6).

Twenty-nine points by Stephanie Thompson and 19 by Desiree Weiman were not enough as the Sultans were upset.

D-IV

QUARTERFINALS

3 Coronado 48, Clairemont 12 (0-17).

The Chieftains were improving.  They lost an earlier game to the Islanders, 55-2.

4 Imperial 44, Mountain Empire 40

SEMIFINALS

3 Coronado 49, 2 Holtville 48 (16-9).

A see-saw final five minutes saw Holtville, trailing, 46-40, take a 48-46 lead, but the Islanders rallied, thanks to a basket by Michelle Stevens and free throw by Kristie Luckenbill.

1 Lincoln 104, Imperial 35 (3-15).

CHAMPIONSHIP

1 Lincoln 63, Coronado 34 (17-8).

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

QUARTERFINALS

3 Lincoln 71, 6 Woodlake (21-6, Central) 47.

1 Santa Maria St. Joseph (24-5, Southern) 64, 8 Coronado 19 (17-9).

SEMIFINALS

2 Morro Bay (26-3, Southern) 54, Lincoln 43 (19-3).

D-V

FIRST ROUND

Marian-Calexico Vincent Memorial, no score.

Francis Parker 57, Calipatria 42 (5-13).

Lutheran 52, Borrego Springs 47 (10-8).

4 The Bishop’s 77, Victory Christian 36 (1-16).

QUARTERFINALS

Francis Parker 56, 3 La Jolla Country Day 50 (14-11).

1 Christian 77, Marian 45 (7-16).

Tiffany Stutz (37 points), Jenny Culberson (16 points, 12 rebounds), and Jennifer Reyes (16 points) led the Patriots.

4 The Bishop’s 59, Julian 52 (14-7).

Lutheran 2 Calvin Christian, no score.

SEMIFINALS

2 Calvin Christian 51, Francis Parker 43.

1 Christian 79, 4 The Bishop’s 46 (12-15).

CHAMPIONSHIP

1 Christian 63, Calvin Christian 51.

Christian trailed, 34-25, at halftime. “We’d looked at film of Calvin early in the week and some of the girls were laughing,” recounted Patriots boss Kenny Weeks to Steve Brand of the Union.  “At halftime I told them the laughing was over.”

Tiffany Stutz scored 32 points for the Patriots, who won their 15^th straight game.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

QUARTERFINALS

3 Christian 63, 6 Arcadia Rio Hondo (22-5, Southern) 59.

“I told them I wanted them to play knock-down, drag-out full court for the final four minutes,” Patriots coach Kenny Weeks told Buster Olney.

Christian, trailing, 59-52, with 3:02 remaining, closed out the Kares with an 11-0 finish.

4 Hemet Baptist (23-5, Southern) 40, 5 Calvin Christian 36 (21-5).

SEMIFINALS

3 Christian 43, 2 Strathmore (22-6, Central) 40.

FINALS

3 Christian 62, 1 San Luis Obispo Mission Prep 51 (22-6, Southern).

Tiffany Stutz scored 25 points and the Patriots, leading 52-49, closed with a 10-2 finish.

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Atherton Menlo 65 (28-8, Central Coast), Christian 48 (24-6).

Playing for coach John Paye, her brother, Kelly Paye bombed the Patriots with 21 points, 10 assists, and 8 steals.

The Patriots’ Tiffany Stutz, averaging 22.2 points, scored 11 and spent time on the bench after reinjuring ankle that first was sprained in the volleyball season the previous spring.

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