Boys’ basketball: Thousand Oaks 59, Leuzinger 55

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In the biggest surprise of the day at the Honda Center, Thousand Oaks defeated Leuzinger, 59-55, to win the Southern Section Division II-AA championship.

Even though the Lancers (29-2) were seeded No. 1, few expected them to beat a Leuzinger team that had faced the likes of Westchester, Taft, Bishop Montgomery and Windward.

But the Marmonte League champions, led by 6-foot-7 junior Alex Tiffin, who scored 24 points and blocked seven shots, refused to lose their poise and came through in the end.

Antonio Lopez contributed the big basket, making a steal and layup with 1:40 left to give the Lancers a 55-53 lead. Then Chris Carter made two free throws with one minute left.

‘We’ve been getting better and better,’ Thousand Oaks Coach Richard Endres said. ‘We’’re peaking at the right time.’

-- Eric Sondheimer