San Diego Prep Basketball : Morse Gets Ready for League With Easy Win

While most basketball coaches are noted for padding records with soft preseason schedules, Ron Davis of Morse High School is the opposite.

Davis would just as soon play a difficult preseason schedule, figuring it will only make his team better for league play.

After playing difficult opponents the first three weeks, Morse had a relatively easy time this week in the Baron-Optimist Tournament at Bonita Vista High. The Tigers won the championship Friday night by beating Madison, 97-51, in the teams’ final game before City Eastern League play.

Morse is now 6-3, which is just where Davis says he wants his team. The Tigers lost to Poway, the defending San Diego CIF-3A champion, and powerhouses Banning and Compton from Los Angeles.

“I’m the type of coach who feels you have to lose first to be a winner,” Davis said. “I’d rather start out playing teams we can’t beat than teams we can beat. We want to be good losers as well as winners.”

Early in the second quarter Friday, there was little doubt that Morse would win.

The Tigers scored the first 10 points of the quarter, taking a 34-18 lead. Madison’s first point came on Eric Jackson’s free throw 3:52 into the quarter. The Warhawks did not score a basket in the quarter until Todd Lance connected two minutes before halftime.

Morse extended its lead to 47-25 at halftime and 69-41 after three quarters.

“I don’t think they could handle our press,” Davis said. “That hurt them a lot.”

David Hardin led Morse scoring a game-high 24 points. Hardin scored eight straight points in the second quarter, giving Morse a 34-18 lead with 4:20 left in the half.

Paul Bryant, the tournament’s most valuable player, scored 21 points for Morse. Greg Grinstead scored 12 points and David Gayden had 11.

Morse was particularly effective at the free-throw line, going 13 for 13 through three quarters and 21 of 26 on the night. All 13 Tigers played and scored.

Jimmy Dean scored a team-high 17 points for Madison. Jackson scored 14 points.

In other Baron-Optimist games, Bonita Vista beat Richmond of Canada for third place, 53-52; Lincoln beat Marian for fifth place, 72-49; and Crawford beat Alpha of Canada for seventh, 64-49.

Bill Redman scored 15 points and David Fulmer scored 14 for Bonita Vista. Redman iced the game by hitting a free throw with seven seconds left that gave Bonita Vista a 53-50 lead.

Kenarsie Ceaser scored 17 points and Anthony Johnson had 14 for Lincoln. Javier Nunez led Marian with 11 points. Kevin Williams scored 19 points and Mark Wheaton 13 for Crawford.

Joining Bryant on the all-tournament team were Steve Taylor of Richmond, Fulmer, Dean, Gayden and Jackson.