Prep Basketball BOYS : Cleveland Dances Over El Camino Real

Following his team’s 72-55 victory over El Camino Real High on Wednesday afternoon, Cleveland High basketball Coach Greg Herrick held a 15-minute meeting with his Cavaliers.

When he emerged, Herrick was asked what occured during the closed-door session. “We were taking care of some business,” he said. “There’s always room for improvement.

“Every team has a meeting, don’t they? I’m not that cocky to not have one. We did not play well. We had too many errors. It’s a cliche, but we made mental mistakes. What’s that about dancing with the girl you brought to the dance?

“We’re just not doing the things that make us a great team.”

It is a measure of Cleveland’s talent that the team can play poorly and still win. The victory improved Cleveland’s record to 5-0 in the Valley 4-A League and 16-1 overall.

The Conquistadores fell to 3-2 in league and 11-5 overall.

“We’re not doing the things we do best,” Herrick said, “like running the ball effectively and making few turnovers. It’s so tough to play night in and night out the way I expect us to play.

“But we’ll be OK.”

The Cavaliers, who have won 12 straight, should have no trouble in their second run through the league if senior Andre Washington continues to play like he has.

The 6-6 center led Cleveland with 17 points.

Simi Valley 97, Newbury Park 53

Simi Valley got 28 points from Mark Robinson, the Valley area’s leading scorer, and 38 points from its bench to tie Camarillo for first place in the Marmonte League.

The Pioneers led 39-12 at the intermission and then scored 58 points in the second half to set a school record for points in a half. Led by Christian Aurand and Todd Johnson, who each collected nine assists, Simi also set a school record for team assists with 31.

Sean Harrigan scored 14 points and John Carr added 10 for the Pioneers, who boosted their record to 4-1 in league and 10-5 overall.

Chad Staples and Mark Schlegel each scored 15 points for the Panthers, who fell to 0-5 in league and 3-11 overall.

Granada Hills 45, Chatsworth, 42

Lars Hayes hit two free-throws in the final minute to lift host Granada Hills High to a Valley 3-A League win over Chatsworth High.

The Chancellors, sparked by Matt Bellers’ 17 points, led most of the game, but the Highlanders outscored them, 18-11, in the fourth quarter.

The win improves Granada Hills’ league record to 4-1 and 9-5 overall. Chatsworth drops to 2-3 in the league and 5-8 overall.

Desmond Cerceo led the Highlanders’ comeback with 11 points, while Sergio Peralta tossed in 10 points. Neil Coffman also scored 10 points for the Chancellors.

Kennedy 73, Monroe 35

After Monroe High led, 7-5, at the end of the first quarter, Kennedy High pumped in 22 points to cruise to its fourth Valley 4-A League win.

James Walton led the Golden Cougars’ attack with 24 points, while Greg Fontenette tossed in 12 points and Marcus Napper added 10.

The win improves Kennedy’s record to 4-1 in the league and 10-6 overall, while the Vikings have lost their last six games.

Erik Fuller had 8 points for Monroe, which drops to 0-5 in league and 4-12 overall.

Oak Hill 63, St. Vincent

Sophomore center Jeff Rubenstein set an Oak Hill High School single-game record with 33 rebounds and sophomore guard Dave Friedman scored a game-high 28 points in the Raiders’ victory over St. Vincent at the Branford Recreational Center in Arleta.

Rubenstein, who added 14 points, grabbed 17 of his rebounds in the first half and 16 in the second to eclipse the mark held by Andy Hart.

Oak Hill led from the start, taking a 16-5 lead in the first quarter before St. Vincent cut it to 26-21 at halftime. The Raiders, now 4-2 in the Liberty League and 6-2 overall, broke the game open by doubling their opponents’ 11 points in the third quarter and then coasting in the fourth.

St. Vincent, which is now 2-2 in the league and 5-7 overall, were led by sophomores Tom Olone and Robert Aguire. They scored 19 and 10 points, respectively.