Orange League : Brea Finishes League Play Undefeated, but Fights Mar Game

With its 56-40 victory Friday at Valencia High School, Brea-Olinda’s boys basketball team became the school’s first to go undefeated in Orange League play since 1947.

The victory also set a school-record 13 consecutive wins, breaking the mark of 12 set by the 1982 team.

But the game was marred by two bench-clearing fights, one with 1:12 to play in the game and one immediately after the game. Punches were thrown, but no one was hurt in the fights, which also involved some fans. The incidents were sparked by the physical nature of the game.

Tempers were so heated that Valencia Coach Ray Rodriguez sent his team to the locker room at game’s end without extending the customary congratulations to its opponent and Brea Coach Gene Lloyd kept his team in its locker room for one-half hour after the game before boarding the team bus.

“It’s an unbelievably bitter rivalry,” Lloyd said. “I wish from the standpoint of all the bitterness, there is something I could do.”

Despite the final margin, the game was close for three quarters before the Wildcats finally took control for good midway through the last quarter. Valencia (6-4 in league, 14-9 overall) had outscored Brea, 10-6, in the third quarter to tie, 30-30, going into the last eight minutes.

Brea responded by using a half-court trap defense that was designed to pressure Valencia’s guards, who had been working the ball inside with effectiveness. Brea’s strategy worked. After trailing 32-30 early in the quarter, the Wildcats outscored Valencia, 26-8.

Valencia played well enough throughout the game to pull off the upset, but center Geoff Adams and forward Kevin Jones both fouled out in the fourth quarter and it takes a full complement of players to upend Brea (10-0, 22-4) these days.

Kevin Walker led Brea with 19 points, and David Fox had 18. Norman Nakawaki paced the Tigers with 14 points.

BREA-OLINDA (56)--Jones 2, Francis 10, Jensen 3, Barcelo 4, Fox 18, Walker 19.

VALENCIA (40)--Adams 8, Jensen 3, Jones 12, Nakawaki 14, Rojo 3.

Brea-Olinda 10 14 6 26 -- 56

Valencia 8 12 10 10 -- 40

In other Orange League action:

Anaheim 55, Magnolia 42--Scott Van Alfen had a game-high 20 points and Steve Mispagel added 15 points and 14 rebounds for the Colonists (2-8, 4-17). Robert Ryan and Carlos Gonzales had 12 apiece for the Sentinels (0-10, 0-20).

ANAHEIM (55)--Mispagel 15, Van Alfen 20, Amnador 8, Pachecho 7, Robbufo 3, Carmona 2.

MAGNOLIA (42)--Ryan 12, C. Gonzales 12, Underwood 4, Banuelos 6, Gorrien 4, Osuna 4.

Anaheim 12 14 11 18 -- 55

Magnolia 5 17 12 8 -- 42

Savanna 56, Western 50--Tim Pittman scored 27 points and Trevor Hoffman added 16 to lead the Rebels to a win over the Pioneers at Western High. Savanna trailed, 17-9, after one period, but outscored Western, 25-10, in the second to take the lead.

Troy Joseph led the Pioneers with 18 points.

SAVANNA (56)--Pittman 27, Veal 8, Hoffman 16, Koh 1, Smith 4.

WESTERN (50)--LaMorte 6, Burris 10, Joseph 18, Chase 8, Cate 4, Hernandez 2.

Savanna 9 25 8 14 -- 56

Western 17 10 8 15 -- 50