PREP BASKETBALL : Southern Section Playoffs : Four Top 5-A Seeds Reach Semifinals

Mater Dei, Ocean View and Long Beach Poly, the top three seeded teams in the Southern Section boys basketball 5-A Division playoffs, breezed to easy quarterfinal wins Friday, but the same couldn’t be said for fourth-seeded Serra (21-5), which just edged Crespi (17-7), 57-56, at El Camino College.

Serra got an outstanding game from 6-5 center Mark Sutherlin , who finished with a game-high 20 points. Crespi took a 56-55 lead with :32 remaining, only to see the Cavaliers work the clock down eight seconds, when Sutherlin hit a turnaround jumper to win the game.

Crespi had one last chance to win, but Alphie Basile missed a driving layup with two seconds left.

Mater Dei (27-0) defeated Compton (15-10), 75-39; Ocean View (23-3) downed St. Bernard (17-8), 67-49; and Long Beach Poly (19-7) had little trouble with St. Anthony (19-5), 72-48.

After two rounds of almost no upsets, seeded teams were defeated in the 4-A, 3-A and 2-A divisions.

Santa Monica (21-5), the second-seeded team in the 4-A Division, found the trip to Ventura College very tough, losing to Buena (24-2), 67-64. Forward Lance Hammer led the way for the Bulldogs with 28 points and 17 rebounds. He also was 14 of 14 from the free-throw line, including four in the last minute on two one-and-one situations.

In the 3-A Division, top-seeded Pomona (24-5) was upset by Bonita (24-4), 53-51, at Diamond Bar High. Bonita won the game on an eight-foot baseline jumper by 6-8 center Greg Trygstad with three seconds remaining. Pomona tried a desperation shot with :01 remaining, but it was far off the mark.

Trygstad finished with a game-high 22 points. Pomona had four players in double figures, led by 5-8 guard Charles Biggers, who had 11 points.

In the 2-A Division, junior forward Jesse San Roman made two free throws with :08 remaining in overtime to give El Monte (19-7) a 43-41 win over second-seeded South Pasadena (24-3), at Arcadia High. Nordhoff (17-8) upset third-seeded San Bernardino (25-4), 66-64, at Ventura High.