Simi Wins by Only 3 in Vegas

The reputation of the Simi Valley High basketball team must have grown with every mile it took the Pioneers to get to this city.

The director of the Eldorado High Basketball Tournament, in which Simi Valley is participating, was wondering aloud before Wednesday’s opening-round game just how well some of Las Vegas’ better teams would match up with one of Southern California’s top high school teams.

How would their seven-foot center play? What colleges were recruiting him?

He had his answers in a few hours.

Simi Valley is good, but still not good enough to be considered one of the top teams in Southern California. The Pioneers (6-0) had to struggle to beat Bishop Gorman, 76-73, in the first round.

And that seven-foot center? Well, Don MacLean is only 6-8 and he isn’t being recruited because he’s only a sophomore.

So much for pre-tournament hype.

MacLean did live up to some of the buildup, scoring 23 points and pulling down 16 rebounds, both game highs.

But while the Pioneers’ big man had the big statistics, Simi Valley can thank a 5-10 point guard with a bad back for this victory.

Todd Johnson, a senior southpaw who missed the Pioneers’ previous four games with a pinched nerve in his back, kept his nerve when the going got rough Wednesday night.

Johnson, who gave the Pioneers the lead for good with a 15-footer, a steal and a layup at the end of the first quarter, hit two free throws with 37 seconds left in the game and his team clinging to a one-point lead.

Nothing new said Pioneer Coach Bob Hawking.

“He has a lot of heart. He’s just a clutch player,” Hawking said. “He’s hit free throws like that for us before. Whenever the pressure is on, he seems to respond.”

Tippy Wilcox and Travis Bice also were perfect on their free throw attempts in the game’s last 20 seconds.

Wilcox gave the Pioneers a 74-71 lead with 17 seconds left when he made two free throwns, and after Bishop Gorman’s Charlie Hansen responded with a basket, Bice sealed the win with a pair of free throws with only four seconds left.

Simi Valley, which shoots just less than 80% from the line, made 26 of 33 free throw attempts.

“Good free throw shooting is kind of a tradition with this team,” said Johnson, who finished with 14 points. “Everyone on the team likes pressure.”

The Pioneers trailed early in the game, but rallied behind Johnson to take a 16-13 lead after the first quarter.

Simi Valley led, 36-28, at the half and 60-49 early in the fourth quarter as MacLean scored 13 in an eight-minute stretch.

Bishop Gorman came back on the shooting of reserve guard Todd Nicro to quickly cut the lead.

Nicro, who didn’t score in the first half, hit his first four jumpers in the fourth quarter--all from long range. He finished with 11 points.

The victory moved Simi Valley into the championship quarterfinals against Eldorado, the tournament host.

The Sundevils, last season’s Nevada 3-A champions, are 4-1 and coming off a win last week over Bonanza, Nevada’s top-ranked team.

Eldorado had a bye in the first round.

Bishop Gorman (2-4), the 3-A champion two years ago, was led in scoring by guard Paul Ernst with 19.

Shawn DeLaittre joined MacLean and Johnson in double figures for Simi Valley with 14.

In an earlier game, Crescenta Valley, led by 25 points from Harvey Mason, defeated Chaparral of Las Vegas, 69-57.

Crescenta Valley, one of three other California teams in the tournament, will play Cedar City of Utah in second round action tonight at 6.

SIMI VALLEY--DeLaittre 13; Gates 9; MacLean 23; Hankins 9; Bice 4; Johnson 14; Wilcox 4.

BISHOP GORMAN--Hansen 13; Sylvain 12; Williams 7; Ernst 19; Othick 4; Nicro 11; Toti 3; Soares 4.