Brea Tournament : El Dorado Races Past Diamond Bar

The scoreboard clock wasn’t working by the time the high school basketball teams from El Dorado and Diamond Bar took the floor in the first round of the Brea-Olinda tournament Friday.

But it was irrelevant. Neither of these teams intended to waste any time clock-watching, anyway.

The means of measurement the game really demanded were a stopwatch, a radar device and a copy of Einstein’s theory of relativity.

El Dorado tore out to a 40-27 halftime lead, and when all the speeding was over, the Golden Hawks (9-1) had an 85-76 victory.

The tournament’s defending champions were, as usual, markedly shorter than their opponents.

Diamond Bar (4-2) boasted 6-7 sophomore forward Brian Hendrick, who had 9 blocked shots and 14 points, and 6-8 junior center Pat McMann, who also scored 14 points.

For added moral support, the Brahmas kept a 6-5, 230-pound player in reserve on the bench.

Around El Dorado, the definition of big is fulfilled by Herb Krapf--at 6-4, the team giant. And he fouled out, along with starting guard Eric Glade, halfway through the fourth quarter.

But with teammates like Jim Sammon (6-3 and 32 points), Dan Bailey (5-9 and 28 points) and Rob Hanna (6-2 and 15 points), why worry too much about height? Hawk Coach Terry Conley doesn’t. His first words of praise after the game were for his smallest starter, Bailey, who is fast emerging as the key to the team.

Bailey played an all-around outstanding game--scoring, making pinpoint passes and reaping a number of steals.

“Dan Bailey is playing with a lot of confidence,” Conley said. “I guess that’s why he’s the team captain.

“He does as close to our game plan as anybody on the team, and he’s shooting with a lot of confidence.”

Self-assurance is certainly required to face the opponents the Hawks tend to draw in their Brea tournament first-round games.

Last year, it was a fine Schurr team, and the two set a tournament scoring record before the Hawks earned a 104-102 overtime win.

Diamond Bar is one of the top teams in this year’s tournament, and El Dorado faces another, Fullerton, today at 4:45 p.m.

“Gene always makes sure we get a tough game in the first round,’ Conley said with a grin, referring to Brea Coach Gene Lloyd, the tournament director who is in charge of matching the teams. “But we like it that way.’

The Hawks were equal to the challenge as Sammon seemed to be at both ends of the court at once, catalyzing the fast break and pouring in 14 points by the middle of the second quarter.

Amid the frenzy of offense, neither team spent much time on shot selection or defense. The Hawks made 16 of 40 shots (40%) in the first half, and Diamond Bar trailed with 11 of 34 (31%).

And where was the defense? “There was a little,” Conley claimed.

Diamond Bar tried to shut down the Hawks in the second half, but it was like trying to flush a genie back into a bottle.

Their scheme to work the ball inside to McMann was more successful, and the Brahmas managed to draw to within six points, 59-53, in the fourth quarter before two baskets and a free throw by Bailey fended them off.

In other Brea Tournament action:

Woodbridge 84, Sunny Hills 43--The Warriors outscored the Lancers, 23-2, in the second period on their way to an easy, first-round win at Brea-Olinda High. Sunny Hills was 0 for 18 from the floor in the second quarter, with its only points coming on Robert Pearson’s two free throws.

Adam Keefe led Woodbridge (8-2) with 20 points, and Mike Murphy and Vince Bryan each added 12 points. The Lancers dropped to 2-6.

Fullerton 50, Savanna 32--The Rebels made 16 of 21 free throws but only had eight baskets from the floor in their loss to the Indians in a first-round game at Brea-Olinda. Fullerton extended its zone and pressured the Savanna guards into a poor shooting game.

The Indians (6-3) were led by Greg Wilber, who scored 15 points, and Kirk Lentze, who scored 14. Mike Campbell and Frank Smith each scored eight points for the Rebels, who dropped to 1-6.

In consolation quarterfinal action:

Anaheim 58, Sonora 51 (OT)--Tony Robuffo, who scored a game-high 28 points for the Colonists, made a basket early in overtime and Anaheim went on to make 6 of 7 free throws and outscore the Raiders, 7-0, in the extra period.

Earnest Johnston scored 19 points for the Colonists (6-3), and Mike Ewins led Sonora with 23 points. Anaheim meets Schurr today in the consolation semifinals.

Schurr 66, La Habra 60 (OT)--The Spartans outscored the Highlanders, 10-4, in the extra period to advance to the consolation semifinals against Anaheim. Damon Hayward scored 15 points and Butch Lenoue added 12 points for Schurr. Jason Reese (16 points), Tony Sciacca (13) and Tad Emrick (12) led Sonora.