SOUTHERN SECTION BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : 4-A Division : Santa Ana’s Youth Finally Shows in Loss to Simi Valley

Santa Ana High School’s basketball team has spent much of this season pretending it didn’t matter that its’ starting lineup consisted of two sophomores, two juniors and only one senior. Off the court, the Saints compared notes about new whiskers and driving tests. On it, they made like a bunch of upperclassmen.

For the most part, they pulled it off. They entered Tuesday night’s CIF Southern Section 4-A playoff game against Simi Valley with a 20-6 record left more than a few opponents thinking that maybe this whole age thing is relative.

But Simi Valley wasn’t fooled. The Pioneers have a few youthful faces in key places themselves, so they weren’t about to be taken in by Santa Ana’s masquerade.

Sophomore center Don MacLean scored 18 points, including eight in the fourth quarter, to help the Pioneers hold off Santa Ana for a 63-53, second-round win in front of 1,200 spectators at Orange High School.

The Saints led twice in the first half, but never quite got caught up. Santa Ana cut the Pioneers’ lead to 57-53 with 40 seconds remaining, but Mike Hankins and Steve Jenner combined to make 6 of 6 free throws in the final 33 seconds to preserve the win for Simi Valley (25-2).

Eric Turner, Santa Ana’s lone senior starter, led all scorers with 22 points. But Turner’s younger teammates forced a few ill-advised shots and failed to take advantage of some Simi Valley foul trouble. Youth, it appeared, finally caught up with the Saints.

“We took some bad shots,” Santa Ana Coach Greg Coombs said. “I don’t know if that’s from youth or just getting caught up in the (playoff) excitement.

“But when you get into this big of a game, you can’t afford silly turnovers or bad shots. They become magnified.”

Pioneer Coach Bob Hawking said he saw a few similarities between his team and its opponent.

“They’re young in spots like we are,” he said. “But they’re a good team. We had no fantasies that this was going to be a blowout.”

Simi Valley had a 29-24 halftime lead and scored the first six points of the second half to go ahead, 37-25. Turner got the Saints back in it with seven points in the last five minutes of the third quarter and Simi Valley entered the fourth quarter with a 41-36 lead.

MacLean picked up his fourth foul with 3:59 to play, but then scored on a turnaround jumper and a driving layup, the latter giving the Pioneers a 53-45 lead with 2:49 remaining. The Pioneers were 12 of 20 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, but made the ones that mattered most in the final minute.