State Playoff Roundup : Buechler Leads Poway Over Muir, 77-74

Poway High School’s Jud Buechler scored 31 points Tuesday night as the Pointers defeated Muir, 77-74, in Southern California Regional Division I play in San Diego State’s Peterson Gym.

“He was exceptional as usual,” Poway Coach Neville Saner said. “We had some trouble with their pressure, but he always found a way to deal with it.”

In the second half, Buechler was tied up offensively by Muir’s quick defense. So Poway went inside to Johnson who responded with 11 second-half points and 24 overall.

Poway led 70-60 with 1:40 remaining when the Mustangs started forcing some turnovers with their full-court press.

A jumper by Derek Brown closed the gap to 74-72 with 19 seconds remaining, but Muir could get no closer. Brown was whistled for a technical foul for fouling Andy Byrne as he attempted to take the ball in, and Buechler hit the free throw to make it 75-72.

In Boys’ Division I action:

Fresno Edison 76, Marshall 54--The long and successful run of the Marshall closed after one too many one-man performances.

Simon, the City scoring champion, had yet another award-winning effort, scoring a game-high 33 points. But the Barristers, who won the City 3-A title last Friday with a great team effort, had little in the way of a supporting cast in Tuesday’s quarterfinals.

Fresno Edison, however, was not stuck looking to one star almost every time down the court, and that paid off as the Tigers got 23 points from guard David Barnett, 18 from guard Andre Sims and 17 from forward Charles Ross to defeat Marshall, 76-64, before a partisan hometown crowd of approximately 4,000 at Fresno City College.

Among the interested reviewers on hand was Mater Dei Coach Gary McKnight, whose Monarchs (29-0) play Edison (23-5) in the semifinals Thursday night at Cal State Fullerton.

In Girls’ Division I action:

Delano 54, San Pedro 32--Delano (27-0), champion of the Central section, moves on to play Southern Section 4-A champion Lynwood on Thursday night at Mayfair High School in Lakewood.

Whereas Delano proved its merit as a Division I school, San Pedro proved that it probably belongs in a lower division.

“I don’t believe the (City) 3-A should be in Division I,” San Pedro Coach Joseph Orona said. “We can’t compete with teams like Lynwood and (Pasadena) Muir.”

On Tuesday, it was more of question of being able to keep up. Delano’s fast break ran circles around San Pedro, which could not get closer than 11 after falling behind 16-4 in the first quarter.

After San Pedro scored the first basket for its only lead, Delano got its break going. The Tigers’ offense was led by guards Susan Lowry and Melanie Wallace. Lowry had eight points and six assists in the first half, with most of the assists coming off of baskets by Wallace, who had all of her 12 points in the first half.

Lowry and Monique Fortson led Delano with 16 points.