SOUTHERN REGIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : Division II : El Camino Puts Clamp on Murphy and Phillips

Steve Heard scored 15 points and Nate Reed, Ken Crawford and Randy Hale each added 10 as Oceanside El Camino beat Murphy, 58-45, Wednesday in a Division II Southern Regional game at Cal State Dominguez.

El Camino (26-3) will play Hacienda Heights Wilson Saturday in the final.

El Camino’s strong inside play stopped Murphy’s Arthur Phillips, a 6-foot 9-inch center, who blocked nine shots but scored only four points.

Heard, a 6-4 junior forward, Reed (6-7) and Crawford (6-6) all teamed to make the going tough for Phillips.

Hale, a 5-10 guard who outplayed Murphy ballhandler Andre Gougis, controlled the Wildcats’ patient offense.

“It was a good team effort,” said El Camino Coach Ray Johnson. “Nate Reed came out and gave us what we needed in the beginning, and as long as we knew we could play ball with him (Phillips) we were OK.”

Reed found no problems with Phillips. “At the beginning of the game, I just took it at him,” Reed said. “I realized that I could score on him.”

El Camino hit 22 of 26 free throws; Murphy was 9 for 16 from the line.

The Wildcats’ defense was effective throughout, particularly in the first half. They forced several turnovers at midcourt with pressure.

El Camino, San Diego Section 2-A champion, led by only a a point at the end of the first quarter but limited Murphy to only six points in the second and held a 26-18 advantage at the half.

Kenyata Kalysana, who scored Murphy’s first six points, finished with 14, but he picked up three fouls in the first half and fouled out with 3:42 remaining.

Reed had freedom inside against the awkward Phillips and had nine points in the first half, while Heard had seven.

Murphy, the Southern Section 2-A champion, finished 20-8.