STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT / SOUTHERN REGIONAL : Boys Division III : Crossroads Wins, Faces Whitney Next

Santa Monica Crossroads High School advanced to the Boys Division III final of the Southern Regional Wednesday as the fast-breaking Roadrunners beat Carlsbad Army and Navy Academy, 85-71, at Carlsbad High School. The game was rarely as close as the final score would indicate. Four minutes into the contest, Crossroads had jumped out to a 17-6 lead on the hot outside shooting of guards Chris Brown and Marc Rudolph, who scored six points each in the first quarter.

By the end of the third quarter, Crossroads had built its lead to 27 at 72-45. With the game put safely away, Coach Elliot Turret inserted his second string in the fourth quarter, enabling Army and Navy to shave 13 points off the Roadrunners’ lead.

Crossroads, at least an inch taller than Army and Navy at every position, outrebounded its opponent, 54-30.

Army and Navy center Nick Markowitz ended his career as the game’s high scorer with 26 points. Brown and Rudolph led Crossroads with 20 and 18 points, respectively.

Crossroads’ opponent in the final will be Cerritos Whitney, which rallied from a 12-point third quarter deficit to defeat Laton, 63-61, in the other semifinal game at West Hills College in Coalinga.

Trailing 47-35, the Southern Section Small School champions rallied to take the lead with 12 seconds left in the game. Forward Matt Bowley made a layin off a pass from Clayton Haynes, and Whitney led, 62-61.

After Laton’s Matt Gamble missed a 15-foot jumper, Whitney’s Alex Ahn made a free throw to make it 63-61 with seconds left. Laton (18-9) had one last chance, but Roger Duinkerken’s desperation 25-footer was off the mark as time ran out.

Bowley led Whitney (23-5) with 20 points, while James Justice had 19 and 9 rebounds. Justice, with seven points, and Haynes, with eight points, led the second-half rally.

Crossroads and Whitney will play Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at the Sports Arena.