ORANGE COUNTY PREP BASKETBALL : Empire League : Katella Stays in First Place When Kennedy Can’t Find Hot Hand at End

There was little doubt as to who Kennedy High School wanted to have the ball in the final seconds Friday night at Kennedy.

Mike Keith had made five straight baskets, all on rapid-fire shots from 18 feet or beyond, to bring Kennedy back from an eight-point deficit with 1:30 to play.

As Kennedy (3-1, 9-5) moved the ball upcourt after a missed Katella free throw, trailing by one point with no timeouts and six seconds remaining, Keith was waiting for the ball.

It never reached him, and No. 5-ranked Katella held on to win, 54-53, in an Empire League game so highly charged that brawls nearly broke out three times. Katella (4-0, 13-2) took over sole possession of first.

Whether Kennedy’s Wendell Lauderdale simply fumbled the ball at halfcourt or was fouled or bounced it off someone’s foot was difficult to tell, but the seconds that passed as he scrambled to regain control kept the ball from ever reaching Keith.

Lauderdale was able to heave a desperation shot from about 30 feet as time expired--it was on the mark, but too strong, hitting the center of the backboard and caroming back into the court.

“It hurts,” said Keith, who finished with 24 points, 18 of which he scored in the second half on 9-of-13 shooting.

Kennedy, which had trailed by as many as 11, was behind by two, 53-51, when guard Danny Davidson was called for an intentional foul with 17 seconds left, giving Katella two free throws and possession.

“That was the whole turning point of the ballgame,” said John Mayberry, Kennedy coach. “There was no way we were going to make an intentional foul with 17 seconds remaining.”

Katella’s Ian Donnelly (15 points) made one of two to give Katella a 54-51 lead.

Katella’s Tom Villanueva missed the front end of a one-and-one with 15 seconds left. Kennedy rebounded and Keith made a shot form the top of the key, making it 54-53 with 10 seconds remaining. Kennedy used its final timeout, then with six seconds left fouled Richard Lucas, who also missed the front end of a one-and-one, giving Kennedy another shot.

Lucas’ free throws were the only unharassed shots he had all night, and it was largely Kennedy’s defense against Lucas that kept the Irish in the game.

Lucas, who was averaging more than 20 points a game, scored just 7. Kennedy used a 2-3 defense on Lucas, a 6-foot 6-inch center, fronting him and putting someone behind him. When Lucas moved to the high post, Kennedy went to a 1-3-1, again sandwiching him between two defenders. Lucas managed only six shots, and made but two of them, as he was either crowded or fouled on all of them.

“They did a remarkable job on him” Katella Coach Tom Danley said. “But they think that’s all we are, is Lucas.”

El Dorado 63, Loara 42--Junior forward Charles Stevens scored 17 points for the Golden Hawks at El Dorado. Senior forward Todd Eaton was the Saxons’ leading scorer with 14. El Dorado is 1-3, 5-7.

Los Alamitos 55, Cypress 48--Center Mo Warner scored 18 points and had 12 rebounds in the Griffins’ ninth straight victory. Los Alamitos (4-0, 11-3) also got 11 points and 8 assists from guard Mark Parkinson and 10 points from guard Ryan Blossey. Center Frantz Reyes of Cypress (1-3, 4-9) led all scorers with 20 points.