Southern Section Basketball Tournament : La Mirada Eliminates Laguna Hills : Hawks Overpowered by 6-3 Center in Wild-Card Game

Guard Rick Kawada scored 11 points and forward Mike Smedes added 10 Wednesday night, but it wasn’t enough as host La Mirada High School defeated Laguna Hills, 60-50, in a Southern Section 2-A Division wild-card basketball game.

Laguna Hills, forced into the wild-card game after finishing in a tie for second place in the Pacific Coast League with Trabuco Hills, finished 13-12. La Mirada, the Suburban League’s third place team, is 8-13. La Mirada had not won in two previous wild-card bids. The Matadors play No. 2-seeded Blair (19-5) Friday night.

Senior guard Scott Ray of La Mirada led all scorers with 20 points, but it was the play of 6-foot 3-inch center Robert Stephens that enabled the Matadors to advance. Stephens, the two-time Times All-Southeast football center who has signed to play at BYU, had 12 rebounds and effectively stopped Laguna Hills’ inside game. He also scored 10 points, including three consecutive free throws midway through the final quarter that sealed La Mirada’s victory.

“He played better than I thought he could and that was a key,” said Dave King, Laguna Hills coach.

After a slow start by both teams, La Mirada gained a 21-9 lead with six minutes remaining in the half.

But Laguna Hills countered with a 14-6 rally to pull within four points at half, 27-23.

The Hawks opened the third quarter with a full-court press and turned three Matador turnovers into baskets in the first four minutes.

A pair of free throws by guard Chris Sheff tied the game, 32-32, with 3:26 remaining in the quarter.

Two minutes later, Laguna Hills had its first lead, 37-36, when Center Greg Nelson converted a three-point play.

Laguna Hills led, 42-40, with 7:31 left.

But that’s when the Matadors, using Stephens’ superior strength under the basket, took charge.

After a Stephens rebound, forward Robbie Ward tied the score at 42-42 with 6:40 left. A 15-foot jump shot by Ray 28 seconds later after a Laguna Hills’ turnover gave the Matadors the lead for good. From there, La Mirada ran off a 16-8 run.

“We couldn’t convert free throws and that hurt us,” King said. “We weren’t sharp tonight. We played very tentatively.”

In girls’ 3-A wild-card action:

Magnolia 60, University 41--Dawn Boram scored 31 points and had 10 rebounds and 5 steals to lead the Sentinels (19-6). Center Katie Donica added 22 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks. Magnolia led, 32-19, at halftime, and 50-30 after three quarters. Magnolia will play San Gabriel Saturday.

In 2-A wild-card action:

Orange 69, San Marino 50--Orange forward Suzette Sargeant scored a season-high 37 points to lead the Panthers at home. Sargeant also had a season-high 19 rebounds. Orange (12-10) advances to the first round where it will play Walnut (19-5). Alicia East added 12 points and 10 rebounds for Orange. Karyn Cranston had 18 points for San Marino.