2-A Playoffs : Keefe Again Dominates as Woodbridge Defeats Cabrillo, 77-51

No, Adam Keefe did not score 47 points again. Yes, the Woodbridge High School center did dominate a playoff game again.

Woodbridge (20-5) overcame an uneven first quarter to defeat Cabrillo, 77-51, in the second round of the Southern Section 2-A boys’ basketball playoffs.

Keefe, who scored a career-high 47 points in the first-round game against Elsinore, scored 32 points Tuesday night and had 17 rebounds. He is averaging 39.5 points and 19.5 rebounds in this season’s playoffs.

The younger and smaller Cabrillo team kept the score close through much of the first half, trailing, 14-10, after the first quarter and pulling to within two points, 16-14, early in the second quarter.

Cabrillo, the Los Padres League co-champions who started an all-junior lineup and matched 6-foot 3-inch James Loggins against 6-9 Keefe, was helped by six Woodbridge turnovers in the opening period.

“You can’t give anyone six extra shots and not have it be a problem,” Woodbridge Coach Bill Shannon said. “We were all right once we quit throwing the ball away.”

The Warriors opened the game up midway through the second quarter and were never threatened again, taking a 37-23 halftime lead.

In addition to 18 first-half points by Keefe, the Warriors were helped by perfect three-point shooting by forward Rob Lee. Lee, the only other Warrior to score in double figures with 14 points, hit 4 of 4 three-pointers in the first half.

“I was surprised when they started hitting the three-pointers like that,” Cabrillo Coach Glenn Abrahamsen said. “He (Shannon) must be very pleased with the way the rest of the team supports Adam.”

But there is no question that Keefe is the centerpiece of the Warrior team. With just five minutes remaining in the game, Keefe--who had twisted his right ankle in the second quarter but didn’t seem to be bothered by it--turned into a human highlight film.

With all his teammates looking for him under the basket and the Woodbridge fans yelling “Dunk it!” Keefe made three straight baskets to give his team a 67-45 lead. Two of the scores came on dunks, including one on a beautiful cross-court assist by Rob Lee.

That was Keefe’s curtain call. With 3:01 on the clock, he came out of the game for the first and only time, leaving behind an impressed Cabrillo crowd.

“It sure was fun to watch him play,” Abrahamsen said.

Woodbridge’s man-to-man defense was successful in taking away Cabrillo’s fast break and limiting its offense. The Conquistadors had taken 75 shots in their opening game, but took just 35 against Woodbridge.

Joaquim Harris scored 16 points for Cabrillo and Loggins and Scott Vigil each added 10.

The victory marks the third straight season that Woodbridge has won 20 or more games.

Woodbridge will play La Canada in Friday’s quarterfinals. La Canada defeated Artesia, 60-57, Tuesday night. Cabrillo, which was 1-21 last season, finished 13-10.