Southern Section Basketball Semifinals : Santa Ana Loses Joyce and Then Game, 76-61

Simi Valley High School, the Times’ No. 1 team since early in the season, reached the championship game of the 4-A division for the second time in three years by beating Santa Ana, 76-61, in a fight-marred semifinal playoff game Tuesday night at Chapman College.

The Pioneers (25-3) led, 33-32, at halftime but went on a 15-2 run to open the third quarter to take control. Forward Shawn DeLaittre led the way with a game-high 22 points, and center Don MacLean added 16 before fouling out with 2:30 left to play. Butch Hawking had 15 points.

“We didn’t play very good tonight,” MacLean said. “If we didn’t get the best of the incident (Santa Ana’s leading scorer, Bobby Joyce, was ejected), the outcome might have been different.

“I don’t like looking at the downside, but if we don’t play better, we are not going to win Saturday (in the final). But it was a good test of our character that we didn’t play well and still won by fifteen.”

The incident in question occurred with 5:39 left in the third quarter with Simi Valley leading, 43-34. Joyce, who averaged 24.2 points a game in the regular season, was ejected for his part in a fight at midcourt along the sideline. Both coaches argument with the officials before order was restored, and the Saints (26-4) were left without their leading offensive weapon. They were also without George Tuioti, their first front liner off the bench, for the entire game because of a arm injury.

Forward Oscar Wilson led Santa Ana, which was outscored, 21-7, in the third quarter, with 17 points. Joyce finished with 11.

Simi Valley will play the winner of tonight’s game between Capistrano Valley of Mission Viejo and Santa Barbara for the title Saturday at the Sports Arena.

At West Torrance High, Kennedy of La Palma got 27 points from Michael Keith and 24 from his brother Maurice and beat Rolling Hills of Rancho Palos Verdes, 83-80, in triple overtime, in a 3-A semifinal. Kennedy trailed, 40-17, but was able to come back and tie, 58-58, with 3:48 left.

Kennedy (21-7) will face the winner of tonight’s Tustin-Palos Verdes game in the finals.

In the 1-A division, Bell-Jeff of Burbank, the No. 1 entry from the Santa Fe league, made it to the finals with a 60-52 win over L.A Baptist at North Hollywood High. The Guards play Beaumont, which beat Cathedral, 51-46, in the finals.

Mitchell Butler, who scored 50 of North Hollywood Oakwood’s 55 points in a quarterfinal game, scored 29 points to lead the Gorillas into the Small Schools finals with a 57-45 win over Boron at Tehachapi High School.

In Southern Section girls’ action, Candice Boyd completed a three-point play with 56 seconds remaining in overtime to lift Lynwood into the 4-A division finals with a 64-63 win over Santa Barbara at Compton College.

Linda Watson scored 23 points, and All-Southern Section guard Trise Jackson added 18 for the Lady Knights, who entered the playoffs as the No. 3 seeded team. Shannon Frowiss led Santa Barbara, the No. 2 seeded team, with 22 points.

The Lynwood win sets up a rematch with Inglewood Morningside, which beat Ventura Buena at Ventura College, 64-60. Lynwood and Morningside each won in two meetings this season.

All-Southern Section forward Shaunda Greene led Morningisde with 26 points, and 6-5 sophomore center Lisa Leslie added 23. Point guard Mary Klemm led Buena with 15.

In the 3-A division, Palos Verdes beat El Toro, 45-41, and will face playoff surprise Los Altos, a 54-46 winner over Capistrano Valley, in the final. Saturday, Los Altos upset top-seeded Brea-Olinda.

At Irvine High, Woodbridge rallied from a 10-point third-quarter deficit to advance to Friday’s 2-A championship game with a 51-49 overtime win over Ontario.

Ontario had the ball a chance to win with five seconds left in overtime but could not get a shot off before the buzzer. Kathy Millat, a senior forward, and Randee Mahony, a senior guard, had 15 points each for Woodbridge (25-5). Maria Devon, a senior guard, had a game-high 17 points for Ontario (24-4).

Ontario will face 2-A power Chino, a 55-50 winner over Arroyo Grande, in the finals.

In the 1-A division, top-ranked Cerritos Valley Christian got past previously undefeated Santa Ynez, 67-60, and will face Santa Clara, which beat Banning, 56-47, in the 1-A finals.

Trona, a 40-32 winner over Hesperia Christian, and Lone Pine, a 49-34 winner over Hemet Baptist Christian, will meet in the Small Schools final.