SOUTHERN SECTION BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES : BOYS’ 4-A : Capistrano Valley Loses Title in Overtime, 70-64

The best Capistrano Valley High School could do late in its Southern Section 4-A championship game Saturday night in the Sports Arena was to tie Simi Valley.

Capistrano Valley fell behind in the first 30 seconds of the game and, though it pulled even with Simi Valley three times in the second half, it had just one fleeting moment in the lead. And the Cougars lost, 70-64, in overtime before a crowd of 10,944.

Simi Valley (27-3) advances to next week’s state Division I tournament. It was the Pioneers’ second 4-A title game appearance in the past three seasons.

Capistrano Valley (26-5), which had its 19-game winning streak snapped, must hope for an at-large bid to the state tournament.

Pairings will be announced today.

Once it fell behind, Capistrano Valley seemed to be on a treadmill. The Cougars trailed by as many as 12 points midway through the second quarter and managed to pull to within 37-36 at halftime. The Cougars then managed their brief lead, 38-37, seconds into the third quarter.

It lasted only long enough for Butch Hawking, a senior guard, to hit one of his four three-point baskets.

After that, the best Capistrano Valley could manage were ties.

The most significant came courtesy of a Charles Lockard free throw with 12 seconds left in the game that sent it into overtime, 60-60.

Lockard, a sophomore guard who scored 18 points, drove the lane and tossed up a bank shot as he was fouled by Simi Valley’s Shawn DeLaittre.

The officials ruled that DeLaittre fouled Lockard before he shot, discounting his basket and awarded him a one-and-one opportunity instead.

The basket would have given Capistrano Valley the lead, 61-60. But after Simi Valley called timeout, Lockard made the first and missed the second.

“It was just a tough call,” Capistrano Valley Coach Mark Thornton said. “Maybe it was the correct call. I don’t know.”

Capistrano Valley’s defense the primary reason the Cougars were able to stick with the Pioneers, the 4-A’s top-ranked team since the season began.

The Cougars “held” Don MacLean to 28 points, below his 31.9-point average. MacLean, a 6-foot 10-inch senior center, made only 7 of 20 shots from the field and never really showed the form that makes him one of the most-sought after players in the state.

DeLaittre, a 6-5 senior forward who averages 22.1 a game, was also held down. He had 15 points and was 4 of 15 from the field.

However, MacLean made 14 of 16 free throws and DeLaittre 7 of 9.

“Our plan was to let 23 (Gerald Pickett) and 12 (Darren Aurand) shoot it,” Thornton said. “We always wanted to keep one man in front and one behind (MacLean). I have to credit Steve McCaughey on his defense.

“Coming into the game a lot of people said we would get beat. We may not have won, but we sure as heck were just as good.”

Trailing, 56-50, with 3:15 left in regulation, the Cougars mounted a comeback. Lockard made a jumper and Scott McCorkle, who had 13 points, added a layup to cut it to 56-54 with two minutes left.

After a basket by MacLean, McCorkle scored on a three-point play--a layup and free throw--to cut it to 56-54 with 1:00 left.

But Todd Marinovich fouled Hawking with 42 seconds left. Hawking made both free throws to give Simi Valley a 60-57 lead.

However, it was Marinovich’s fifth foul. He left the game with a team-high 20 points, including three three-pointers.

Lockard countered with a driving layup over MacLean. And after DeLaittre missed a one-and-one at the other end, he made his drive to the basket.

Once in overtime, DeLaittre scored to give Simi Valley a 62-60 lead with 1:21 left. Hawking and MacLean each made four free throws as Capistrano Valley was never able to mount a challenge.

“They forced us into some turnovers, but we showed some character tonight once they caught us,” MacLean said.