Division II : Madison Defensive Adjustment Gets Offense on Road to Win

A defensive adjustment triggered an offensive outburst by the Madison High School boys’ basketball team Tuesday night, lifting the Warhawks into the next round of the Southern California Regional Division II playoffs.

Madison outscored Tustin by 25 points in the second half and drubbed the Tillers, 75-50, at Torrey Pines High School.

Next up for Madison (27-3) is a matchup Thursday night against Irvine Woodbridge, a 59-49 winner Tuesday over Kearny. Potential sites for the game are Torrey Pines, Serra and Mira Mesa.

Tied, 31-31, at halftime, Madison switched from a man-to-man defense to a zone two minutes into the third quarter.

Thereafter, the Warhawks rolled.

“Our 3-2 defense seemed to help our running game,” Madison Coach Jim Thompson said. “At first, I went to it out of necessity because our man (defense) was breaking down and we had foul trouble.”

Madison fell behind by four points in the first minute of the third quarter. But after making the defensive change, the Warhawks went on a 12-0 tear with center Jeff Alexander accounting for six.

Down by eight, Tustin rallied on a three-pointer by B. LeSean London and a baseline jumper by Leo Parker to make it 43-40.

But Madison put together an 8-2 string to close out the third period. Jeff Harper sank a three-pointer, Robby Robinson converted on a three-point play and Wesley Bertelsen broke away for a layup to give the Warhawks a 51-42 lead heading into the final quarter.

Through the fourth quarter, Madison’s zone continued to frustrate the Tustin offense and led to six fast-break baskets. Bertelsen scored three in a row during a 40-second span halfway through the quarter.

After that scoring rush, Madison led by 18. The Warhawks outscored Tustin, 24-8, in the fourth quarter and won going away.

When the Warhawks weren’t running, they went to Alexander inside. The 6-foot 7-inch senior scored 21 points in a tough matchup with the 6-6 Lewis.

“I think I responded real well,” Alexander said. “I haven’t had a chance to play against many big men in the City Eastern League. I think I handled myself pretty well.”

Lewis scored 25 points, half of Tustin’s total. No one else scored in double figures for the Tillers, who finish their season with a 24-7 record.

As usual, Madison’s scoring was spread out. Joining Alexander in double figures were Robinson with 17, Bertelsen with 14 and Jeff Harper with 13. Harper scored nine on three-pointers.