SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : Division II : 6-9 Keefe Plays as Advertised; Woodbridge Defeats Kearny

The boys’ basketball players at Kearny High School had heard all about Irvine Woodbridge center Adam Keefe and what he could do to damage their hopes of advancing in the Southern California Regional Division II playoffs.

“We heard about what a great player he was,” said Randy Robinson, Kearny forward. “But we didn’t know just how good.”

Kearny found out Tuesday night. Keefe scored 31 points, grabbed 20 rebounds and dominated both ends of the court to lead Woodbridge to a 59-49 first-round victory at Mira Mesa High.

“Now we know how good,” Robinson said after the game.

Keefe, a 6-foot 9-inch center who can also play well on the perimeter, had averaged 35 points and 18 rebounds in Woodbridge’s five Southern Section playoff games the past two weeks. Last year, he was named the Southern Section 2-A player of the year.

“We were prepared to play against a guy who just posted up and took his shot,” Robinson said. “But he showed he could dribble and move without the ball. We just weren’t prepared to stop him.”

Kearny Coach Bill Peterson, however, said he felt his team was prepared and was upset afterward because the Komets didn’t perform as well as they had in recent weeks, when they upset Torrey Pines and nearly beat Madison in the San Diego Section Division II final.

“For some reason, we just didn’t play,” Peterson said. “It was one of our worst performances in a long time.”

Kearny (21-5) started slowly, turning the ball over eight times in the first half. As a result, the Komets managed only eight points in the first quarter and nine in the second to trail, 30-17, at halftime.

Keefe had only 10 points by then, but was just warming up. In the third quarter, Woodbridge scored 15 points, Keefe scoring 13 of them. Then Keefe scored the Warriors’ first six points of the fourth quarter.

By then, Kearny trailed, 51-37, and it would never get closer than 10 points the rest of the way.

Robinson, an all-county player, had 17 points and 10 rebounds but was limited in what he could do inside against Keefe.

Chris Ortiz had 14 points for Kearny, and John Williamson added 11.