MacLean Hits 20 Free Throws as South Wins

Don MacLean scored 35 points, the last two from the free-throw line with two seconds remaining, to give the South a 132-130 win over the North in the Ventura County all-star basketball game Friday night at Ventura High.

MacLean rebounded Butch Hawking’s missed three-point attempt and was fouled by Mike Sandoval. MacLean, Simi Valley High’s All-American center and the Southern Section 4-A Division Player of the Year, made just 7 of 23 field goal attempts, but scored 20 points on free throws. He also had a game-high 13 rebounds.

With the score tied, 123-123, MacLean scored six of the South’s final nine points. He finished with 15 points in the fourth quarter.

The North had tied the score, 130-130, with 21 seconds left on Craig Rasmussen’s 15-foot jump shot.

Calabasas’ Jon Drezner scored 21 points for the South and Westlake’s Bill Fassl added 18 and nine rebounds.

Ventura’s Joe Paul led the North with 26 points and Ventura teammate Chris Hantgin added 18.

The North led, 73-66, at halftime behind 12 points by Paul and 13 by Buena’s Sandoval. The South, however, led by Westlake’s Kevin Logan, scored 41 third-quarter points. Logan scored 13 points in the quarter and finished with 10 rebounds for the game.

The North never trailed until 5:15 remained in the third quarter when Kevin Martin’s three-point shot gave the South an 87-85 lead.

The South trailed only once after that, 124-123, but consecutive baskets by MacLean and Drezner gave it a three-point lead with 1:30 left.

Channel Islands’ Andy Beltowski led the North with 11 rebounds and Andy Wagoner of St. Bonaventure had eight rebounds and three blocked shots.

Other scorers for the North included Shawn Kirkeby (17), Sandoval (15), Rasmussen (14) and Jeff Hereford (10).

Top scorers for the South included Logan, who had 20 points, Agoura’s Dave Corridori (12) and Martin and Hawking, who both scored 10 points.

The North made 8 of its first 14 shots to lead, 19-11, but the South closed to within 36-30 by the end of the first quarter.

The North made just 5 of 15 free throws in the fourth quarter and finished 25 of 43 overall.