High School Basketball : Taft Trounces Reseda Behind Thomas’ Play

Taft point guard Dedan Thomas, who shattered school assist records last season, will be asked to give the Toreador offense a hand this season and pile up the points.

In Wednesday’s opener against Reseda, he supplied both.

Thomas scored 10 second-quarter points in Taft’s 84-30 win over the Regents at Reseda.

Thomas, a 5-foot, 10-inch, All-City Section point guard who signed a letter of intent last month with Nevada Las Vegas, finished with a game-high 22 points, 14 assists and 5 steals.

Gilbert Ruff, a 6-7 center who transferred to Taft from Cleveland a month ago, had 21 points. Taft junior forward Jason Deyoe added 4 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and senior forward Tony Middleton had 14 points.

The Regents, who were held to 3 points in the third quarter, had just 1 player who scored in double figures--guard Mike Basowski (13).

In other openers:

Birmingham 52, San Fernando 42--Birmingham moved into the lead for good early in the second quarter and held off a fourth-quarter charge to win the nonleague game at Birmingham.

Birmingham’s Glenn Sucich led all scorers with 17 points, 9 from the free-throw line.

San Fernando, led by forward Angel Sotelo’s 9 points, pulled to within 40-37 after 3 quarters and challenged for the lead throughout the final period.

But Sucich and Tyrone Craig--who scored 11 points--both hit 3-point jump shots and Asa Kirk scored 4 of his 8 points in the quarter to hold off the Tigers.

Danny Larson had 8 rebounds and 7 assists for Birmingham. The Braves made only 37% of their shots from inside 3-point range.

Chatsworth 65, Poly 56--Senior forward Amad Whitney scored a game-high 18 points to lead the Chancellors at home.

Whitney, a first-year player, combined with senior center Cornelius Edwards (11 points and 9 rebounds) to overpower Poly on the front line.

Chatsworth guards Rick Garrick and Sam Kim had 15 and 10 points, respectively.

Marshall 66, Van Nuys 42--Marshall outrebounded the Wolves, 36-16, in a nonleague game at Van Nuys.

Marshall made 25 of 34 free throws while Van Nuys hit just 2 of 11. Joe Eddings and Al Foster each scored 9 points to lead Van Nuys. The Wolves made 18 of 55 shots from the field.

Sylmar 64, Verdugo Hills 42--Forward Robert Flores scored 7 of his 13 points in the final quarter as the Spartans finished with a flurry at Verdugo Hills.

Guard Clarence Pattin, who scored a team-high 19 points and added 10 assists, had 6 steals in the second half.

Center Andre Robinson had 12 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks. Robert Flores and Henry Myles aided the cause with 13 and 14 points, respectively.

Verdugo Hills center Kent Purser had 25 points, but the Dons’ other starters combined for just 10.

Monroe 68, Sherman Oaks CES 61--First-year Monroe Coach Dennis King recorded his first victory as the Vikings scored 24 points in the second quarter at CES.

Senior guard Derril White scored 25 points and added 6 assists for Monroe. Kenyon Wright, a junior forward, had 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Marcus Littlejohn had a team-high 17 points for CES.

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

Grant 43, Granada Hills 41--Senior point guard Melissa Sullivan scored the go-ahead basket with 45 seconds left to give Grant a 42-41 lead, then added a free throw to clinch the win at Grant.

Grant center Shenia Smith came off the bench to score 10 points--including 4 in the fourth quarter--and had a team-high 14 rebounds. Sullivan also had 10 points.