PREP BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Rolling Hills Rolls Over Torrance, 89-70

If there were any questions about the identity of the No. 1 basketball team in the Bay League, Rolling Hills effectively answered them Wednesday night.

In a show of force that was quick and convincing, the Titans jumped to a 21-6 lead and coasted to an 89-70 victory over host Torrance, capturing the Bay championship outright for the third consecutive season.

“They were better prepared than we were,” lamented Torrance Coach Carl Strong, whose team dropped into a second-place tie with Inglewood at 9-4 with one league game remaining.

“They took away a lot of things we wanted to do. We got down on ourselves and they played very, very well.”

Rolling Hills Coach Cliff Warren thought one of the keys for his team was taking away the outside shooting of Torrance guard Rick Robison. The junior led the Tartars with 27 points but shot a poor nine for 30 from the floor.

“(Forward) Ron Dinnel did a good job on him, and everybody else helped,” Warren said. “It really helps if you can keep (Robison) from getting in a rhythm.”

The Titans (12-1 in the league, 21-4 overall) were never threatened after taking command early. They opened a 9-2 lead on three three-point shots by guards Steve Clover and Mark Tesar, and from there they were off to the races, building a 21-point lead in the second half.

Clover led Rolling Hills with 23 points, including four three-pointers, and contributed nine rebounds and five assists. Center John Hardy added 22 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, and Tesar scored 18, 12 coming on three-point shots.

Rolling Hills, ranked No. 1 in the Southern Section 3-A Division, closes league play Friday night at home against Palos Verdes. Torrance (14-9 overall) plays at Beverly Hills.