Valley Shortcomings Exposed in Setback to No. 1 Santa Monica

Late in the first half of a 100-73 loss to Santa Monica College, Valley Coach Jim Stephens leaned back in his chair, raised his arms and looked skyward as if to ask: Joey Manliguis, where are you when I need you?

Manliguis, a freshman guard from Cleveland High, left the team last week because of academic problems, and his playmaking and scoring skills were sorely missed against the Corsairs, the top-ranked team in the state by the J. C. Athletic Bureau.

It is doubtful, however, that Manliguis could have plugged all of the leaks that developed for the Monarchs in the Western State Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at Santa Monica.

“I don’t know why we played so bad, but it didn’t have anything to do with missing Joey,” Stephens said. “We acted like they were superhuman beings.

“I didn’t expect to win, but I didn’t expect to be embarrassed, either.”

Santa Monica (27-3, 12-0 in conference play) won its 15th consecutive game and clinched the title in the WSC Southern Division.

Valley (17-11, 7-4) opened the game with only six players in uniform--forward Gerald Franklin did not arrive until five minutes into the first half.

“That was another distraction,” Stephens said. “It’s just one thing after another. I’m very frustrated.”

So were his Monarchs.

Santa Monica scored 10 unanswered points to open the game and Valley did not score until Oral Elrington made one of two free throws with 16:15 left in the half.

The Corsairs, forcing numerous turnovers with a full-court press, increased their lead to 18-1 before Tory Stephens made Valley’s first field goal with 12:51 remaining in the half.

The Monarchs committed 20 first-half turnovers and 28 overall.

“We were terribly intimidated right off the bat,” Jim Stephens said. “Santa Monica just keeps coming after you and they never quit.”

Valley trailed, 50-26, at halftime, and fell behind by as many as 32 points early in the second half.

Tory Stephens led the Monarchs with 29 points, making 10 of 24 field-goal attempts. He also led Valley with eight rebounds.

Sergio Peralta, filling in for Manliguis, missed his only two field-goal attempts and was held scoreless.

Keith Amerson led Santa Monica with 20 points and reserve Troy Batiste added 17.

“I told the players this game was a bad dream,” Stephens said. “It’s over with. Forget about it.”