3-A Playoffs : Laguna Hills Tops La Quinta

The playoffs have never been kind to the Laguna Hills High School boys’ basketball team. In three previous postseason appearances, Laguna Hills had not won a game.

And given the fact that Laguna Hills finished the 1988-89 regular season with a limp, losing two of its last four games and that it was playing against La Quinta, Garden Grove League champion and home of Orange County scoring leader Scott Campbell (28.9 points a game), it seemed Laguna Hills was headed for a not-so-grand slam.

But Wednesday night, Laguna Hills beat La Quinta, 72-67, by holding La Quinta to just two points in the last 5 minutes of the game. It limited Campbell, who had scored 21 points in the first half, to eight second-half points.

“What can I say, these things happen,” said Jim Perry, La Quinta’s coach. “They just played well down the stretch and we didn’t.”

Laguna Hills (16-9), which will play Corona del Mar in the second round, entered the fourth quarter leading, 59-55, but La Quinta pulled ahead a minute into the quarter on Scott Linck’s drive.

The score see-sawed with La Quinta holding its last lead at 65-64 on another Linck drive with 5:40 to play.

But La Quinta would score only once more, that on James Johnson’s follow of a missed shot. La Quinta (18-6) made just 10 of 31 field goal in the second half (32%).

Laguna Hills’ Chris Sheff, who ended the game with 17 points, made a layup off a steal to put his team up, 66-65. Though Sheff is listed as a forward he is basically Laguna Hills playmaking guard.

“The kid is a four-year varsity starter and he really showed it tonight,” said Joe Reid, Laguna Hills coach. “He’s tough.”

As is his backcourt mate, Beau Hossler, who led Laguna Hills in scoring with 19 points. With little more than a minute remaining and Laguna Hills up 69-67, Reid had his team stall to eat time. Hossler grabbed the ball and shot an 18-footer that missed badly.

“I did not want him taking that shot,” Reid said.

But Hossler hustled to get the rebound and was fouled. He made both free throws to put Laguna Hills ahead, 71-69. Sheff’s free throw with less than 20 seconds left made for the final score.

The teams combined for 99 points in the first half, with Laguna Hills taking a 45-44 halftime lead. Campbell seemed to score at will no matter how far the Laguna Hills zone extended to stop him.

“I didn’t think there was any way we would stop that guy,” Reid said.

When the zone extended too far, Campbell, who had 29, and his teammates did a good job of popping the ball inside. La Quinta center Taun Ho had nine first-half points off quick passes inside. In all, La Quinta made nine first-half field goals from five feet or closer.

“I told them we had to get around the post and into the middle if we were going to have a chance,” Reid said.