The Preps : 4-A Basketball Playoff Roundup : O’Bannon Leads Artesia’s Victory Over Fullerton

Junior Ed O’Bannon scored 34 points to lead Artesia High School to a 74-53 victory over Fullerton in the second round of the Southern Section 4-A boys’ basketball playoffs Friday at Artesia.

O’Bannon made 11 of 17 shots and 11 of 11 free throws. He also had 10 rebounds.

Artesia (20-5) led at halftime, 32-22, but its lead was cut to 32-26 when Fullerton’s Pete Bach made a jump shot with 6 minutes 37 seconds left in the third quarter.

O’Bannon later scored nine consecutive points to give the Pioneers a 49-34 lead. The Indians could not got closer than 12 points the rest of the game.

“We let them back into the game in the second half, but we finally showed a killer instinct,” Artesia Coach Wayne Merino said. “That’s the mark of a good team.”

Sophomore guard De Andre Austin scored 10 points in the first quarter, as the the Pioneers took a 21-11 lead. Austin scored 21 points.

Bach led Fullerton (17-7) with 24 points.

Tony Clark had seven points and nine rebounds for Artesia.