VALLEY COLLEGE TOURNAMENT : Balance the Key in Valley Win

The Valley College tournament has so far served as a coming out affair for Steve Ward, the former All-Southern Section scoring machine from Calabasas High.

Ward, a 6-4 Valley sophomore who redshirted last season, scored a game-high 25 points Wednesday night as Valley defeated Pasadena, 115-84, and advanced to the tournament championship.

The Monarchs (8-5) will play Hancock (13-2), a 106-95 winner over Ventura on Wednesday, for the tournament title tonight at 8.

Ward followed Tuesday night’s 26-point performance against East Los Angeles with another stellar outing.

“I’m shooting probably better than I ever have since high school,” said Ward, who missed last week’s Glendale tournament because of strep throat. “I was looking for someone to guard me the second half, but it seemed like nobody was.”

Ward, however, wasn’t the only Monarch who had a big night in what Valley Coach Jim Stephens called his team’s best performance of the season.

Freshman guard McArthur Wells came off the bench to score 19 points. Andre Harrell, a redshirt sophomore guard who transferred from West L. A., had 18 points and Shelton Boykin added 16.

Valley’s depth was apparent in the first half when five players scored in double figures, enabling the Monarchs to lead by as many as 19 points.

“Tonight our players played with intensity and enthusiasm and it showed in their effort,” Valley Coach Jim Stephens said. “We have the depth that can enable us to keep coming at other teams.”

Ward and Wells each scored 12 points in the first half, but the key player for Valley was forward Shawn DeLaittre, a sophomore transfer from Simi Valley High and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo who began the game on the bench.

Valley was ahead, 50-39, with 5:07 left in the half when DeLaittre scored seven points--on two free throws, a short turnaround jump shot and a three-point shot from the top of the key--that spurred a 10-2 run and put the Monarchs in front, 60-41 with 2:55 left. DeLaittre finished with 16 points.

Pasadena (10-8) pulled to within 80-66 in the second half, but the Lancers never really launched a serious threat.

Stephens, however, made a serious prediction after watching his team’s impressive performance.

“I think this group has the potential to be the best team I’ve ever had if they can keep playing like this and not their their egos get in the way,” Stephens said.

Forwards Ken Lawson and Chris Jones each had 16 points for Pasadena.

In other tournament games:

Hancock 106, Ventura 95--Hancock advanced to the tournament championship game behind the play of guard Tonito Colon, who scored 22 of his game-high 27 points in the first half.

Lester Neal scored a team-high 22 points for Ventura, which will play Pasadena for third place at 6 tonight.

East L.A. 87, Citrus 79--Freshman Mario Nava led East L. A. with a game-high 24 points as the Huskies advanced to the consolation championship game.

Nava scored 13 of his points in the first half as East L. A. forged a 37-36 halftime lead.

Fred Mack led Citrus with 22 points.

L.A. City 126, Trade Tech 73--Anthony Thomas scored a game-high 26 points as L. A. City advanced to the consolation championship.