PREP WRAPUP : Time for Yet Another Flap as St. Bernard Nips Serra

What would a basketball game between St. Bernard and Serra be without a little controversy?

The rivalry that gave us the “Egg Toss” and “Pin the Spitwad on the Coach” in the 1980s kicked off the ‘90s with another intriguing subplot. Title the latest episode “Beat the Clock.”

Playing before a typically boisterous capacity crowd at St. Bernard, Serra had the ball and trailed by one point with three seconds showing on the clock when it called time out Friday night.

One referee, however, ruled that the clock had been started late after St. Bernard center Wyking Jones missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw with five seconds left. The referee ruled that time should have expired before Serra called time out, giving St. Bernard a 60-59 victory.

The decision, as could be expected, touched off a heated debate on the court. Serra Coach Dwan Hurt angrily confronted the referee, as did several Cavalier fans. But it was the correct call. The St. Bernard timekeeper fell asleep at the controls, allowing several seconds to elapse before restarting the clock after Jones’ missed free throw.

St. Bernard guard Martin Smith rebounded the ball and missed a short shot. In the scramble for the rebound, Serra came up with the ball and called time out. But it was obvious, from the amount of action that had taken place, that more than two seconds had elapsed.

In the locker room, Hurt explained his postgame tirade.

“I wondered how (the referee) could watch the clock and watch the players on the court at the same time,” he said. “But I’m not going to make a big beef about that. We had our chances to win it. The ball just didn’t fall for us at the end.”

St. Bernard Coach Jim McClune sympathized with his colleague.

“I’d do the same thing if I was him,” he said. “Sometimes you have to grasp at straws.”

It was a frustrating defeat for Serra and Hurt, who is now 0-3 against St. Bernard in two seasons as head coach.

“I’d prefer to lose by 20 points than by one,” Hurt said. “These games are tough. Last year we came here and lost by three.”

Although Serra gave up several inches in height across its lineup to St. Bernard, the Cavaliers used quickness and superior outside shooting to take the lead late in the third quarter. Guard Kenny Davis scored nine straight points, including a three-point shot at the third-quarter buzzer, to stake Serra to a 50-43 lead early in the final period.

“I really felt this was going to be our night,” Hurt said. “In the second half when Kenny started taking over, I said, ‘This is our game.’ ”

Hurt’s assessment proved premature.

St. Bernard, behind the play of 6-foot-7 Jones and 6-4 junior forward Rick Famuyiwa, started hitting the offensive boards in the fourth quarter and tied the game, 57-57, on a follow shot by Famuyiwa with 2:10 left. After the teams traded baskets, Famuyiwa put the Vikings ahead for good, 60-59, by making one of two free throws with 1:12 left.

Jones and Famuyiwa paced St. Bernard with 17 and 16 points, while Serra’s Davis led all scorers with 21. The Vikings improved to 7-5 overall and 2-0 in the Camino Real League, while Serra dropped to 5-5 and 1-1.

Friday’s controversial ending was nothing new for the St. Bernard-Serra rivalry.

A few years ago, Coach McClune accused Serra students of spitting on him during a loss at Serra. In the rematch at St. Bernard, an egg was thrown into the Serra rooting section.

The teams meet again Jan. 27 at Serra. Stay tuned.

Palos Verdes basketball Coach John Mihaljevich says injury and illness have prevented his team from living up to preseason expectations. Based on a strong summer, the Sea Kings were rated a Bay League title contender.

But after opening league play this week with lopsided losses to Hawthorne, 67-38, and Santa Monica, 83-53, the forecast is considerably dimmer.

“I’m not very happy with our progress,” said Mihaljevich, whose team fell to 6-7 overall. “We’re nowhere near being thought of as a contender.”

Knee injuries to forwards Art Shell and Scott Wilson stunted Palos Verdes’ development in early games. Then the flu bug hit, reducing the team’s practice turnout during Christmas vacation.

“A couple times we only had five or six players at practice,” Mihaljevich said. “With a young ball club, it sets you back.

“Since the end of summer, we haven’t gotten back to where we were.”

Judging from the opening week’s results, there appears to be a changing of the guard in the power structure of the Bay League.

Rolling Hills, Inglewood and Torrance, the top three teams last season, are all 0-2. Leuzinger, which was fifth last year, and Hawthorne and Santa Monica, which tied for sixth, are among four teams tied for first at 2-0.

Rolling Hills guard Steve Clover sank six three-point shots Friday night in a 74-70 loss to Leuzinger to move into position to eclipse the CIF-Southern Section record for career three-pointers.

Clover has 223 three-pointers in his three-year varsity career, putting him one behind record-holder Tracy Murray of Glendora, now a freshman at UCLA.

Clover, who has 75 three-pointers in 14 games this season, figures to break the standard Tuesday night when Rolling Hills plays at Inglewood.

Mira Costa’s basketball team will take a six-game winning streak and a 2-0 Ocean League mark into its most demanding week of the young season.

The Mustangs, who opened league play with easy wins over West Torrance and South Torrance, play host to Centennial (2-0 in league play) on Tuesday, play at North Torrance on Thursday and return home Friday night to confront league favorite Morningside (11-3, 2-0). All three games start at 7:30 p.m.

This is the moment of truth for Coach Glenn Marx’s much-improved team. The Mustangs are 8-3 overall.

Miraleste opened the Alpha League basketball season impressively this week with victories over Marshall Fundamental, 92-74, and Maranatha, 75-74. Senior swingman David Terrell had 28 points and 14 rebounds against Marshall, and 25 points against Maranatha.

“He was incredible,” Miraleste Coach Todd Mirsky said of Terrell, who is averaging 21 points a game for the 6-7 Marauders. “Offensively we’ve had our ups and downs, but he’s been so consistent.”

Miraleste plays host to L.A. Baptist at 7 Tuesday night in a key game.

Kevin Fitzpatrick, the tough runner who quarterbacked South Torrance to a second-place finish in the Ocean League football race, is providing the same spark for the Spartan soccer team.

Fitzpatrick scored four goals Tuesday in a 5-3 Ocean League win over North Torrance and he came back Friday to tally the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Mira Costa, helping the Spartans improve to 6-5-3 overall and 2-1 the league.