EMPIRE LEAGUE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Loara’s Whitlock Gets 54 Points but Los Alamitos Wins, 93-91

Tes Whitlock of Loara High School scored 54 points--tying the third-highest single-game total in county history--but it wasn’t enough to defeat Los Alamitos in an Empire League game Friday night. Los Alamitos held on to win, 93-91, at home.

“We held him to 54?” Los Alamitos Coach Steve Brooks said. “I don’t think you can stop him (Whitlock). But hopefully you can control him better than we did.”

Whitlock, noting that the Griffins tried to force him to his left with a man-to-man defense, said, “I don’t think anyone in this county can (stop me). I go both ways. I guess they know that now.”

Whitlock, a senior guard, had 30 points in the first half, and although Loara (12-3, 1-2) led by as many as 15 points, Los Alamitos rallied to cut its halftime deficit to 47-46.

The Griffins fell behind, 89-81, after Whitlock hit a free throw with 3:42 remaining. It would be his last point of the game, however.

Robert Conlisk’s rebound and subsequent basket after a missed layup by teammate Steve Sargeant with two seconds remaining gave Los Alamitos (13-5, 3-0) the victory. Conlisk finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds.

Said Brooks: “I jokingly told my players before the game, ‘I don’t care if he (Whitlock) gets 60 (points), as long as we win.’ ”

Dick Stricklin, the Golden West College women’s basketball coach, scored 54 points in a game for Huntington Beach in 1954.

Atop the county records is Arthur Worthy, who scored 58 points in a game for Huntington Beach in 1910. Mark Wulfemeyer had 55 points for Troy in 1974.

ONE-GAME LEADERS

Top one-game scoring performances in Orange County high school basketball history:

Player, School Year Pts 1. Art Worthy, Huntington Beach 1910 58 2. Mark Wulfemeyer, Troy 1974 55 3. Tres Whitlock, Loara 1990 54 3. Dick Stricklin, Huntington Beach 1953 54 5. Tim Gergen, Rancho Alamitos 1966 53 5. Tom Lewis, Mater Dei 1983 53 5. Mike Goff, Magnolia 1987 53 5. Scott Campbell, La Quinta 1989 53