ORANGE LEAGUE ROUNDUP : No Showdown at Brea, So Walker’s 34 Spark Wildcats Past Western
Basketball fans came to Brea-Olinda High School Wednesday night to get a glimpse of two of Orange County’s top scorers--the Wildcats’ Keith Walker and Western’s Sam Sabbara.
They went home only somewhat disappointed.
Walker, the county’s leading scorer with a 34.1 average, scored 34 points to lead the No. 8 Wildcats to a 63-51 victory over Western in an Orange League game.
Sabbara never got the chance to improve his 25.4 average. He’s sidelined with the chicken pox for the next two weeks.
Western Coach Greg Hoffman said his team had trouble getting on track without Sabbara, a 6-foot-1 guard and three-year varsity player.
“He’s worked four years for this,” Hoffman said. “He’s the heart and soul of our team. What he gives us emotionally is worth 30 points.
“But Brea beat us. Give them credit.”
Most of the credit went to Walker, a 6-6 senior forward. He made 10 of 17 shots, including six of eight in the second half, and was 12 of 12 from the free-throw line.
“How many points did he have?” Wildcat Coach Rick Jones asked. “He kept his average up. He scores more points that I don’t know about.”
Jones said he was relieved to get the win. The Wildcats improved to 15-3 overall and took over sole possession of first place in the Orange League at 3-0. Western dropped to 11-5 and 2-1.
Jones said the game “would have been entirely different” had Sabbara played.
“I hate to see Sabbara out,” Jones said. “I feel sorry for Western. But I’ve watched Sabbara for three years. He’s a good, tough competitor and he’ll be back.”
Sabbara watched from the bleachers as Brea-Olinda had streaks of 6-0 and 7-0 to build a 19-9 lead in the first quarter. The Wildcats led, 36-24, at halftime and Western never came closer than eight in the second half.
With Sabbara out, Western’s scoring responsibilities went to center Robbie Shelton, who finished with 27 points. He scored 20 in the second half, including nine during a late flurry in the fourth quarter as Western chipped away at a 19-point deficit.
“If Shelton would have played the whole game like he did in the fourth quarter,” Hoffman said, “we would have been in there.”
In other Orange League games:
Valencia 53, Magnolia 41--Richard Tibbie scored 12 points to lead a balanced scoring attack for the Tigers (7-11, 1-2) at Magnolia.
David Gomez scored 11 points and Jason Bae 10 for Valencia. Robby Hargis scored 14 points for Magnolia (5-10, 0-3).
Savanna 71, Anaheim 50--Ben Smith had 26 points to lead visiting Savanna, which led 40-20 at the half. Danny Castro scored 21 for Anaheim (6-8, 1-2).