CIF ROUNDUP : El Segundo’s Seefried Saves Best for Last in Win Over Verbum Dei

Tate Seefried of El Segundo High School knows you shouldn’t hide talent under a bushel. Instead, you should find the proper time and place to show it off.

Seefried bombed visiting Verbum Dei with 16 points in the last three minutes Wednesday night, after staying mostly incognito for three quarters, to lead El Segundo to a 74-60 Camino Real League victory.

Seefried’s scoring spree began after Verbum Dei’s Keith Neal hit a short bank shot with 3:45 left in the fourth quarter to cut El Segundo’s lead--which had evaporated from a 17-point margin at the half--to 55-53.

Seefried then scored the first of seven unanswered points on a fall-away jumper and a free throw. Seefried added another soft jumper, a three-pointer, and eight more free throws to put Verbum Dei away down the stretch.

He led all scorers with 24 points and helped El Segundo (11-8 overall, 5-2 in league) improve its winning streak to five games and move into sole possession of third place in the Camino Real League behind St. Monica and St. Anthony.

Seefried transferred from the state of Washington for his senior year to showcase his ample baseball skills at El Segundo, a Southern California prep powerhouse in that sport. But the 6-foot-3 pitcher-first baseman has proven he’s a decent basketball player this season as well.

“Tate is a clutch player,” El Segundo Coach Rick Sabosky said. “Down the line, he’s something special. It seems like every game we need a free throw, the guy goes to the line and nails it.”

El Segundo shooting guard Scott Panfil scored 21 points, including a pair of three-pointers. Center Ken Talanoa added 11 points and 13 rebounds for El Segundo.

El Segundo held a 36-19 lead moments into the second half after a Seefried free throw. But Verbum Dei (6-9, 3-4) came storming back for 23 points in the third quarter behind the three-point shooting of point guard Aaron Lauderdale.

Lauderdale hit four three-pointers in the second half to lead Verbum Dei with 19 points. Center Joseph Bertrand added 17 for Verbum Dei, mostly on soft turnaround jumpers inside the paint.

“Our game plan was to shut off the guy in the middle (Bertrand),” Sabosky said. “But then No. 12 (Lauderdale) got hot and we didn’t get to him soon enough.”

St. Monica 85, St. Bernard 72--John McFarland, a 6-foot-6 forward, scored a game-high 33 points to lead the Mariners to a Camino Real League win at St. Bernard.

St. Monica, tied for first place with St. Anthony at 6-1, opened an 18-17 lead in the first quarter and extended it to five at halftime and 10 at the end of the third quarter.

St. Bernard (9-8 overall), which dropped into fourth place at 4-3, was led by center Wyking Jones with 20 points. Forward Rick Famuyiwa had 17 and guard Martin Smith added 14.

Mira Costa 73, West Torrance 47--Center Mike Ashenfelter, healthy again after suffering from the flu the last two weeks, scored 13 of his 15 points in the first half as the Mustangs coasted to an Ocean League victory at Mira Costa.

Forward Chris Davis also scored 15 and pulled down 15 rebounds for Mira Costa, which attacked the inside successfully with its taller front line.

The Mustangs (12-5 overall) stayed in a second-place tie with Culver City at 6-2. West fell to 0-8 and 2-14.

Redondo 69, South Torrance 59--Forward Scott Denhart and guard Emmett Richardson each scored 19 points and helped the Sea Hawks take control in the fourth quarter en route to an Ocean League victory at South.

Redondo (5-14 overall, 3-5 in league play) outscored the Spartans, 22-12, in the fourth quarter to snap a three-game losing streak. South fell to 5-13 and 2-6.