FREEWAY LEAGUE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Arias Ends Slump to Spark Fullerton

Rene Arias was not a factor in two quarters of Fullerton High School’s 76-71 victory over Buena Park. But the senior guard was the main reason Fullerton won the Freeway League basketball game Friday night at Fullerton.

Fullerton (7-11 overall, 4-1 in league play) remains tied for first place with Sunny Hills; Buena Park (8-10, 3-2) falls a game back.

It was in the game’s final minutes that Arias made his presence most felt.

Mired in an 0-for-10 second- and third-quarter shooting slump, Arias, the Indians’ leading scorer (19.5 points a game), broke out of it with the game on the line. Fullerton held a 67-65 lead but went on to outscore Buena Park, 7-2, to put the game out of reach.

Arias hit a three-pointer with 1:29 remaining to put the Indians ahead, 70-65. He followed with another basket with 1:07 remaining for a 72-67 lead.

He capped off the run with two free throws with 39 seconds remaining to put Fullerton up, 74-67. Arias, who made three of 13 shots and scored 12 points, said he was undaunted by his cold shooting performance.

“It didn’t bother me,” Arias said. “I took good shots, they just missed.”

Said Buena Park Coach Ed Matillo: “He’s (Arias) a winner. He didn’t hurt us the whole game, but when it counts he’s going to put it in.”

Buena Park’s Ray Lanier and Donyell Collins helped keep the score close, but Collins fouled out with 2:50 remaining and the Coyotes trailing, 67-63. Collins and Lanier each scored 21 points.

“It was an interestingly tight game,” Fullerton Coach Chris Burton said. “Neither team could hit the free throws enough to pull away.”

Fullerton took its biggest lead of the night, 61-52, after Jason Black hit two free throws early in the fourth quarter.