SOUTHERN SECTION BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : 3-AA BOYS : Brea-Olinda Cruises Past El Dorado

Midway through its Southern Section 3-AA playoff game against El Dorado High School Friday night, Brea-Olinda seemed content just to control the game.

Brea forward Keith Walker had scored his average for a half, 16 points, at the half and Brea led, 36-29. Nothing spectacular for the Wildcats, the tournament’s second-seeded team.

“I told them at halftime that I thought it was going to be a five- or six-point game,” Brea-Olinda Coach Rick Jones said.

But Jones didn’t foresee what was to come.

In a four-minute stretch, Brea (22-5) outscored El Dorado, 16-0, and all-but assured what was to be an 80-60 victory in front of a capacity crowd at the Brea gym. During the run, point guard Rodney Stewart scored eight points on drives to the basket and Walker added six.

“I thought it was going to be a little closer,” Jones said.

“In that third quarter, they didn’t handle Rodney Stewart too well.”

Stewart finished with 10 points and Walker, the county’s leading scorer, had a game-high 31 points. Walker, a 6-foot-6 senior, also had 16 rebounds as Brea dominated the boards.

Brea-Olinda’s Fritz Wickman also had eight rebounds to go with his 10 points. The Wildcats outrebounded the Golden Hawks (15-11), 44-18.

El Dorado’s two best players--Mike Bradach and Jerome Facione--who averaged 21 and 18 points, respectively, during the regular season, both were slowed by foul trouble.

Facione got his fourth foul with 2:24 remaining in the third quarter and Bradach picked up his fourth with 5:52 remaining, and fouled out 10 seconds into the fourth quarter with six points. Facione scored 23 points to lead the Golden Hawks.

Consecutive baskets by Facione late in the third quarter ended Brea’s 16-0 run.

Brea extended a 15-10 first-quarter lead to 10 by using a patient half-court game and strong offensive rebounding. El Dorado cut the lead to seven at the half as Brett Tomko scored six points in the three minutes.