SOUTHERN SECTION BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : 5-AA BOYS : Saddleback’s Quickness Overcomes Millikan’s Height Advantage

Don’t tell Saddleback High School Coach Pat Quinn that basketball is a game for big men, because his Roadrunners are short.

But Quinn’s players have quickness, and Millikan High School has the footprints on its back to prove it.

Saddleback (18-11) ran the Rams (20-8) out of the 5-AA playoffs Friday night with a 65-61 victory at Millikan.

“I’ll take the quick guy over the big guy,” Quinn said, “The height disadvantage doesn’t bother us, and the kids take it as a challenge.”

Saddleback’s front line, its average height less than 6-foot-3, looked up at Millikan’s two 6-foot-5 forwards and two 6-foot-8 centers.

“We gave away inches all over the place,” Quinn said, “But our big guys played great tonight, and I was surprised that we were able to play a power game.”

Forward Jim Galbert had 13 points to go along nine rebounds and six steals, and center Marco Gomez added 10 points and a team-high 19 rebounds.

Saddleback outrebounded the Rams, 49-41, and also made 24 steals.

Guard Andre MacFarlane had five steals and scored a game-high 23 points. MacFarlane’s two layups following steals highlighted a 15-3 burst over the final 6 minutes 30 seconds of the second quarter to give Saddleback a 32-25 halftime lead.

Saddleback threatened to blow the game open starting the second half with eight unanswered points to build the lead to 50-33 at the end of three quarters.

After Saddleback’s switching defenses frustrated the Rams into shooting 25% from the field for the first three quarters, Millikan made its last gasp by outscoring the Roadrunners, 15-5, in the first 3:39 of the fourth quarter.

Millikan employed its seldom-used press to force numerous Saddleback turnovers, sparking the Ram rally.

Pat Thacker led the charge, scoring 12 of his team-high 17 points in the fourth quarter, but the team’s 28-point final period wasn’t enough.