Moorpark Opens Big Lead, Coasts to Victory

Moorpark College didn’t get a bye in the Southern California regional of the state basketball tournament, but it received the next best thing Saturday night when it had to play only one good half to dispose of Orange Coast.

Call this one a half-bye for Moorpark because it was goodby to visiting Orange Coast after it fell behind by 19 points at the end of the first half in a 75-64 loss.

“I wasn’t real pleased with our second half,” Moorpark Coach Al Nordquist said. “I thought we let down in the second half just thinking it was over.

“The key to our defense is intensity, quickness. . . . In the second half, we had guys going half-speed.”

Moorpark had that intensity in the first half, when it harassed Orange Coast into six-of-24 shooting from the field and flustered the Orange Coast ballhandlers into numerous turnovers.

Moorpark’s Sam Crawford swished a three-point shot as time ran out in the first half, but it was Crawford’s fellow guard, Roger Thomas, who did more of the damage in Moorpark’s 40-21 getaway.

Thomas scored 11 points, including nine in a row as Moorpark built a 10-6 lead to 19-9. Thomas finished with 15.

In the second half, Moorpark center Greg Taylor began to assert himself, scoring eight of his 10 points and grabbing 13 of his game-high 16 rebounds.

Orange Coast (14-14) managed to close the gap to 60-51 with less than six minutes remaining, but Taylor answered with a rebound basket and Moorpark’s lead never dipped below 10 thereafter.

Crawford scored Moorpark’s last seven points of the game and finished with a game-high 20 despite a subpar shooting performance.

“I was just trying too hard,” said Crawford, who had 12 assists. “I came out and took two or three shots from the three-point line I don’t usually take.”

Mike Wagonner scored eight consecutive Moorpark points midway through the second half, finished with 12 points and was the Raiders’ only other double-figure scorer.

Alan Schlines, Orange Coast’s 6-foot-7 center, banged inside for 15 points and 13 rebounds. Forward Scott Destafano tied Schlines for team scoring honors with 15, but Orange Coast’s starting guards never found the groove in shooting a combined four of 16 from the field.

Moorpark (22-10) moves into the sweet 16 of the regional and will travel to fourth-seeded Antelope Valley Wednesday night.

The game will feature two of the preeminent point guards in the state, Crawford and Dedan Thomas.

Crawford was hampered by foul trouble in the teams’ first meeting, an 81-66 Antelope Valley victory.