PREP WRAPUP / Rob Fernas : Hot Opponent, Coach’s Ploy: Either Way, El Segundo Lost

Was El Segundo High ambushed by a hot team?

Or were the Eagles victims of a coach’s bush-league ploy?

Both issues were raised Friday night after top-seeded Laguna Beach scored a convincing 67-55 victory over El Segundo in the semifinals of the CIF Southern Section 2-A basketball playoffs at Rolling Hills High.

El Segundo Coach Rick Sabosky gave Laguna Beach credit for playing a better game, but he criticized Artist Coach Ed Bowen for remarks made before the game concerning Kenny Talanoa, El Segundo’s 6-foot-5, 230-pound center.

Sabosky said Bowen called an impromptu meeting to warn both referees that Talanoa was “a dirty player” and should be watched closely.

While it is debatable what effect, if any, Bowen’s warning had on the way the game was officiated, Sabosky took exception to the allegation.

“It was a bush move,” he said. “He planted a seed with the refs.”

Sabosky said he told Talanoa to be careful about picking up fouls.

Asked what effect this could have had on his team, Sabosky replied: “I thought we played a little soft at the start.”

Laguna Beach, employing a tough full-court press and shooting well from outside, opened a 31-19 halftime lead. El Segundo never recovered.

Talanoa, who led all scorers with 26 points on 12-of-15 shooting, said he was surprised when told about Bowen’s pre-game remarks.

“I don’t understand where he comes off saying I’m a cheap-shot artist,” Talanoa said. “I’ll give them all my game films. I play a physical game. My brother (Scott, a former El Segundo center) plays the same way. That’s how I was taught to play.”

Bowen apparently was concerned about reports of rough play in El Segundo’s 80-63 quarterfinal-round victory Tuesday over Orange Lutheran.

“He said Kenny put two Orange Lutheran guys out of the game, and sent one to the hospital,” Sabosky said.

Asked about the charges, Talanoa replied: “I don’t know what he’s talking about.”

A reporter who attended Tuesday’s game at West Torrance could not remember any such events involving Talanoa.

The senior, who recently signed a letter of intent to play football for Hawaii, said only one referee’s call angered him Friday night. On the play, Talanoa was called for setting an illegal screen.

“I set the screen and the (Laguna Beach) guy ran over me,” he said. “I fell backwards and the referee called it on me.”

For the game, Laguna Beach made 18 of 23 free-throw attempts. El Segundo converted nine of 12 tries. Of course, the difference in free throws can be attributed, to a large degree, to the fact that El Segundo fell behind and pressed late in the game, drawing more fouls than usual.

“We had to make adjustments when we got 10, 12 points down,” Sabosky said. “We’re not a full-court pressing team. We haven’t been all year. But either you press or you throw in the towel.”

Almost everyone agreed that it wasn’t El Segundo’s night.

The Eagles turned the ball over frequently against Laguna Beach’s press, they had trouble shooting from the outside and they didn’t pass the ball as well as in their first two playoff games.

“We made a lot of mental errors,” Sabosky said.

On the other hand, everything Laguna Beach touched turned to gold.

“It was their night,” Talanoa said. “Everything they did was right. Everything they threw up went in. Some of their players told me that was the best game they’d played all year.

“My team played hard and wanted to win, but things just didn’t work out. I think if we played them again, we would beat them. I know we’d beat them.”

El Segundo finished the season with a 15-14 record. Laguna Beach, which meets St. Joseph of Santa Maria in the 2-A final Saturday morning at 9:45 at the Sports Arena, improved to 22-5. Center Dain Blanton led the Artists with 24 points, including 15 in the second half to stave off El Segundo’s comeback efforts.

For the second time in three years, Chadwick suffered a heartbreaking loss to Brethren of Paramount in the Southern Section basketball playoffs.

Brethren held on for a 64-63 victory Friday night in the 1-A semifinals at Miraleste High. Two years ago, Brethren came from behind to beat the Dolphins, 58-57, in a wild-card game.

Chadwick’s chance for revenge was dealt a blow with 3:03 left to play when forward Larry Williams, the Dolphins’ leading scorer and rebounder, fouled out with his team ahead. Williams scored a team-high 23 points.

Brethren went on a 6-2 run to the tie the game, 62-62, and eventually won it on short jump shot by Chiron Hurt with 44 seconds left to account for the final score. Chadwick’s Chris Gordon missed a shot in the waning moments.

The Dolphins, who were gunning for their sixth appearance in a CIF final, finished with a 19-9 record. Brethren (18-8) will play Faith Baptist for the 1-A crown Friday night at an alternate site.

The Palos Verdes boys and South Torrance girls soccer teams each advanced to the Southern Section 4-A semifinals with victories Friday.

Sophomore Brian Durbin scored two goals to lead visiting Palos Verdes past Marina High of Huntington Beach, 3-0. The Sea Kings (27-2-2), defending 4-A champions, lost a coin flip Saturday and will travel to face another Huntington Beach school, Edison (15-5-5), at 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Rachel Barmann’s goal on a head shot with seven minutes left was the difference in South’s 1-0 quarterfinal victory over second-seeded Upland. South (18-5-1) lost a coin flip and will play Tuesday at El Toro (19-3-3).