El Camino Will Attempt to Keep It Going Against No. 1 Artesia

Ray Johnson, the El Camino boys’ basketball coach, realizes his team is not supposed to beat top-seeded Artesia tonight in the Southern California Regional Division II semifinals.

After all, Artesia is ranked No. 1 among Division II schools in the state and includes perhaps its best player, Ed O’Bannon.

But El Camino did pull out a three-point victory over University City in the San Diego Section finals, then came back from the dead to beat Compton Tuesday night in the regional quarterfinals.

A team of destiny?

“We’re starting to feel that way,” Johnson said. “We have a lot of dedicated, gutsy kids. I think they almost feel like they’re supposed to win.”

Johnson said that was definitely the attitude Tuesday after Compton’s Derick Florence had apparently ended the Wildcats’ season on a jump shot with two seconds left.

“They had the presence of mind to call a timeout,” Johnson said. “Everybody was listening very intently in the huddle. They were not blaming anybody for letting (Florence) get the shot off. I felt like we were going to get something good.”

They did--an 18-foot jumper just inside the three-point line from Travis Gilley after a tip by Dee Boyer.

“Dee had been fumbling the ball all game, so we knew he could tip the ball,” Johnson said.

El Camino then proceeded to outscore Compton, 19-5, in overtime. But Johnson is aware that Compton is not Artesia. And he knows his team cannot make 22 turnovers, as it did Tuesday, and still win.

“That is definitely something we won’t get away with again,” Johnson said.

Although Artesia guards DeAndre Austin (16 points a game) and Chris Thompson (eight assists a game) are talented, Johnson’s biggest fear is O’Bannon, a 6-foot-8 senior forward who averages 25 points and 10 rebounds.

Johnson said he will put 6-5 forward Shaun Scurry, instead off 6-8 Boyer, on O’Bannon.

“He’s too quick for Dee,” Johnson said.

Tonight’s game begins at 7:30 and will be played in Artesia’s 1,200-seat gym.

Christian High is the only other boys’ team remaining and will play host to Paramount Brethren, the Southern Section Small Schools runner-up, in a Division V semifinal at Granite Hills High.

Brethren twice beat Valley Christian, which defeated El Camino earlier this season. Chyron Hart, a 6-3 forward, is Brethren’s leading scorer at 16 points a game.

Like El Camino, the Mt. Carmel girls appear as if they will be overmatched tonight in a Division I semifinal at Morningside High, the state’s top-ranked team by Cal-Hi Sports.

Morningside is led by Lisa Leslie, the subject of an article in Sports Illustrated last month after she scored 105 points in one half of one game. She averaged 26 points during the regular season.

Mt. Carmel Coach Peggy Brose said she will use the same defense against Leslie that held Newhall Hart’s 6-3 center Sara Wilson--The Times’ 1989 Valley player of the year--to nine points in a victory Tuesday.

“We’ll probably put Tara Schwerin (5-6) in front of Leslie and put Kris Grazzini (6-2) behind her,” Brose said. “I’d like to force her away from the basket and make her beat us with 15-footers instead of layups.”

Brose said she doesn’t expect her team of overachievers to be intimidated by Morningside.

“I think we’re too young to know that we’re supposed to be scared,” Brose said.

Mt. Carmel starts two sophomores, a junior and two seniors.

The Point Loma girls will play host to fourth-seeded La Quinta, the 4-A Southern Section champion. La Quinta is led by Amy Jalewalia, the state’s second-leading scorer at 30 points a game.

Jalewalia, a 6-2 center, played on Trepanier’s Blue Star All-Star team last summer.

“She’ll give us fits,” Trepanier said.

Point Loma’s star, Tyeast Brown, averaged 24 points but has scored 27 per game over the past seven.

Holtville, the section Division IV girls’ champion, will travel to Santa Maria to play St. Joseph at Hancock College.