El Camino Stays Close but Falls to No. 1-Ranked Artesia, 74-70

Artesia’s 1,200-seat gym was a prime setting for a big-time blowout.

UNLV Coach Jerry Tarkanian was courtside to watch Artesia star Ed O’Bannon. The lights were lowered before the game, a la UNLV’s Thomas and Mack Center, and the red-clad Artesia crowd sounded more like 12,000 people.

The El Camino Wildcats didn’t spoil all the fun for No. 1-ranked Artesia Thursday night in the Southern California Division II Regional semifinals--they lost, 74-70--but they definitely made Artesia and its fans sweat a little.

In its past 14 games, all victories, Artesia’s closest margin was 24 points.

“A lot of people thought we were going to come up here, and they were going to whup us,” El Camino Shaun Scurry said.

O’Bannon had his customary big game--30 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks--but the blowout just didn’t happen.

“I know not many people believed we could come in here and beat these guys, but kids believed they could win the game,” El Camino Coach Ray Johnson said. “We proved they were human.”

El Camino (23-7) trailed almost the entire game--its last lead was at 5-3--but it kept hanging around and actually had a couple chances to gain control early in the second half.

After trailing, 34-30, at halftime, El Camino closed to within 41-38 on a Dee Boyer layup with 5:38 remaining in the third quarter. Then the Wildcats fell behind by seven, but Heath McCoy’s jumper and free throws put El Camino within three at 1:44.

“We could just never seem to get over the hump,” Johnson said. “We couldn’t get that one break that we needed.”

And it couldn’t get its shooters, Glen Ankton and Travis Gilley, going. But most of that was caused by the tough pressure defense of Artesia guards Chris Thompson and DeAndre Austin.

Gilley, averaging 22 points, made two for 12 field goals and finished with 10 points.

Ankton, averaging 18, was a miserable one for 13 from the field.

“With a player like O’Bannon behind them, they can get up on you and play pretty aggressively,” Gilley said. “I kept trying to get a three-pointer, but they just wouldn’t go down. It got frustrating.”

Although Gilley and Ankton struggled with their shooting, they pressured Austin and Thompson into numerous turnovers and helped out with O’Bannon inside.

Meanwhile, McCoy and Boyer took over the shooting duties. McCoy came off the bench to score all 14 of his points in the second half, and Boyer had a team-high 17.

El Camino trailed, 53-44, after three quarters and fell behind by 12 before cutting the lead to 66-60 with 1:20 remaining. O’Bannon made six consecutive free throws in the last minute to give Artesia (27-2) a 70-60 lead with 45 seconds left.

But Jeff Reeves and McCoy hit three-pointers, and Gilley hit two free throws after a steal to make it 72-68 with 20 seconds left. Then Austin hit two free throws with 13 seconds remaining to seal it.