Torrid El Camino Keeps on Winning : JC basketball: The Warriors’ fourth straight playoff upset topples West Valley of Saratoga, 97-90. Two more and they will be state champions.

So much for state basketball rankings and playoff seedings. El Camino, seeded 23rd through the South Regional playoffs and unranked in the state, has once again proven that neither is very credible.

On Thursday, the Warriors (24-10) defeated West Valley of Saratoga, 97-90, in the quarterfinal round of the state tournament at UC Irvine’s Bren Events Center.

That gave El Camino a four-game playoff winning streak and snapped a seven-game West Valley win streak.

The Vikings (29-3), winners of the Golden Gate Conference, were the North’s top-seeded team, ranked No. 5 in the state. El Camino is the South’s fourth-seeded team.

“That’s the best team we’ve played all year,” said West Valley Coach Bob Burton. “They shot the ball so well, better than anyone we’ve seen.”

Burton also praised El Camino’s fierce defense, which caused his team to commit a season-high 21 turnovers.

“We turned the ball over 11 times in the first half,” he said, “but the reason for turning the ball over was their defense. They really had a lot of effect on us.”

Playing in a big arena, both teams looked nervous at the start. They exchanged the lead through most of the first half, but the Warriors took charge with a 10-point run that put them ahead, 38-27, with 2:14 left.

West Valley got two baskets and a free throw before the break, but El Camino took a comfortable 44-32 halftime lead on a Darius Dubose three-pointer at the buzzer.

El Camino’s offense came out firing in the second half. With 13:27 left, a lay-in by forward Jamal Ross put the Warriors up 60-43. Three minutes later, a 15-footer by guard Frank Beatty gave El Camino a 23-point lead.

A confident El Camino bench proceeded to slap high fives as though celebrating a victory.

That’s when West Valley’s offense, which had shown little signs of life, made itself known.

The Vikings went on a 17-point run to cut the lead to five points with 6:05 left to play.

“I told them they were celebrating too early,” said El Camino Coach Ron McClurkin. “I told them, ‘This is a championship team and they’re here to play.’ ”

El Camino regained a more comfortable lead, 91-81, after a pair of free throws by Ross with 1:39 left.

“They made a run,” said El Camino guard Larry Lockley, “and we showed character in not letting them overcome us. We showed championship quality.”

Lockley led the Warriors with 21 points. Ross had 19, sophomore forward David Keeter 18, Beatty 14 and Dubose 10.

Four West Valley players scored in double figures. Sophomore guard Wiley Thomas led the pack with a game-high 23 points. Guard Craig Holt, who will play at Loyola Marymount University next year, had 22 points and freshman forward Keith Gibbs had 19.

El Camino will meet Rancho Santiago in tonight’s 8 p.m. semifinal.