BEVERLY HILLS TOURNAMENT : Saugus Shuts Down Hall as Crespi Stumbles, 75-69

The hardwood floor of the gym at Beverly Hills High is caged and elevated, making the pit in which the teams sit look like a hockey bench.

Five-foot-high iron bars are in place to keep players from falling off the floor and into the stands, and substitutes pass through a gate as they hit the court, as if they were leaving a hockey penalty box.

In Friday night’s consolation semifinal of the Beverly Hills tournament, Crespi’s Rasaan Hall spent much of the game in his own penalty box--the Crespi bench--as a tough Saugus defense and foul trouble limited him to a season-low nine points in a 75-69 loss to the Centurions. Saugus (5-2) will face Ventura in the consolation final today at 3 p.m.

Hall, a 6-foot-4 senior forward who was averaging 27.2 points entering the game, picked up his third foul with 2 minutes 56 seconds left in the first half and left the game. Crespi (4-3) trailed at halftime, 30-23, after scoring just eight points in the second quarter.

With Hall cooling his heels, Greg Yumbar went to work inside for Saugus. Yumbar, a 6-5 senior center, scored a team-high 23 points, including nine in the fourth quarter. Yumbar also held Hall to four baskets in nine attempts.

“People don’t talk much about defense in the post,” Saugus Coach John Clark said. “It’s hard to see, but I sure do appreciate it.”

However, keyed by the perimeter shooting of guard John Curtin--who scored 27 points and made seven three-point baskets--Crespi rallied in the fourth quarter.

After a turnaround jump shot by Yumbar gave Saugus a 57-52 lead with 5 minutes 40 seconds left, Hall was called for charging, his fifth personal.

Crespi closed to within 63-60 with 2:13 left, but Yumbar scored inside, was fouled, and added a free throw to extend the lead to six. Crespi forward Randy Coleman scored on a jump shot, and, after a Saugus miss, Curtin hit a three-point shot from NBA range to cut the lead to 66-65 with 1:40 left.

Yet Yumbar again scored inside and was fouled by Coleman. Yumbar converted the three-point opportunity to keep Saugus in control.

In other games:

Royal 83, Beverly Hills 67--Greg Gray scored a season-high 27 points to lead Royal (6-1) into the championship final tonight at 7:30 against Redondo. Jared Byrne had 21 points for Royal. David Tyner added 13 for Royal.

Ventura 73, Long Beach Wilson 63--Jon Seiler scored a game-high 23 points to lead Ventura in a consolation semifinal. Randy Martinez added 16 points for Ventura.