THE BIG GAME : Barons Break 100-Point Mark in Win

It used to be a whole lot easier to keep score of a high school boys’ basketball game. But nowadays, with the three-point shot and high school kids watching on TV as teams such as Loyola Marymount, Oklahoma and Arkansas run up scores like a bad round of golf . . .

Bonita Vista defeated Chula Vista, 102-80, in a Metro Conference game Friday at Bonita Vista. Or was it 100-81? Or 100-82?

A discrepancy in at least three books being kept at courtside occurred in the furious paced third quarter, resulting in a five-minute delay as officials tried to sort things.

The discrepancy didn’t amount to much because Bonita Vista had either a 16-, 17- or 18-point lead and dominated play from there. Officially, the Barons won 102-80.

Bonita Vista, by the way, prides itself on defense. Said Coach Jim Conlin before the season: “The running game is not our style. We want to push the ball up the court, but we’re working on our patience. We want to work on getting the good shot.”

After the lopsided victory, Bonita Vista’s seventh in nine games this season and second against Chula Vista, the preseason favorite to win the Metro Conference, Conlin was reminded of those remarks.

“We’re still trying,” Conlin said. “It’s tough when Chula Vista comes in. They like to run and shoot. That’s their game. I think we had the patience when we needed it.”

Chula Vista forced the pace early, taking a 10-5 lead in 1:58 with Andy Duran scoring seven points, Donnie Edwards making a free throw and sophomore Jerome Green making a spectacular two-hand slam after a midcourt steal.

Bonita Vista’s David Rusk then hit a three-pointer and Green an 18-foot off-balance jump shot to make the score 12-8, Chula Vista.

Over the next seven minutes, however, the game belonged to Bonita Vista as the Barons went on a 26-3 run to take control with 5:12 left in the second quarter.

Bonita Vista led, 44-29, at the half, and officially, 73-59, at the end of three quarters. The Barons, who were fifth in the county in scoring defense, allowing 51.7 points per game before losing to Castle Park, 90-78, on Wednesday, reached the 100-point mark with 1:11 when Rusk made both ends of a one-and-one free-throw situation.

Point guard Mike Barnett, who led Bonita Vista with 24 points, added two free throws with 38 seconds left. Center Rope Perry had only three points in the first half, but finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds.

“We couldn’t miss early,” Barnett said. “We played good as a team, which we hadn’t been doing.”

Chula Vista (5-4, 2-2) was led by Green with 32 points. Bonita Vista (7-2, 3-1) had defeated Chula Vista, 77-60, in the championship of the Hilltop Tournament earlier this month.