KATELLA KLASSIC : Western Has Off Night, Loses, 70-39

For the past three weeks, the Western High School boys’ basketball team turned hustle and hard work into 10 consecutive victories--tops in Orange County.

Saturday night, hustle didn’t cut it as Western lost, 70-39, to Long Beach Millikan in the championship game of the Katella Klassic at Katella High School.

For Western (10-1) it was a big-time plummet.

“We played very well for 10 straight games,” Western Coach Greg Hoffman said. “But these are only high school kids. When they fell, they fell hard.”

Certainly, no team challenged Western as Millikan did Saturday. Before the game, Hoffman said he was concerned about the Rams’ quickness, height and tenacious defense, and all proved true.

Although they played well in the first quarter--the Pioneers matched Millikan basket for basket, ending the quarter tied, 12-12--the second quarter signalled the beginning of the end.

Millikan (12-3) outscored Western, 16-7, on six points each by Jamie Davis and Dante Powell. Then Western became plagued by shots that bounced in and out of the net, several turnovers and mental mistakes.

Still, the second half did in Western. Trailing, 28-19, entering the third quarter, the Pioneers did not make a field goal until midway through the fourth when Josh Byrd scored inside.

By that time, though, Millikan was putting on a show and took a 54-27 lead.

Before Byrd’s basket, Western had missed 20 consecutive field-goal attempts.

The Pioneers finished six of 31 in the second half, 13 of 61 (21%) in the game. Millikan shot 27 of 52 (52%) from the field.

“I’m not unhappy with my players,” Hoffman said. “Millikan’s the best team we’ve played--definitely.”

In the third-place game:

Katella 66, Inglewood 60--Roger Arias (22 points), Vince Encarnacion (12), Kevin Carlson (11), Brian Carlson (11) and Eric Martinez (10) all scored in double figures for Katella. Encarnacion made six of seven free throws in the final minute.

In the consolation championship:

Servite 52, Bishop Montgomery 47--Adam Anderson scored 25 points for the Friars, who led, 24-23, at halftime. Greg Jacobus had 15 points and Bill Butier 14 for Bishop Montgomery.