Royal Shakes Off Shooting Problems in 1st Half to Shoot Down Simi Valley

The so-called art of shooting a basketball perhaps never looked as difficult as Royal High made it appear during the first half of its 59-55 win over Simi Valley in a Marmonte League game Wednesday night.

Twenty-eight times the Highlanders tossed the ball toward the rim. Three-point shots. Jump shots in the key. Layins.

Clank. Clank. And more clanks.

Twenty-five of those shots missed their target and Coach Joe Malkinson could only grin as he stood in front of Royal’s Rim-Benders at halftime.

Of course, Malkinson’s ability to have a sense of humor was aided by the fact that his team, which didn’t reach double figures until 2 minutes 47 seconds remained in the first half, still trailed by only five, 23-18.

“We told them some things, which you probably can’t print, in order to calm them down a little,” Malkinson said with a laugh. “I mean, what else can you do? When you’re three for 28, it’s like you’re shooting a medicine ball.”

The approach worked wonders for Royal, which hit 15 of 24 shots in the second half. Yet the Highlanders (13-7, 4-4 in league play) did not secure their third win in the past four games until Kevin Hambly hit both ends of a one and one to give Royal a 58-55 lead with nine seconds to play.

Simi Valley’s Gordon Stolla missed a hurried three-point shot with three seconds left and Royal’s David Tyner (14 points) added a free throw with two seconds to play.

Royal entered the fourth quarter trailing Simi Valley, 37-36. But Tyner hit the first of four three-point shots by the Highlanders in the quarter, giving them their first lead, 39-37, with 7:40 left. Brett Osterhoudt (11 points) added two three-point baskets.

“That was a big turning factor,” Simi Valley Coach Dean Bradshaw said. “It’s tough to get out there and defend those threes.”

That’s because Royal has Hambly and Jared Byrne, a pair of 6-foot-7 seniors, under the basket.

Michael Crawford, who sat out the first quarter for disciplinary reasons, scored 18 points in the second half and finished with 20 for Simi Valley (8-11, 3-5).