Dominguez Shuts Down Whitlock in Second Half; Loara Loses, 83-75

Despite 32 points by senior Tes Whitlock, Loara lost to Dominguez, 83-75, in a Division II-AA playoff game Friday at Dominguez High.

Whitlock, who had 21 points in the first half, was held to two field goals and six free throws in the second half. The Dons switched from man-to-man defense in the first half to a double-team on Whitlock.

“Dominguez got smart in the second half and forced me to shoot from half court,” said Whitlock, who finished his prep career with 2,096 points in 83 games (25.2 points per game).

Loara Coach Ed Prange said: “Tes went crazy in the first half when Dominguez used a straight man defense, but when they double-teamed him in the second half he was finding the open man but he couldn’t find the shots.”

Dominguez (16-8) plays Sunny Hills (18-7) on Tuesday.

“We played really well in the first half, and we never quit when we were 12 points behind in the second half. Dominguez just played better,” Prange said.

Loara (12-13) trailed by six in the final five minutes. Ten consecutive points by Dominguez in a two-minute span, however, gave the Dons a 78-64 lead.