SOUTHERN SECTION BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : DIVISION II-A : Balanced Woodbridge Holds Off San Marcos

This isn’t Woodbridge High School basketball as you remember it. Adam Keefe no longer dominates the paint with his rugged inside play that earned the Warriors trips to the Southern Section tournament in 1987 and ’88.

This is a team of balance, a team of perimeter shooters who rely on finesse and quickness. And it’s a team keeping up with tradition.

The third-seeded Warriors made three of four three-pointers in the fourth quarter and held off second-seeded San Marcos, 65-63, in a Division II-A semifinal game Tuesday night at Irvine High.

Woodbridge, celebrating its 10th season of basketball, has reached the section finals for the third time in five years.

With Keefe, now a center at Stanford, leading the way, Woodbridge won the title in 1987 and finished second to Banning in ’88.

“Our third time to the Sports Arena,” Woodbridge Coach Bill Shannon said. “Not bad after starting from scratch 10 years ago with no gym.”

Woodbridge (20-8) will play defending State Division II champion Artesia in the championship game at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Sports Arena. Artesia beat Kennedy, 67-40, in the other semifinal.

Shannon called this team the deepest he has coached. Nine of the 11 Warriors who played scored.

Mike Fenton scored five of his team-high 17 points in the fourth quarter to lead Woodbridge. Matt Murphy added two three-pointers in the quarter and finished with 12 points.

Bryant McLemore, who missed most of the quarter with a twisted ankle, had 12 points and five rebounds, and Todd Loewe added nine points.

“The biggest thing between this team and my teams in 1987 and ’88 is that we don’t have a 6-foot-9 All-American like Keefe,” Shannon said. “But we’re committed to playing 11 guys a game.”

Shannon needed that balance to offset San Marcos’ 6-9 center, Rob Ramaker. Ramaker scored 25 points but missed a three-point shot with two seconds left.

“We were trying to get the ball to him near the free-throw line,” San Marcos Coach Jeff Lavender said. “But Rob went out too far. He could have gone in closer and had a great shot.”

Ramaker had plenty of great shots in the first quarter. With Woodbridge playing a man-to-man defense, Ramaker made his first seven shots, all on short jumpers and layups, as San Marcos built a 22-19 lead.

But Shannon mixed a collapsing zone with some perimeter defense in the second quarter, and Ramaker missed his only shot attempt of the quarter. Woodbridge erased a six-point deficit in the final 2:52 and tied it, 31-31, at halftime.

Woodbridge took control early in the third quarter and led by nine, 57-48, with 4:07 left in the game.

But San Marcos came back. Zak DeMatteo hit two three-pointers and Miguel Diaz made another to cut it to 62-60 with 1:38 remaining. DeMatteo scored 12 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter.

A three-point play by Fenton gave Woodbridge a 65-60 lead with 1:11 left. DeMatteo hit a three-pointer at 1:02 to cut it to 65-63.