DIVISION V BOYS’ BASKETBALL : Calipatria’s Kudos Are All Simpson’s

Championship game. Sports Arena. Big crowd. None of those things changed the way Calipatria and Santa Fe Christian went about their business Saturday in the San Diego Section Division V boys’ basketball championship.

Neither team was shy, producing 12 points apiece in the first four minutes, but the difference was the next four.

That’s when Calipatria, an eventual 60-58 winner, made its mark.

The top-seeded Hornets outscored No. 3 Santa Fe Christian, 13-2, in the final 3:50 of the first quarter, getting the first eight points in the run from sophomore center Roferrel Simpson.

“We couldn’t stop that guy,” said Eagle point guard Ryan Flanders. “I don’t even know what his name is, but he’s a great basketball player. What a leaper!”

Simpson, who is 6-feet-3, finished with a game-high 19 points and 13 rebounds. Senior guard Cesar Bastidas added 14 points, seven in each half, and junior forward Rodney Widmann provided eight points, all in the first quarter, and eight rebounds.

Flanders, a junior, led SFC with 16 points, including a three-pointer with three seconds left, and junior center Gus Svendsen added 15 points.

It was Calipatria’s fourth San Diego Section title in seven consecutive appearances, and with it, the Hornets (23-2) probably will host a first-round game in the Southern California Regionals on Tuesday. The Eagles fell to 22-5 but also will play on Tuesday at a site to be determined.

SFC had not been in a final since losing to Calipatria 10 years ago Friday.

By halftime Saturday, Calipatria stretched its lead to 39-27, and it was up 52-44 after three quarters. After Svendsen converted on a three-point play to begin the fourth quarter, SFC trailed by five for nearly three minutes and could not get closer than 57-53 and 59-55 before Flanders’ late shot.

Simpson’s personal eight-point run in the first half included two layups and two mid-range jump shots. He had 10 points overall in the first quarter. He then turned to defense and pulled down six rebounds in the fourth quarter.

“Roferrel was the key,” Bastidas said. “He got open inside all game, and made a lot of key baskets and got a lot of key rebounds for us. You know he’s only a sophomore. Not bad, huh?”

Said Simpson: “The key was to play smart basketball. I think we did that this afternoon.”