Cougars Find Ways to Advance

Capistrano Valley Coach Mark Thornton knew who the heroes were. It just took time to name all of them following the Cougars’ improbable 57-53 victory over L.A. Westchester in the Southern California regional semifinals Thursday night.

From senior guard Aaron Rhoades, a mainstay all season, to reserve Jeff Rosales, an all-but-forgotten player until recently, the Cougar coach had a hard time getting through the list of contributors.

“There was Rhoades and (Corey) Kost and Rosales and . . . and . . . and . . . , well every kid on the team,” Thornton said, gasping for breath. “They all came through tonight. They did it.”

What they had done was upset the regional’s No. 2-seeded team in front of 1,000 at Cal State Dominguez Hills. The Cougars, who were playing without star guard Tom Airey, did so by turning to their defense and by getting enough from a tag-team offense.

It earned them a third shot at Mater Dei. The Cougars already have lost to the Monarchs twice this season and will face them again Saturday in the regional final at the L.A. Sports Arena.

“I don’t really care if we’re playing Mater Dei,” Thornton said. “Let them come play us.”

That won’t be easy, if Thursday’s performance was an indication. Capistrano Valley appeared down and out on some occasions, confused and bewildered other times, but still managed to hang close. Such tenacity was rewarded.

When the game was on the line, Capistrano Valley turned up the heat on defense.

Westchester (28-3) made only one field goal in the final 3 minutes 14 seconds. The Comets wilted under the defensive pressure, missing their final five shots.

One of those was a three-point attempt by Jason Sanders that would have tied the score with 27 seconds left. Instead, it clanged off the rim and into the hands of Rhoades, who was fouled with 14 seconds left.

He made one of two free throws to give the Cougars (30-3) a 57-53 lead.

Rhoades, who scored 12 points, made five of eight free throws in the fourth quarter. The Cougars, who shoot less than 60% as a team from the foul line, made seven of 10 free throws in the final 3:32.

The Cougars’ offense was much less formidable without Airey, who broke a foot in Saturday’s Southern Section I-AA final. The Loyola Marymount-bound guard had made 127 three-pointers during the season and those outside shots were sorely missed Thursday, as Capistrano Valley made only two of nine three-point attempts.

But a group of Cougars took turns leading the offense.

Center Steve Ransom scored 10 of his 13 points in the first half to keep the Cougars close. Westchester, which had an 11-4 edge in offensive rebounds in the first half, went up by six, 27-21, but Capistrano Valley scored the final four points of the half and trailed by just two.

“We played bad in the first half, but we were in the game,” Rosales said. “Coach told us that everyone was going to have to take turns stepping up.”

Rosales took his turn in the second half. It was the second consecutive big game for Rosales, who had played sparingly at the end of the season.

But with Airey’s injury, the Cougars have turned to him. He scored eight points against Poway Tuesday and 11 Thursday.

When Westchester went up, 38-32, and appeared to be rolling, it was Rosales who put a stop to it. He canned a three-pointer with 32 seconds left to pull the Cougars to within three.

That left it up to Kost.

Kost, who started in Airey’s spot, scored eight of his 10 points in the fourth quarter, all on slashing drives to the basket. His layup with 2:18 left gave the Cougars a 52-50 lead. They never trailed again.

“Someone had to take control and it was my turn,” Kost said.