BOYS’ BASKETBALL THOUSAND OAKS TOURNAMENT : Hartman Comes Forward for Host Lancers, 61-35

It’s no secret that Paul and Nick Foster are Thousand Oaks High’s identical twin towers of inside power.

So, perhaps it was only fitting the Fosters shared tournament most-valuable-player honors after the Lancers, almost expectedly, routed Hueneme, 61-35, Friday night for the championship of the Thousand Oaks tournament.

What might no longer be the best-kept secret in high-tops is Thousand Oaks forward Jason Hartman.

Hartman--as tall as Paul at 6-foot-6 and, perhaps, faster than either Foster--dribbled to the fore, scoring a season-high 17 points and grabbing a team-high seven rebounds.

Paul and Nick Foster, who scored 70 and 50 points in the three-game tournament, scored only 14 and eight points and had only three and six rebounds against a Viking defense tracking their every move.

Each scored only four points in the first half. By that time, thanks to Hartman’s 10 points and a 22-2 second-quarter run, Thousand Oaks, which has won its tournament two of the last three years, had matters well in hand with a 31-6 lead.

Hartman scored four points in the first quarter and six in the second--including a pair of breakaway, one-handed dunks.

Hartman’s pair of inside baskets in the first quarter helped stake the Lancers to a 9-4 lead while Paul Foster made only one of his first five attempts from the field and Nick Foster was 0 for three.

Thousand Oaks, which outscored tournament opponents, 249-95, and jumped to huge leads early in its first two games, suddenly found itself in a matchup.

“The Fosters had a rough game--rough compared to what they’re capable of doing,” Hartman said. “If the ball comes to me, that’s OK with me.”

Hueneme’s Wendell Nunnery, an all-tournament selection, scored a game-high 19 points, including a pair of three-point baskets. Hueneme fell to 2-1.

Oxnard 64, Faith Baptist 59--Oxnard nearly squandered a 13-point fourth-quarter lead but held on to win the third-place game.

Faith Baptist (5-2), last season’s state 1-A Division champion, rallied to pull to within 62-59 with two seconds to play. For the game, Oxnard (3-1) made only eight of 19 free throws.

Senior guard Larry Bumpus led Oxnard with 20 points, all on field goals. Brian Gallardo added 18.

Leonard Colon of Faith Baptist led all scorers with 23 points, including eight free throws in 13 attempts.

Newbury Park 96, Calabasas 55--Junior guard Keith Smith scored a game-high 28 points and junior forward Leodes Van Buren added 23 to lead the Panthers (2-4) to a seventh-place finish.

Smith connected on five three-point shots and Van Buren made two. The Panthers had eight three-point baskets and made 18 of 28 free throws.

Senior center Mike Dye led Calabasas (0-4) with 16 points.

St. Monica 87, Alemany 72--Despite a game-high 25 points from senior guard Doug Tait, Alemany dropped to 2-5 with a loss in the consolation final.

Alemany’s Mike Corr (13 points) and Chris Bello (11) also scored in double figures.