Strong at Start and Finish, Simi Valley Thwarts Royal, 85-68

Simi Valley High dazzled in the first half, then nearly fizzled in the second.

As a result, the Pioneers needed a strong finish--which they got by making 11 of 12 fourth-quarter free throws--to thwart a late rally by host Royal and record an 85-68 Marmonte League victory Wednesday night.

Simi Valley (11-4, 2-1 in league play) outshot, outshone and nearly ran Royal (6-7, 1-1) out of the gym before intermission with razor-sharp execution on everything from the give-and-go to the alley-oop dunk--a play Craig Griffin and Vernon Simmons worked to perfection late in the half, bringing Pioneer fans to their feet.

Simi Valley shot 11 of 16 from the field in the first quarter and 21 of 32 in the first half. All 10 Pioneer players had scored by halftime. Simi Valley took a 53-34 lead at intermission and stretched it to 58-34 early in the third quarter.

“It’s hard to beat a team when they shoot like that,” said Royal forward Khamisi Thurman, who scored a game-high 25 points.

Off and running? So Simi Valley seemed. Yet Royal, led by senior guard Steve Hodge, who made four three-point shots in the fourth quarter, pulled to within 70-59 with just under six minutes to play.

“I guess we got a little cool in the second half,” said guard Ryan Briggs, who led Simi Valley with 15 points. “We were hot in the first half. Real hot.”

Said Pioneer Coach Dean Bradshaw: “I don’t know if we got cold or if they got a little warm.”

Hodge, who finished with 23 points, including five three-point baskets, made three of his long-distance shots in the first two minutes of the final period to complete a 9-2 run.

But when Royal was forced to foul late in the game, the Pioneers did not falter at the line.

Briggs made four of four. Mike Arlotto, David Quitazol and Nathan Simmons each were two for two and Jason Conmay was one for two.

Simi Valley also tied a school record with nine three-point baskets. Griffin finished with 14 points.

Conmay had a team-high three three-pointers and Jeff Barlow and Jeremy Roberts each had two.