VALLEY-AREA ROUNDUP : LeVine Helps Thousand Oaks Topple Irvine in Quarterfinals

Some extra practice at the free-throw line on Saturday mornings for the past month has paid off for Thousand Oaks High guard Denny LeVine.

LeVine, once a 65% shooter at the line, showed that practice makes perfect Monday night in the Lancers’ 47-41 victory over Irvine in the Southern Section Division I-A basketball quarterfinals at Christ College Irvine.

LeVine made four pressure free throws in the final minute to help Thousand Oaks (26-1) advance to Wednesday night’s semifinals against Huntington Beach (26-3).

Thousand Oaks earned its 23rd consecutive victory by keeping its composure after Irvine had rallied twice from big deficits. The strategy for Irvine (21-8) was simple: Keep the score low and hope to win in the end against the second-seeded Lancers.

Irvine followed the formula and appeared headed for an upset after Greg Wakeham made two free throws with 2 minutes 5 seconds left to push the Vaqueros to within two points, 43-41. But LeVine made sure Irvine never got closer.

“We held the score down just like we wanted, but we couldn’t get over the hump,” said Irvine Coach Steve Keith. “He knew we had to shoot a high percentage because you’re not going to get many second shots against them.”

Thousand Oaks features a frontline of twin brothers Paul and Nick Foster (6-foot-7) and center Jason Hartman (6-6). Predictably, Irvine made only 19 of 46 shots.

Guard Jim French was Irvine’s only effective offensive weapon, scoring 19 points. French had 13 of his team’s 19 points in the second half.

“The teams pretty much played it straight up, they just had a little more firepower than us,” Keith said. “Still, I’m very proud of the progress this team made the past month. A month ago, we were struggling with a 5-5 record in the Sea View League and wondering if it would qualify for the Southern Section playoffs.

“Jim French became our point guard out of desperation and carried us the past month. Unfortunately, we couldn’t hit the big shot when it mattered most tonight.”

Thousand Oaks opened a 27-16 lead midway through the second quarter but Irvine rallied for 11 consecutive points.

Thousand Oaks regained control and led, 37-29, with 55 seconds remaining in the third quarter after Paul Foster hit a 15-foot jump shot. French’s driving layup with 4:14 remaining got Irvine within four points, 41-37, but LeVine countered with a 14-foot jump shot. When Wakeham’s two free throws trimmed Thousand Oaks’ lead to two points, LeVine answered with four free throws in the final minute.

“This team is unflappable,” Thousand Oaks Coach Ed Chevalier said. “The kids never show any emotion on the court. That’s been the nature of the team all year.”