HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL BOYS’ PLAYOFF PREVIEW : Conflict With Trojans Alters Finals Schedule

High school basketball junkies will get a lighter fix this year because the Southern Section has scaled back its annual championship extravaganza at the Sports Arena.

Instead of playing six title games at the same site on a Saturday, the Section has spread out its 10 boys’ championship games over two days. And no site will have more than two games either day.

The change was made because USC plays Washington State in a televised game at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Sports Arena.

“Because USC is playing right in the middle of the day, we were not able to keep to our same schedule,” said Scott Cathcart, a Southern Section spokesman. “It’s unfortunate, but we will get back on track next season.”

The Southern Section recently announced it would move its top six division finals to the new Anaheim Arena in 1994, no longer using the Sports Arena.

Fans can still see as many as four games this weekend.

Cal Poly Pomona will have a doubleheader tonight, beginning with the III-AA championship game between Inglewood Morningside and South Torrance at 6, and continuing with the III-A title game between Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and San Dimas at 8.

Also tonight, the Bren Center at UC Irvine will be the site of the II-AA title game between Riverside North and Compton Dominguez at 6, followed by Lakewood Artesia and Pasadena Muir in the II-A final at 8.

The Sports Arena will have the I-A and I-AA games Saturday night. Long Beach Jordan and Simi Valley meet in the I-AA final at 6, followed by Santa Ana Mater Dei and Huntington Beach at 8.

The IV-AA, IV-A, V-AA and V-A championships will be played at various sites tonight at 7:30.

A sellout crowd is expected to watch a doubleheader at Bren Center involving four of the Southland’s top-ranked teams. In the opener, J.W. North, 29-0 and ranked No. 3 by The Times, takes on No. 4 Dominguez (25-2) in II-AA. Both teams lost to Mater Dei in the I-A playoffs last season. Dominguez was eliminated in the quarterfinals and North lost in the championship game.

The II-A game between No. 5 Artesia (25-3) and No. 10 Muir (26-5) will feature three of the top high school players in the country. Muir is led by guard Jacque Vaughn, and Artesia counters with forward Charles O’Bannon and center Avondre Jones. Vaughn and O’Bannon are two of the finalists for The Times’ player-of-the-year award.

Top-ranked Mater Dei (30-1), which lost to Alameda St. Joseph in the State Division I title game last season, will take on No. 6 Huntington Beach (27-3) in I-A on Saturday night.

The Monarchs beat Huntington Beach twice this season in championship games of holiday tournaments.

City Section fans will be able to watch four games today at the Sports Arena. Four title games will be played in a row, beginning with the girls’ Division 3-A final between Jefferson and Harbor City Narbonne at 2:30 and ending with the boys’ 4-A game between second-ranked Crenshaw and unranked Dorsey at 8:30.

The boys’ 3-A final begins at 6:30, with Sepulveda Monroe and Wilmington Banning playing.

Dorsey (15-10) is a surprise finalist, having lost twice to Crenshaw during the regular season. The Dons upset North Hollywood and Washington in the playoffs.

Crenshaw (23-2), which has won four State titles, lost to Westchester in last season’s 4-A title game. The Cougars are led by Tremaine Fowlkes at forward and Kristaan Johnson at center.