Hart Shows Redondo Door in Beverly Hills Semifinals

Hart High’s basketball team is not particularly big, quick or talented. But show the Indians a way to beat you, said senior point guard Eric Spindt, and they will.

Spindt (6-foot, 155 pounds) scored 18 points and helped Hart rally to beat Redondo, 61-54, Friday night in the semifinals of the Beverly Hills tournament.

Spindt’s two free throws gave the Indians (6-1) a six-point lead, clinching the victory with 28 seconds left.

Spindt also had five assists, all of them producing back-door layups.

The back-door play was Redondo’s undoing. With Hart trailing, 14-4, in the first quarter after a 12-0 run by the Seahawks, Spindt saw Redondo’s baseline defense breaking down and exploited it.

The Indians, who lost to Santa Barbara, 71-61, in the championship game of the Simi Valley tournament last week, hope they don’t face a similar fate in tonight’s 7:30 title game against Loyola, a 75-61 winner over Beverly Hills.

“We’ll come out a lot more mentally tough,” Spindt said. “We’re a fairly inexperienced team and that was our first big-time game. It was a learning experience.”

Randy Roa had 17 points and eight rebounds for Hart, Cody Patterson added 12 points and nine rebounds and Ronnie Valenzuela had six points and 10 rebounds.

Redondo (5-2) got 16 points from Damani Washington, helping the Seahawks build a 30-16 lead in the second quarter.

Washington’s steal and dunk made it 33-25, but he received a technical foul for hanging on the rim. Spindt made both free throws and a back-door layup for 33-29.

Roa blanked Washington the rest of the way and the Indians went on a 28-5 run to lead by nine points in the third quarter.

Glendale 72, Torrance 47--Manny Gonzalez had 20 points and Ramon Jose added 19 for the Dynamiters (5-2) in a consolation game. Tamer Iskander had a school-record 15 assists for Glendale.

Venice 68, Buena 59--David Nutting had 18 points for the Bulldogs (2-4).