Transfers Help Reseda Run a 9-0 Fast Break

Reseda High (9-0) is off to the best start in Coach Jeff Halpern’s eight seasons as a varsity basketball coach, which includes successful runs at Van Nuys (with Anthony Cook) and Birmingham (with Keith Owens). Cook and Owens played in the Pac-10 Conference and in the NBA.

Despite having several new players on the team, the Regents didn’t take long to jell.

“We molded so quick,” said senior guard Archie Williams, one of four transfers who starts or plays extensively. “I thought it would take longer.”

Other new faces include Roderick Jones (Chatsworth), Damon Bailey (Fairfax) and Matt Cooper (Faith Baptist). Williams, the leading scorer last season at Santa Monica, thinks Reseda has what it takes to win the City Section 3-A Division title.

In fact, the new kid on the block expects it.

“We’re gonna take it all,” Williams said. “Trust me. When we play big games, we perform at another level.”

*

The Christmas spirit briefly took hold last week in the Crescenta Valley tournament: Reseda almost received a free basket in its hard-fought victory over Dandenong of Australia in the first round.

The Regents went on to win the championship--marking their first tournament title under Halpern--but faced overtime against the scrappy Australian team.

Officials tossed up the jump ball in overtime, Dandenong got the tip and made a three-point basket . . . at the wrong end of the floor.

“I wasn’t confused, (the officials) were confused,” Halpern cracked. “They were all turned around. Overtime is just an extension of the fourth quarter.”

The officials, who mistakenly had the teams switch baskets before the tip, briefly considered awarding the three-point basket to Reseda, Halpern said, then decided to start the overtime period again from scratch.

Reseda won, 74-66.

NORTHWEST VALLEY

Tale of 2 Halves

Against Los Angeles last week in a nonleague game, Cleveland opened with a 30-6 run and extended its lead to 35 points by halftime.

In the bag, right? Wrong.

The Cavaliers must have forgotten that there are two halves to every game. Los Angeles scratched its way back, outscoring the Cavaliers, 51-19, in the second half.

“That’s what you call not having any killer instinct,” said Cleveland Coach Kevin Crider, who once coached at L.A. High.

Fortunately for the Cavaliers, Cleveland learned its lesson without losing the game: Cleveland 67, Los Angeles 64.

HIGH DESERT LEAGUE

Which One, Coach?

Paraclete Coach Andy Gavel was not at all pleased by the Spirits’ performance against Garces of Bakersfield last week. Garces beat Paraclete, 76-63, in a nonleague game that, Gavel said, “wasn’t that close.”

Garces’ Mike Wall (39 points) and Eric D’Amato (25 points) unnerved Gavel by combining for 15 three-point baskets.

“Let’s see, they combined for 64 points . . . they alone beat us. Their two beat our 11,” said Gavel after the loss. “And our guys couldn’t figure out who to cover.”

VALLEY PAC-8

Found All the Parts?

North Hollywood’s fifth consecutive victory was a big one, a 62-56 triumph over previously unbeaten Dorsey. Unfortunately, the Huskies (6-4) followed with two losses and a quick exit this week from the tough Las Vegas Holiday Prep Classic.

All might not be well.

“I don’t think we’ve used the same starting lineup yet,” Coach Steve Miller said.

In a victory over Banning, Miller started three guards, including reserve Mo Shivers. The following night, against Dorsey, he benched Shivers and inserted forward Mike Delano.

All this, it seems, because of the void created when Romain Coleman moved to Georgia. Coleman, a senior guard, has committed to play next season at Tennessee Tech, Miller said.

“(Losing him) killed us,” Miller said.

*

When only seven players suit up for a basketball team, the average person might assume that team is the heavy underdog. Apparently, Canoga Park Coach Nate Schleifer is not the average person.

Only seven Jefferson players entered the gym for a Pacific Open tournament game last week--and Schleifer was troubled immediately.

“(Jefferson Coach Andy Fujitsubo) walked in with seven players and I knew then we were in trouble,” Schleifer said.

Turns out, he was right: Jefferson 102, Canoga Park 67.

PACIFIC LEAGUE

Taste of Greatness

Just like swinging two bats in the on-deck circle. . . .

Hoover Coach Kirt Kohlmeier wanted his team to be prepared when it faced Muir and Pasadena, traditionally the league’s best teams, so he added Crenshaw to his nonleague schedule.

Twice.

The Tornadoes lost the first one, 93-33, on Dec. 7. They will play the Cougars again at Crenshaw on Jan. 4.

“I didn’t (schedule Crenshaw) for any big glory thing like we were going to knock them off,” Kohlmeier said, “but we do have to get ready for Muir and Pasadena, and the first game we play against those teams we always seem intimidated. I figured, why don’t we go out and see what a really great basketball team is?”

So much for that plan, though. A few days after the Tornadoes’ first loss to Crenshaw, they were upset by Burbank, 54-46.

MISSION LEAGUE

Life at the Top

Alemany’s Robert Webb has been learning the difference between being a head coach and an assistant.

“I’m sitting down to dinner with friends and they are talking about something and I’m thinking, ‘How can we adjust to (Harvard-Westlake’s) Collins twins? How can we do this or that?’ ” Webb said. “It’s an all-consuming thing. I thought being an assistant was a lot of work.”

Webb, 25, who had been an assistant at Alemany, Muir and Glendale College before taking over the Indians’ program this season, is off to a 2-4 start.

Around the Leagues . . .

* Crescenta Valley sophomore Jake Willis is averaging about eight assists a game. Willis is the younger brother of Josh Willis, a former standout at Crescenta Valley and now a player at Cal State Northridge.

* Harvard-Westlake freshman Jason Collins is shooting 73% from the field.

* Village Christian’s David Gustafson, a junior guard who is averaging 18.6 points, has scored 30 points in his last two games.

* Notre Dame’s Tom Zapata had a triple-double in the Knights’ 82-73 victory over Schurr last week in the La Canada tournament. Zapata scored 26 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and had 10 assists.

* Kennedy’s Terri Garland had a career-high 24 rebounds in the Golden Cougars’ 55-51 victory over Louisville in the consolation semifinals of the Simi Valley tournament on Monday.

* St. Francis senior Bret Christofferson broke his right pinky in three places Dec. 14 against La Canada and will be out four to six weeks.

Staff writers Steve Elling, Paige A. Leech and Jeff Fletcher contributed to this notebook.

Basketball Top 10

Rankings of Valley-area high schools by sportswriters of The Times:

Rk LW Team League W-L 1 1 North Hollywood East Valley 6-4 2 2 Simi Valley Marmonte 7-2 3 3 Chatsworth West Valley 6-3 4 4 Thousand Oaks Marmonte 5-2 5 5 Hart Foothill 10-1 6 9 Reseda North Valley 9-0 7 7 Glendale Pacific 8-3 8 NR Harvard-Westlake Mission 8-0 9 NR Westlake Marmonte 4-1 10 NR Grant East Valley 8-1