DIVISION V : Record-Setting St. Margaret’s Now Eyes Playoffs

St. Margaret’s High, a private school of 170 students, jumped into the boys’ basketball spotlight this month for one reason . . . actually, 151 reasons.

The Tartans--who begin the Division V-AA playoffs as the fourth-seeded team and will play host to North Hollywood Valley Torah in a first-round game Friday--set a Southern Section record for most points scored in a game by defeating South Gate Southeast Lutheran, 151-35.

La Canada Flintridge Ribet Academy held the previous record of 144, set during the 1990-91 season. In its Academy League victory Feb. 1, St. Margaret’s averaged almost five points per minute during the four eight-minute quarters, making 62 of 82 shots from the field (76%) but only one three-pointer.

One-hundred fifty - one points.

“Wow, that’s a lot of points,” said Gary McKnight, who coaches Mater Dei, the top-ranked team in Orange County and USA Today’s No. 2-ranked team in the nation.

“Thirty-two minutes is so limited,” McKnight said. “There would have to be a unique situation for us to score that many, and if we did, people would be very critical of us.”

St. Margaret’s Coach Rick Bauer has raised more than a few eyebrows by engineering the feat and then saying the Tartans did nothing wrong.

“We’re proud of the record,” Bauer said. “But most people just look at the score and they don’t know all of the circumstances.

“We didn’t press, but we weren’t going out there and not attack the basket. They would take a quick shot or turn it over right away, then they weren’t getting back on defense. We wanted our kids to play hard all the time, so they were hustling trying to get layups.

“But that record wasn’t any more important to us than winning the league title, the La Canada Flintridge Prep tournament, or any other of our accomplishments.”

Among the accomplishments are a current 13-game winning streak and five consecutive league titles. The Tartans won their eight league games by an average of 49 points.

And with a squad Bauer compares to the St. Margaret’s team he led to the 1990 Southern Section Small Schools finals, he says the Tartans have a great chance to win the school’s first Southern Section basketball title.

Leading the Tartans is Damian Raibon, a 6-foot-3 junior who averages 24 points and 12 rebounds. Guards Lupe Rodriguez and Bobby Baker, a transfer from Mission Viejo, and 6-4 center Bobby Masters are other key players for a team that Bauer says can go 10 to 12 deep without a significant drop-off in talent.

“I don’t want the scoring record to take anything away from this team,” Bauer said. “Some people may root against us now, but that’s fine, we accept that.”

Southeast Lutheran Coach Mike Grasz had a hard time accepting Bauer’s reasons for the blowout.

“He spoke with me at halftime and said they weren’t trying to embarrass us,” Grasz said. “But I really didn’t see how I could not look up at the scoreboard and feel that we weren’t being embarrassed.”

Grasz didn’t appreciate that Raibon, who scored 37 points against Southeast Lutheran, played in the fourth quarter although the Tartans entered the period leading 112-25.

Bauer said Raibon was part of a platoon system.

“Everyone, including three JV players, was platooning,” Bauer said. “Our third-string center, David Tomlinson, scored 17 points.”

Coach John Hattrup uses his reserves frequently during Brea-Olinda girls’ basketball games. The Ladycats have won three consecutive State championships and routinely win their Orange League games by 60 or more points.

“It’s a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t situation,” Hattrup said. “The second string plays a lot, but you can’t tell a kid not to score. We need those kids to play hard.

“But that’s one reason why we schedule four, CIF-(playoff) type, nonleague, Saturday night games during the league season to help keep us sharp.”

Said McKnight, who has won more than 300 games in 12 seasons at Mater Dei: “If I felt my starters didn’t play a lot in one game, I made the next practices tougher for them; you learn to adjust.

“But (the 151 points) will go into the record books. Somebody must think it’s important.”

The playoffs are important to the Tartans, who hope to avoid an early exit; that has haunted them in the past.

And it won’t be easy with top-seeded Los Angeles Brentwood, Palos Verdes Chadwick and North Hollywood Campbell Hall in their half of the draw.

If St. Margaret’s has any impending comeuppance, it might arrive on the basketball court in the next few weeks or early next season.

“I want to play Mater Dei,” Bauer said. “I think our program’s improving and we’ll have a great team next year; to get better, you have to play the best.”

Said McKnight: “He can call me and we’ll set it up. I have no problems with it; it’s private school versus private school.”

Division V-A at a Glance

Defending champion: Bel-Air Prep, now Los Angeles Pacific Hills.

Top-seeded teams: Santa Maria Valley Christian (20-3), Redlands Calvary Chapel (16-4), Culver City Westside Prep (13-0), Pico Rivera Mesrobian (10-4).

Dark horse: Liberty Christian. The Minutemen (12-11) have made the quarterfinals three consecutive seasons and have one of the division’s top players in senior center David Vaccaro, who averaged 21 points and 14 rebounds.

Top players: Steve Acheson (Heritage Christian), Eric Bradley (Atascadero North County Christian), Derron Brown (Antelope Valley Christian), Bryan Coombes (Simi Valley Grace Brethren), Mike Daniel (Redlands Calvary Chapel), Dan Graynor (West Los Angeles Baptist), Owen Healy (Redlands Calvary Chapel), Alvin Jenkins (La Verne Calvary Baptist), Ryan Johnson (Colton Christian Center Academy), David Vaccaro (Liberty Christian), Joshua Valenzuela (Riverside Bethel Christian).

Best draw: Redlands Calvary Chapel. After getting a first-round bye, the Bears have a clear path to the semifinals, where they probably will play Westside Prep or Arroyo Grande Coastal Christian.

Worst draw: Pacific Hills (16-8). The division’s returning champion received an at-large bid out of the tough Delphic League, after Santa Monica Crossroads earned a Division IV-A berth and Brentwood and Campbell Hall got Division V-AA spots. The Bruins will play a tough team in Palos Verdes Rolling Hills Prep (15-5) in the first round.

Notes: Valley Christian (20-3), the division’s top-seeded team, could have a couple of tough games if Liberty Christian and free-lancer Grace Brethren advance. . . . Bethel Christian’s Valenzuela is one of the top players in the division, averaging 23 points, 17 rebounds and nearly six assists.

Division V-AA at a Glance

Defending champion: Brethren Christian, now in Division IV-A.

Top-seeded teams: Los Angeles Brentwood (18-6), Pasadena Poly (17-4), Fontana Ambassador Christian (19-5), St. Margaret’s (18-3).

Dark horse: Palos Verdes Chadwick (19-7). The Dolphins, who fell to Brethren Christian in the championship game last season, lost only one Prep League game this season, to third-seeded Ambassador Christian, 78-60.

Top players: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Jr. (Brentwood), Josh Cameron (Southern Californian Christian), William Collins (Edwards Air Force Base Desert), Matt Kemp (Lone Pine), Ross Ketcham (San Luis Obispo Mission Prep), Alex Lopez (North Hollywood Campbell Hall), Nathan Martel (La Verne Lutheran), Dan Mork (Hesperia Christian), Damian Raibon (St. Margaret’s), Daniel Robertson (Redlands Arrowhead Christian Academy), Neil Thakur (Chadwick).

Best draw: Arrowhead Christian Academy. The Eagles (19-5) are the only team to face a wild-card team. If they beat the winner of the Hamilton-Buckley wild-card game, they probably will play Boron (11-7) in the next round.

Worst draw: Inglewood South Bay Lutheran. After finishing 17-5, the Waves come out of the Heritage League as the second-seeded team, and will have to open at Yeshiva (12-10), and then probably play fourth-seeded St. Margaret’s.

Notes: It’s possible St. Margaret’s could face Campbell Hall, which beat the Tartans during the regular season, 70-55, in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, No. 2-seeded Pasadena Poly has a relatively easy draw, until it likely faces Hesperia Christian or La Verne Lutheran in the quarterfinals. . . . Chadwick recently set the Southern Section record for three-point field goals made in a season with 262. . . . Southern California Christian (10-12), the other Orange County team in the division, faces third-seeded Ambassador Christian in the first round Friday.