Sports

FRIENDLY FOES

After Redondo High’s basketball team secured a playoff berth Saturday, Coach Jim Nielsen got in touch with Artesia Coach Wayne Merino, a close friend. They agreed to help each other scout opponents in the postseason tournament.

Of course, that was before the pairings were announced Sunday, matching Redondo against Artesia in the first round of the Southern Section Division II-A playoffs. The teams will meet at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Artesia.

“We had to put (the scouting) on hold, but we’re both looking forward to the game,” Nielsen said.

Merino, who was an assistant under Nielsen from 1984-87 at Mira Costa, has enjoyed tremendous success at Artesia. The Pioneers won three of the past four State Division II titles with teams led by Ed and Charles O’Bannon and Avondre Jones. The O’Bannon brothers start for UCLA. Jones is a USC reserve.

Artesia (14-10), the Suburban League champion, doesn’t have that kind of talent this season and faces a tough challenge from balanced Redondo (19-7). The Sea Hawks rebounded from a recent slump to beat Mira Costa, 74-62, and Culver City, 61-52, last weekend and secure the third and final playoff spot from the Ocean League.

“We’re back to playing the way we should be playing,” said Nielsen, whose team was considered the league favorite but ended up 4-4, three games behind champion Mira Costa. “I honestly thought we should have won the league. It’s a tribute to Mira Costa and (second-place) Beverly Hills that we didn’t, and a knock on us.”

Nielsen blamed Redondo’s disappointing showing on a lack of team play, a problem he hopes has been corrected.

“We dribbled too much and played individually too much,” he said. “We weren’t willing to sacrifice individual goals for team goals. I think the players finally realized if they are going to do anything, they have to play as a team.”

Redondo’s resurgence has coincided with the improved play of guard Tremayne Mayeaux, a talented sophomore who was slowed by a leg injury earlier in the season, and the addition of sophomore guard Ryan Stowasser, who was recently called up from the junior varsity. Both players come off the bench and have given Nielsen more options in substituting for his hot-and-cold starting backcourt of seniors Cecil Fletcher, Morgan Ensberg and Damani Washington.

PLAYOFF PICTURE

Inglewood looks like the South Bay’s best bet to win a Southern Section boys’ basketball title.

The Sentinels (24-3) have a deep and talented team led by 6-foot-6 junior forward Paul Pierce, arguably the area’s best player, and senior point guard Sam Turks. They are seeded second in Division II-AA behind J.W. North High of Riverside (25-0) and will play host to Rosemead (14-9) in a first-round game Friday night.

The only blemishes on Inglewood’s record are two losses to City Section power Westchester and a two-point loss to Fontana when Turks was sidelined with an injury. Fontana is seeded No. 1 in the Division I-AA playoffs.

Serra isn’t as strong as last year’s team that won the State Division IV title, but the third-seeded Cavaliers should do well in the Division IV-A playoffs. Led by Duke-bound guard Ricky Price, Serra (16-9) plays host to Bishop (14-8) in a first-round game Friday night.

Another area team that could make some noise in the playoffs is Chadwick. The Dolphins (19-7) set the Southern Section record for most three-point baskets in a season and have a prolific scoring duo in senior guard Neil Thakur and junior forward Todd Ammons, both averaging more than 20 points. They play host to Templeton (12-10) in a Division V-AA opener Friday night.

GIRLS’ PLAYOFFS

As usual, Peninsula leads a strong field of area teams in the Southern Section girls’ basketball playoffs.

The Panthers (21-3), led by All-American Mimi McKinney, are seeded second in Division I-AA and will play host to a first-round game Saturday night against the winner of Wednesday’s wild-card game between Apple Valley and Alta Loma.

Inglewood (No. 3 in II-AA), Morningside (No. 2 in III-AA) and South Torrance (No. 4 in III-AA) are also seeded in their respective divisions.

Bishop Montgomery, one of the area’s best teams, played a wild-card game Wednesday against Culver City in Division III-AA after tying St. Bernard for second place in the Mission League. St. Bernard, though, was seeded No. 1 in IV-AA, a less competitive division.

GOING, GOING, GONE

Jesse Ibarra of Loyola Marymount was chosen one of the national players of the week by Collegiate Baseball and the West Coast Conference player of the week after an outstanding series in Hawaii.

Ibarra became the first visiting player to hit two home runs in a game and three home runs in a series out of spacious Rainbow Stadium at the University of Hawaii. He batted seven for 12 with six RBIs in the three-game series, and recorded a save in Loyola’s only victory over the Rainbows.

“What a hitter he is,” Hawaii Coach Les Murakami told the Honolulu Advertiser after Ibarra hit a solo home run Saturday in the Rainbows’ 4-3 victory. “Our fences are not long enough for him. He has three home runs in two games and we have one home run for the season.”

On Friday, Ibarra hit two home runs in a 14-8 Loyola loss, one left-handed and one right-handed. His two-run homer from the left side cleared the 12-foot fence in right-center field and was estimated to have traveled 430 feet. The stadium’s dimensions are 340 feet down the lines, 380 to the power alleys and 400 to center.

“I know this is a big yard, but I hit the ball on the nose and knew it was gone,” Ibarra said of his tape-measure shot.

Ibarra, a junior third baseman who is also Loyola’s top reliever, recorded his second save of the season Sunday in a 7-6 victory. It came one day after he gave up the game-winning hit in the ninth inning to Hawaii’s Corey Ishigo, who nonetheless was impressed by the preseason All-American.

“Ibarra is the best ballplayer I have ever seen,” Ishigo said. “Not only can he hit, but he can come in and close the game too. He’s very tough to hit.”

TOROS ON A ROLL

Cal State Dominguez Hills improved its chances of earning an invitation to the NCAA Division II basketball playoffs by beating sixth-ranked Cal State Bakersfield, 65-63, and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 86-72, in California Collegiate Athletic Assn. games last week.

Senior forward Joe Bertrand had double-doubles of 10 points and 21 rebounds against Bakersfield, the defending national champion, and 10 points and 10 rebounds against San Luis Obispo. He was named conference player of the week for the second time this season.

The Toros (16-8 overall, 6-4 in the CCAA) extended their winning streak to three games Tuesday with a 76-72 nonconference victory over Christian Heritage, and play their final conference home game Saturday night against 18th-ranked UC Riverside.

SOFTBALL OPENER

The Loyola Marymount softball team will open the season with a new coach when it plays host to Santa Clara at 1 p.m. Saturday at Loyola.

Coach Steve Combs inherits a team that returns eight starters, including sophomore outfielder Kim McMullen, a former South Torrance High standout.

ALL-AMERICANS

--Mira Costa senior Sean Nollan has been selected to the All-American High School Water Polo team by the American Swimming Coaches Assn. Nollan led the Mustangs to the Ocean League title and the Division III quarterfinals last season and is being recruited by several four-year colleges, including USC and Loyola.

--Former Torrance High standout Jessica Reifer, a sophomore midfielder at the University of Hartford, has been named a Division I All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Assn. after leading her team with 40 points (16 goals, eight assists).

THIS AND THAT

Tino Trujillo of Torrance and John Eberhardt of San Pedro recently recorded their first holes-in-one on the 140-yard eighth hole at Harbor Park golf course. . . . Several of the area’s top prep track athletes will compete in the Sunkist Invitational beginning at noon Saturday at the Sports Arena. . . . The Palos Verdes-based Southern California Roadrunners track and field team, for South Bay boys and girls from age 8 to eighth grade, is conducting registration and will begin its season Feb. 28. Information: Barry Sacks at (310) 514-2030. . . . Registration is under way for the Hawthorne Kiwanis Youth track meet March 5 at Hawthorne High. Information: (310) 970-7230.