HIGH SCHOOL BOYS’ BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : Oak Park Season Ends at Familiar Roadblock : Southern Section Division IV-A: Eagles turned away for second consecutive year by Crossroads and take 78-58 loss.

Same day one year later. Same fork in the road. Same path taken for Oak Park High’s boys’ basketball team.

Playing Crossroads--the team that handed it a double-digit defeat in the Southern Section playoffs exactly one year earlier--Oak Park again took a wrong turn, losing, 78-58, Friday in the Division IV-A quarterfinal game at Santa Monica City College.

The Tri-Valley League champion Eagles (22-3) led by six points midway through the first quarter and led, 30-29, at halftime after Nick Rattray hit a jump shot from the wing at the buzzer.

It wasn’t until the Roadrunners opened the third quarter with a 10-0 run that the Eagles appeared overmatched. But it became clear that another nice season for the Eagles would stop at Crossroads after the hosts outscored Oak Park, 23-10, in the quarter to take a 52-40 lead.

“I think last year’s team was better,” said Oak Park Coach Rob Hall about the Roadrunners. “But these guys are good.”

Using a full-court press early and badgering Eagle guards from start to finish, Crossroads forced 15 turnovers. The defense led to easy baskets at the other end. KeJuan Woods and Lequan Tolbert each had 18 points as the Roadrunners put four scorers in double figures.

Senior forward Ryan Garth, who scored 37 points against St. Joseph in the first round, led Oak Park with 28. Center Darren Aherne had 11. With leading scorer Shawn Williams out with mononucleosis, Garth was forced to carry the Eagles on the offensive end.

“We had only one scorer on the floor,” Hall said. “Ryan had two or three guys on him every time he touched the ball.”

That was OK for awhile. After nailing a three-point shot from the top of the key to make it 26-24, Crossroads, in the second quarter, Garth smiled as he ran back on defense. But with 1:12 left in the half, he was given a technical foul for elbowing, which led to two free throws by John Skinner and a two-point lead for Crossroads. And momentum began to change.

After the Roadrunners (17-7) jumped in front by nine in the third quarter, Garth closed the gap to 41-36 with a strong layup that produced a three-point play.

But when Crossroads came back with 11 consecutive points to lead by 16, Oak Park’s confidence crumbled. Brandon Creason missed two free throws and his teammates started throwing air balls.

Asked if a healthy Williams might have made a difference, Garth mumbled, “Probably.” Then the exhausted and dejected senior fell into a crouch and said no more.