SOUTHERN SECTION BOYS’ BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : DIVISION II-AA : Trabuco Hills’ Balancing Act Is a Winner

Although injuries and fouls hampered Trabuco Hills, the Mustangs had enough to overcome Ocean View’s one-man gang and post a 77-68 victory Friday at Ocean View High.

Trabuco Hills senior Rob Warnick had 23 points and 13 rebounds and four players scored in double figures to help the Mustangs advance in a second-round Southern Section Division II-AA boys’ basketball playoff game.

Balancing the Trabuco Hills attack were Laquent Fobbs (17 points and eight assists), Nick Punto (14 points and five assists) and Jon Paisley, who had 12 points despite foul trouble.

Trabuco Hills (18-10) advanced to play Cerritos Gahr, a 65-50 winner over third-seeded El Monte Arroyo, in the quarterfinals Feb. 24 at a site to be determined.

Ocean View’s 6-foot-1 center Dan McDonald had 25 points but scored only nine in the first half when the Mustangs built a 39-24 lead.

Trabuco Hills mixed its defenses and rotated defenders on McDonald. John Lukin, a 6-2 senior, started the game playing man-to-man defense on McDonald, which helped limit him to two first-half field goals.

“I think Dan only touched the ball four times in the first half,” Ocean View Coach Jim Harris said. “We came out and weren’t confident, but that’s a tribute to Trabuco Hills.”

Lukin, normally a reserve, started for Trabuco Hills because 6-5 sophomore Brenton Junge was injured. Junge broke his nose in the Mustangs’ first-round victory over Huntington Beach Tuesday.

“It’s the third time Brenton’s broken it this year,” Trabuco Hills Coach Rainer Wulf said. “He had surgery (Friday). He’s done for the season.”

But Junge’s teammates will keep playing thanks to a fast start.

Trabuco Hills led by as many as nine in the first quarter, then scored nine unanswered points early in the second quarter to take a 30-16 lead with 4 minutes 54 seconds remaining.

Ocean View (18-11) tried to rally in the second half but could pull no closer than six points.

Guards Mike Seguin, who had 17 points, and Marvin Marquez, who had 16 points, led the comeback. Marquez, who came up from the junior varsity for the playoffs, had four three-pointers to pace the Seahawks’ outside attack.

When the Seahawks tried to go inside, Trabuco Hills’ Matt Grace made it tough. Grace, a reserve center, finished with five blocked shots.

McDonald, who scores the majority of his points inside, made seven of 13 from the field and 11 of 16 from the free throw line.

“We kept fouling him all night,” Wulf said. “I hadn’t seen him in person before tonight, but now I can understand why a 6-1 center can score like that. He’s relentless.”

That effort made Harris proud despite the loss.

Said Harris: “We overachieved big-time all year.”