Sellout Is Certain, Outcome Is Not in Dominguez-Inglewood Semifinal

Planning to attend tonight’s boys’ basketball showdown between Compton Dominguez and Inglewood at Compton College?

Administrators from both schools are urging fans to arrive early and be patient. The Compton College gymnasium has a capacity of 1,200, and the game figures to draw three times that many people.

“Each school has to cut off presale tickets at 500, so that leaves about 200 for the walk-up crowd,” said Willie Donerson, Dominguez athletic director. “I’m sure we could fill a much bigger gym, but there weren’t many options. Those that can’t get in will just have to pick up the morning paper.”

Dominguez is the designated home team for the Southern Section Division II-A semifinal and was responsible for picking a game site other than its own gym.

Dominguez (27-2), ranked No. 2 in the Southland by The Times, figured to be the division’s top-seeded team, but a late-season loss to Lynwood resulted in the Dons being seeded behind Tustin and in the same bracket with Inglewood.

“It’s an unfortunate matchup in that it shouldn’t have occurred until the championship game,” said Inglewood Coach Patrick Roy, whose team is 26-3 and ranked No. 3. “To us, this is the championship.”

The game will be the third this season between the schools. Inglewood defeated Dominguez, 61-54, in the quarterfinal round of the Las Vegas holiday tournament in December. A week later, Dominguez avenged the loss with an 87-83 double-overtime victory in the championship game of the Lakewood Artesia tournament.

Inglewood is led by guard/forward Paul Pierce, a 6-foot-7 senior who is averaging 27 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Team leader for Dominguez is Tommy Prince, a 6-5 guard/forward who is averaging 21 points and seven rebounds.

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Chad Bickley, a 6-1 senior guard from Santa Maria Valley Christian, is having another outstanding season from beyond the three-point line. He has made 134 of 385 long-range shots, including a national-record 21 in a game against Sacramento Citadel in December.

During his four-year career at the small parochial school, Bickley has made 494 three-point shots, which probably will stand as the national record once the category is established. Current records list three-point shots only for a game and a season.

Bickley, averaging 31 points a game, made 165 three-point baskets last season and could break that mark, depending on how far his team goes in the playoffs. Valley Christian (22-3) plays Los Angeles Pacific Hills (15-11) in a Southern Section Division V-A semifinal tonight at 7:30 at North Hollywood Campbell Hall High.

“If we go all the way to the (state) finals, Chad could play an additional five games and set more records,” said Stan Bickley, Chad’s father and coach. “He’s done remarkably well this year, considering he’s always heavily covered and seldom gets a clear shot.”

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Belmont boys’ soccer coach Nancy Carr-Swaim spent the weekend wondering what it takes to win a City Section title.

The Sentinels, the top-seeded team in the Division 4-A playoffs, were upset by Manual Arts in a quarterfinal game Friday. Manual Arts tied the game, 2-2, late in regulation and then survived two scoreless overtime and sudden-death periods before winning a shootout, 4-3.

In eight seasons at Belmont, Carr-Swaim has led the school to three championship games. The Sentinels defeated Bell in last year’s final, 1-0, but were stripped of the title a week later for using an ineligible player.

“I’m 0-3 in the finals, and I thought we could take it all this season,” said Carr-Swaim, whose team finished 16-1-1. “But life isn’t always fair. This is really tough. The kids are heartbroken.”

Prep Notes

Santa Ana Calvary Chapel is favored to win its third consecutive state wrestling title this weekend at the University of Pacific in Stockton. The Eagles qualified seven wrestlers for the tournament, among them defending champions Josh Holiday at 154 pounds and Ed Mosley at 162. . . . The Southern Section is investigating Coach Mike Scyphers and the Simi Valley baseball program for possible rules violations. There are accusations that Scyphers used undue influence in trying to dissuade sophomore pitcher Mike Rainer from transferring to nearby Simi Valley Royal.

Angered that Sepulveda Monroe was omitted from the City Section playoffs, Coach Paul Graber resigned as boys’ basketball coach last week. Graber was 56-34 in four seasons and won the Division 3-A title in 1993. The Vikings were 16-6 this season but were excluded from the 4-A and 3-A playoffs. . . . The boys’ and girls’ soccer seasons conclude this weekend. The Southern Section will hold nine divisional title games at Cerritos Gahr High on Friday and Saturday. The City will hold three games Saturday at East Los Angeles College.

Times’ Basketball Polls

The Times’ top 20 high school basketball polls, with teams from the City and Southern sections.

BOYS

School Sect. Div. Rec. LW 1. Mater Dei SS I-A 30-1 1 2. Dominguez SS II-A 27-2 2 3. Inglewood SS II-A 26-3 3 4. Tustin SS II-A 27-1 4 5. Fairfax City 4-A 23-5 7 6. JW North SS II-AA 22-3 6 7. Crenshaw City 4-A 23-5 12 8. Nogales SS I-A 25-3 9 9. Artesia SS III-AA 24-3 10 10. Fremont City 4-A 27-4 8 11. Harvard-Westlake SS III-A 25-2 11 12. Westchester City 4-A 25-7 5 13. Glendora SS I-A 26-3 13 14. Santa Margarita SS II-A 26-2 15 15. Pasadena SS II-AA 22-6 16 16. Fontana SS I-AA 23-6 20 17. Corona SS I-A 25-3 NR 18. Crescenta Valley SS II-AA 25-2 17 19. Estancia SS III-A 25-3 NR 20. Dos Pueblos SS III-A 24-2 NR

GIRLS

School Sect. Div. Rec. LW 1. Woodbridge SS II-AA 27-1 1 2. Newbury Park SS III-AA 27-1 2 3. Buena SS I-A 22-2 3 4. Mater Dei SS I-A 23-1 4 5. Brea-Olinda SS II-A 26-2 5 6. Crenshaw City 4-A 27-0 6 7. JW North SS II-AA 26-1 7 8. Peninsula SS I-AA 24-4 8 9. Alemany SS II-AA 22-4 9 10. Diamond Bar SS I-AA 25-2 10 11. B. Montgomery SS III-AA 23-4 11 12. Chino SS I-A 22-4 12 13. Fountain Valley SS I-A 22-6 13 14. LB Poly SS I-AA 23-4 14 15. Muir SS II-A 23-2 15 16. Marina SS II-AA 21-6 19 17. Simi Valley SS I-AA 24-5 16 18. Hesperia SS I-AA 20-7 NR 19. Washington City 4-A 18-6 NR 20. Cerritos SS I-A 21-6 20