SIMI VALLEY TOURNAMENT : Another G’Day for Pioneers

What does Pero Vasiljevic do best on the basketball court?

Against Notre Dame High on Wednesday night, the 6-foot-9 center for Simi Valley High blocked shots, sank three-pointers, made several reverse layups, executed an alley-oop and grabbed 13 rebounds to go with 22 points.

But best? Vasiljevic, a senior exchange student from Australia, made some absolutely dazzling passes.

There were no-look jobs on fast breaks. There were uncanny bounce passes to wide-open three-point shooters. There were feigned jump shots where he dumped off the ball to teammates underneath the basket for easy scores.

This produced fine performances from several Simi Valley players in an 81-69 victory in the second round of the Simi Valley tournament. The Pioneers will face Newbury Park in a semifinal on Friday night at 8.

Rod MacLean, a Pioneer senior who has much to live up to on name alone, had 24 points and seven rebounds. Vasiljevic might be Simi Valley’s best player since Don MacLean in the 1980s, but Rod (no relation) gave a fair impression of his NBA namesake by scoring 11 points in the fourth quarter to turn the game into a romp.

“Rod was the MVP of our JV team last year and he scored a whole lot,” Simi Valley Coach Dean Bradshaw said. “We’ve given him a different role and he’s handled it with a lot of maturity.”

Scott Blough scored 16 points, including nine in the third quarter.

Notre Dame trailed, 36-31, at halftime but made a spirited run to tie the score, 43-43, behind sophomore center John Murray.

Murray, who scored 27 points, stands only 6-2 but he bulled his way past Vasiljevic for several inside baskets. But when the Simi Valley center went to the bench with three fouls midway through the third quarter, the Pioneers went on a 7-0 run behind baskets by Blough and Tony Campanario.

Campanario, a 6-1 junior guard, had 13 points and 13 rebounds. He scored three times on putbacks of misses by Vasiljevic.

“Tony is hard-nosed,” Bradshaw said. “Pero’s game opens up everyone else’s. He makes great decisions on his passes.”

Notre Dame (1-1) was without the services of Troy Garner and Alvan Arzu, two players from the Knights’ football team that finished play last Friday. Garner has a hip pointer and Arzu was being tutored for the Scholastic Assessment Test.

Ryan Bowne, another football player, played sparingly.

“We’ll be a better team when those guys get into the rotation,” Coach Chris Perez said.

In other tournament games:

Newbury Park 59, Santa Barbara 54--Newbury Park (2-0) served notice that its years as a doormat are over. The Panthers overcame a six-point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat the Dons (1-1), a team picked by many to be the class of the Channel League, in the quarterfinals.

Newbury Park, which blew several games last season with poor fourth-quarter play, made 11 of 14 free throws in the second half after going missing all four it took in the first half.

“This is a huge win for our confidence,” Coach Steve Johnson said. “Last year we found a way to lose. So far we are finding a way to win.”

Newbury Park defeated Chaminade, 72-71, in the first round.

Brent Bush scored 16 points and 6-5 forward Charles Blanton added 14 points and eight rebounds for the Panthers. Johnson pointed to the play of sophomores Robert Congelliere, who scored five points, and Dan Bobik, who had nine, as being pivotal.

“We didn’t get down when we were behind,” Johnson said. “That’s what I like to see in young players.”

Santa Barbara’s Mike Garrett, who scored 26 points in a first-round victory over Littlerock, had only six. Spencer Rich led the Dons with 13.

Santa Clara 67, Moorpark 55--Lukman Dotson scored 22 points and Adam Lopez added 15 for the Saints (2-0) in the quarterfinals at Camarillo High.

Patrick Tate scored 12 points for Moorpark (1-1).

Alemany 85, North Hollywood 82--Bobby Cromwell scored 10 of his 15 points and had five rebounds in two overtime periods as the Indians beat the Huskies in the consolation game at Camarillo High.

North Hollywood (0-2) had a chance to tie with five seconds left, but Mario Thompson of Alemany deflected the inbounds pass into the backcourt and the Huskies could salvage only a desperation shot that fell short.

Thompson had 25 points, including four three-point baskets, for the Indians (1-1). Adrian Pantoja added 24 points.

Jeremiah Arnold scored 21 points and Melvin Goodman had 20 for the Huskies. Arnold sank five three-point shots, including two in the overtimes.

El Camino Real 62, Taft 59--Cameron Henderson scored 32 points for the Conquistadores (1-1) in a consolation game at Camarillo High.

Taft (0-2) had a chance to tie as time expired but the Toreadors failed to get off a shot. Amir Barnetzer scored 16 points for Taft.

Littlerock 53, Chaminade 52--Marquis Drain’s free-throw with 55 seconds remaining gave the Lobos (1-1) a consolation bracket victory at Camarillo High.

Bronson Pitts had 13 points for the Lobos and Dwight Hester added nine points and 13 rebounds.

Littlerock hit 10 of 16 free throws, but missed three of six in the fourth quarter. The Lobos held Chaminade without a field goal in the final 2:30.

Sophomore Scott Long had 25 points for the Eagles (0-2).

Palmdale 78, Granada Hills 69--Steve Eernisse scored 31 points for the Falcons (1-1) in a consolation game. Eernisse, who had 28 points on Tuesday, made 14 field goals.

Darrell Harris scored 13 points for Granada Hills (0-2).

Camarillo 63, Hart 59--Jon Jordan sank two free throws in the waning moments of the game to preserve a come-from-behind victory at Camarillo High.

The Scorpions (2-0) overcame a 36-23 halftime deficit led by three players who scored in double figures.

Mariano It scored 14 points, Josh Hill had 11 and Leo Esplet added 10.

The Scorpions will face Santa Clara Friday night at 6:30 in the semifinal at Simi Valley High.