Simi Valley Erupts in Third Quarter, Then Buries Westlake

Rod MacLean scored 10 of his 23 points in the decisive third quarter as Simi Valley High turned a close game into a 72-53 victory in a Marmonte League boys’ basketball opener Wednesday night at Simi Valley High.

Simi Valley outscored Westlake, 24-3, in the third quarter.

Besides the big game by MacLean, a 6-foot-4 senior forward, the Pioneers (5-0), the Times’ No. 2-ranked team in the region, got 22 points from 6-9 senior center Pero Vasiljevic, as well as 14 by Tony Campanario and 12 by Scott Blough.

Vasiljevic grabbed 12 rebounds and MacLean had eight.

“We had to step up and win it in the second half,” MacLean said. “This is going to be a tough league and it’s good to get this first one.

“When we needed to step up against a quality team, we did it.”

Trailing, 29-28, at the half, the Pioneers opened the third quarter with an 11-0 run to take a 10-point advantage at 39-29 with 5 minutes 15 seconds to go in the quarter.

Simi Valley overwhelmed Westlake from there, adding 15 points in the last 2:45 of the quarter.

The Warriors managed just a three-point shot by guard Steve Aylsworth.

Aylsworth finished with 22 points for Westlake (2-2).

The teams traded leads throughout the first half, with Simi Valley ahead, 13-11, after one quarter. Vasiljevic accounted for 11 of the Pioneers’ points in the quarter.

Aylsworth put the Warriors up by their largest margin, 18-13, by scoring his team’s first seven points of the second quarter.