Vasiljevic Has Last Word and Royal Only Ties for First

Add the word spoiler to Pero Vasiljevic’s ever-expanding vocabulary.

An exchange student from Australia, Vasiljevic helped lead Simi Valley High past Royal, 70-57, in a Marmonte League game Friday night at Royal.

Vasiljevic had 24 points, 19 rebounds, helped his team into the playoffs and foiled Royal’s bid for an undisputed Marmonte League championship.

Royal (17-7, 9-5 in Marmonte League play) finished as co-champion with Westlake.

Vasiljevic could get used to this spoiler thing.

“For sure,” said Vasiljevic, who hit 11 of 16 shots as Simi Valley (16-8, 8-6) finished in a third-place tie with Agoura and earned an automatic berth in the playoffs, which begin Tuesday.

Had the Pioneers lost, they might have had to cross their fingers for an at-large berth.

“We’ll be playing Tuesday and that’s all that matters,” said Simi Valley Coach Dean Bradshaw.

The Pioneers made 26 of 49 shots (53.1%), including a torrid third quarter in which they made nine of 12 and expanded a 35-24 halftime lead.

In the middle four minutes of the third quarter, the Pioneers went on a 16-2 run that included a pair of three-point baskets by Scott Blough, who had 13 points, and three baskets by Vasiljevic.

Simi Valley’s success on offense hurt Royal, which couldn’t crank up its transition offense.

“It’s hard to run when you’re taking the ball out of the net,” said Royal Coach Larry Wiksell, whose Highlanders won a share of the league title for the first time since 1989.

“We still won league and that’s what you play for.”

The Highlanders would have had a better shot at a victory had they shot better from the floor.

Royal made 23 of 59 shots (39%) and failed to establish any consistency on offense.

Simi Valley, which won the teams’ first meeting on a last-second shot, swept the season series.

“They’ve got our number, there’s no doubt about it,” said Wiksell, who got 17 points from Marques Pena and 16 from Ryan Nielsen.

Rod MacLean scored 15 for Simi Valley, nine in the second quarter.

Blough’s big quarter was the third, in which he scored nine.

“Everyone picked up the slack,” said Vasiljevic, who had nine points and eight rebounds in the first quarter. “And that’s what did it.”