Achy Berumen Leaves Highland Feeling Low

Simi Valley High center Rafael Berumen felt flu symptoms during the Pioneers’ first-round Southern Section Division I-AA playoff game against Highland on Friday night at Simi Valley.

His body ached. His mouth was dry. He felt like curling up and going to sleep in a corner.

Fortunately for Berumen and Simi Valley, Highland was there to provide comfort.

Simi Valley shot 60% and beat the Bulldogs, 103-80, to set up a second-round game against Santa Monica on Tuesday.

Berumen, a 6-foot-8 sophomore, scored 40 points and had 15 rebounds, but he walked off the court stooped and feeling queasy.

“I felt like throwing up,” he said.

Berumen made 17 of 24 shots, all layups, and Simi Valley (22-3) left the Bulldogs (7-19) breathless and feeling sick for their bus ride back to Palmdale.

“We’ve been doing a good job of scoring, but we give up baskets too easy,” Highland Coach Lyn Boop said.

Highland trailed, 7-6, in the first quarter when the flood gates opened. The Pioneers went on an 8-2 run, Berumen scoring all the points, to lead, 15-8. By the end of the quarter, Simi Valley led by 16.

“They were playing me one-on-one,” Berumen said. “My players gave me the ball. By the end of the first half, [Highland] seemed like they lost hope.”

Actually, the Bulldogs seemed more interested in joining the scoring fest after trailing, 56-33, at halftime. The result was a high school version of an NBA all-star game: nearly six points per minute, no defense.

Highland, which shot 53%, gave Simi Valley a scare by closing to within 86-71 midway through the fourth quarter on three-point baskets by Wendell Bonner (21 points) and Mike Paul (20 points).

But the Pioneers, who had 29 assists, were clicking. Branduinn Fullove (22 points) converted a four-point play when he was fouled on a three-point shot, and and Simi Valley pulled away.

“We’ve been off for a week, and we had two or three really good practices,” Simi Valley Coach Dean Bradshaw said. “We had fresh legs tonight.”

Ronnie Noel had 10 points, 14 assists and seven steals, and Brett Michel had 13 points for the Pioneers.

Will Demps had 10 points for Highland and Norman Floyd, 6-7 sophomore, had 12 points and 10 rebounds. But he couldn’t stop Berumen and Highland refused to double-team him.

“That’s because Michel and Fullove shoot the ball so well,” Bradshaw said. “You’ve got to get out on those guys.”

Said Boop: “We don’t have anybody 6-8, 240 [pounds]. I never saw a kid handle the ball so well. He has soft hands.”

And an achy stomach.