Mission Viejo Sets Fast Pace to Beat Trojans at Own Game

The halftime talk from Mission Viejo Coach Joe Reid was brief Friday night.

“I said, ‘You guys better be in shape because University just keeps going up and down the floor,’ ” Reid said.

But with 23 points from Commander King, 21 from Orlando Campbell and 20 from Gabe Burt, Mission Viejo had little problem running past University, 98-71, in the opening round of the Southern Section Division I-A boys’ basketball playoffs.

Mission Viejo (17-10), which finished third in the South Coast League, advances to play Aliso Niguel, which finished second in the Pacific Coast League, on Tuesday.

University finished its season 16-10.

No stranger to up-tempo games, University got the pace it wanted early, taking a 12-4 lead three minutes after tipoff. But Mission Viejo grabbed a 23-21 lead just before the first quarter ended and never trailed thereafter. The Diablos ran to a 47-34 lead just before halftime and built a 40-point cushion at one point.

King, Campbell and Burt, who also had six first-half rebounds, led the way, combining for 33 first-half points.

“Orlando Campbell had a good game and Commander is our captain,” Reid said. “We had to have a good game from him and we got it.”

King made six of eight field-goal attempts in the second half and was very effective in keeping University at a distance several times in the third quarter when it appeared the Trojans might get back in the game.

Trojan forward Larry Johnson led all scorers with 26 points and had 10 rebounds.

University had difficulty holding onto the ball in the first two quarters. The Trojans committed 15 turnovers, Meanwhile, King and company were blocking shots and turning them into quick baskets.

University guard Eric Palmer, the county’s leading scorer with a 24.4 average, finished with a quiet 14 points on three-for-10 shooting from the field. Palmer was the subject of intense pressure by the Diablos, who alternated from box-and-one to man-to-man defense. He had nine turnovers and was six of 10 from the free-throw line. Palmer fouled out with eight seconds left in the third quarter.

University played without starting forward Nima Adloo, who was removed from the team earlier in the week. Coach Mike Dinneen refused to comment further on the dismissal.

“They are really quick, quicker than anyone in our league,” Dinneen said of Mission Viejo.